Exodus 36 (JND) - Bible Truth Library

Some, observing that the verb {kerav} in Syriac, sometimes means to resemble, make like, conceive the noun {keroov} signifies no more than an image, figure, or representation of anything.

Josephus says they were flying animals, like none of those which are seen by man, but such as Moses saw about the throne of God.

In another place he says, "As for the cherubim, nobody can tell or conceive what they were like."

These symbolical figures, according to the description of them by Ezekiel, (ch. 1:10; 10:14,) were creatures with four heads and one body; and the animals of which these forms consisted were the noblest of their kind; the lion among the wild beasts; the bull among the tame ones; the eagle among the birds, and man at the head of all.

Hence some have conceived them to be somewhat of the shape of flying oxen; and it is alleged in favour of this opinion, that the far more common meaning of the verb {kerav,} in Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, being to plough, the natural meaning of {keroov,} is a creature used in ploughing.

This seems to have been the ancient opinion which tradition had handed down, concerning the shape of the cherubim with the flaming sword, that guarded the tree of life.

(Ge 3:24.)

Ex. 25:18,22• ¹⁸And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; of beaten work shalt thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat.
²²And there will I meet with thee, and will speak with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, everything that I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. (Ex. 25:18,22)

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1 Kings 6:23• ²³And he made in the oracle two cherubim of olive-wood, ten cubits high; (1 Kings 6:23)

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2 Chron. 3:10• ¹⁰And in the house of the most holy place he made two cherubim of image work, and they overlaid them with gold. (2 Chron. 3:10)

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Ezek. 1:5‑28• ⁵Also out of the midst thereof, the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
⁶And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
⁷And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled as the look of burnished brass.
⁸And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings:
⁹their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
¹⁰And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.
¹¹And their faces and their wings were parted above; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
¹²And they went every one straight forward: whither the Spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.
¹³And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, as the appearance of torches: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright; and out of the fire went forth lightning.
¹⁴And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
¹⁵And I looked at the living creatures, and behold, one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, toward their four faces.
¹⁶The appearance of the wheels and their work was as the look of a chrysolite; and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
¹⁷When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not when they went.
¹⁸As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and they four had their rims full of eyes round about.
¹⁹And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
²⁰Whithersoever the Spirit was to go, they went, thither would their spirit go; and the wheels were lifted up along with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
²¹When those went, they went; and when those stood, they stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up along with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
²²And there was the likeness of an expanse over the heads of the living creature, as the look of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
²³And under the expanse were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side their bodies.
²⁴And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, a tumultuous noise, as the noise of a host: when they stood, they let down their wings;
²⁵and there was a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood, they let down their wings.
²⁶And above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
²⁷And I saw as the look of glowing brass, as the appearance of fire, within it round about; from the appearance of his loins and upward, and from the appearance of his loins and downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
²⁸As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I saw, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke. (Ezek. 1:5‑28)

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Ezek. 10:1‑19• ¹And I looked, and behold, in the expanse that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
²And he spoke unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Come in between the wheels, under the cherub, and fill the hollow of thy hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.
³And the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
⁴And the glory of Jehovah mounted up from the cherub, and came over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Jehovah's glory.
⁵And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty *God when he speaketh.
⁶And it came to pass when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubim, then he went in, and stood beside the wheel.
⁷And the cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim unto the fire that was between the cherubim, and took and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen; who took it, and went out.
⁸And there appeared in the cherubim the form of a man's hand under their wings.
⁹And I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was as the look of a chrysolite stone.
¹⁰And as for their appearance, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel were in the midst of a wheel.
¹¹When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it: they turned not as they went.
¹²And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes round about, in them four and their wheels.
¹³As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, Galgal.
¹⁴And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
¹⁵And the cherubim mounted up. This was the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar.
¹⁶And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them.
¹⁷When they stood, these stood; and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in them.
¹⁸And the glory of Jehovah departed from over the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim.
¹⁹And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight, when they went out; and the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of Jehovah's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. (Ezek. 10:1‑19)

J. N. Darby Translation

And every wise-hearted man among those that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of twined byssus, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubim of artistic work did he make them.