Exodus 36 (WK) - 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. 10:1‑19• ¹Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
²And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city. And he went in my sight.
³Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
⁴Then the glory of Jehovah went up from the cherub 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 cherubim's wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.
⁶And it came to pass, that 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 wheels.
⁷And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim unto the fire that was between the cherubim, and took thereof, 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 when I looked, behold, the four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone.
¹⁰And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been 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, even the wheels that they four had.
¹³As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.
¹⁴And everyone had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
¹⁵And the cherubim were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.
¹⁶And when the cherubim went, the wheels went by 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 were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them.
¹⁸Then the glory of Jehovah departed from off 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, the wheels also were beside them, and every one 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.

W. Kelly 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.

WK Verse Note

(Note: Words in italics have been inserted from the J. N. Darby translation where the W. Kelly translation doesn’t exist.)