February, Dictionary of the Bible.

Cherubim, the plural of cherub. The first mention that we have of cherubim is in Genesis 3:24,24So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24) when Adam was driven out of Eden, and a flaming sword kept the way of the tree of life. They were here evidently associated with the righteous judgment of God as to man. Figures of the cherubim were also made out of the two ends of the mercy-seat of the same piece with the mercy-seat (the blood-sprinkled propitiatory), which “declares God’s righteousness” (comp. Exodus 37:88One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof. (Exodus 37:8); Leviticus 16:14,1514And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. 15Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: (Leviticus 16:14‑15); Romans 3:2525Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:25)). When Hezekiah appeals to Jehovah to execute righteous judgment upon Sennacherib, he calls upon Him as He that “dwelleth between the cherubim.” (comp. 2 Kings 19:1515And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. (2 Kings 19:15); Psalms 80:1; 99:1-4; 89:14; 97:21<<To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim-eduth, A Psalm of Asaph.>> Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. (Psalm 80:1)
1The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. 2The Lord is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people. 3Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy. 4The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. (Psalm 99:1‑4)
14Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. (Psalm 89:14)
2Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. (Psalm 97:2)). The cherubim, or living creatures, are fully described in Ezekiel (ch. 1 and 10), where they are again connected with God’s righteous judgment of Israel; and also in Revelation 4:6-8,6And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. 7And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 8And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. (Revelation 4:6‑8) where they ascribe holiness to the Lord God Almighty, “which was, and is, and is to come.” In Revelation 6 it is one of the four “living creatures” (or cherubim) that calls for judgment, and, in chapter 15:7, gives the “seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever,” to the seven angels. In the mercy-seat their number is two (a competent testimony as declaring God’s righteousness); and in Ezekiel and Revelation it is four, which number seems connected with life, and is employed continually in the types and figures of Him who is THE LIFE (see Exodus 25:12, 26, 34; 26:1, 7, 14, 32; 27:1, 4:16; 28:1; 30:2, 23, 34; 40:21, 22, 24, 2612And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. (Exodus 25:12)
26And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof. (Exodus 25:26)
34And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. (Exodus 25:34)
1Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. (Exodus 26:1)
7And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make. (Exodus 26:7)
14And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers' skins. (Exodus 26:14)
32And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. (Exodus 26:32)
1And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. (Exodus 28:1)
2A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same. (Exodus 30:2)
23Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, (Exodus 30:23)
34And the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: (Exodus 30:34)
21And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the Lord commanded Moses. 22And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail. (Exodus 40:21‑22)
24And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward. (Exodus 40:24)
26And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail: (Exodus 40:26). Comp also the features of the four living creatures, Revelation 4:6-8,6And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. 7And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 8And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. (Revelation 4:6‑8) with the four Gospels, where Christ Jesus is set forth in Matthew as the Lion of the tribe of Judah; in Mark as the Perfect Servant; in Luke as Son of Man; and in John as Son of God, John 1:1-31In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1‑3)).
Chestnut-tree (mentioned Genesis 30:37,37And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. (Genesis 30:37) and Ezekiel 31:88The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty. (Ezekiel 31:8)) is supposed to be properly the Plane-tree, which is a native of Western Asia. In favorable situations it becomes a very noble tree, and has the reputation of being one which affords the best shade in summer and most readily admits the sun’s rays in winter, on which account it was planted near palaces and public buildings.
Cherith. — The brook or river on the banks of which Elijah dwelt, probably in one of the many caverns which abound in Palestine, and where, by God’s wondrous power and goodness, he was daily fed by ravens, a bird that will feed till he cannot fly (1 Kings 17:1, 31And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. (1 Kings 17:1)
3Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. (1 Kings 17:3); Psa. 147:99He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. (Psalm 147:9)). But although the Lord had commanded Elijah to hide himself there, “it came to pass, after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.” Now God could have caused it to flow on in spite of the drought, as He made the stream from the rock to flow through the desert (1 Cor. 10:44And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:4)); but He was pleased to show His servant Elijah that His resources are not confined to time or place. Wherefore He sent him to the widow of Zarephath, and there He not only sustained him, and the widow, and her son, by a daily miracle, but made His servant a blessing to the poor Gentile by leading her, who, in common with all Gentiles then, had no doubt been a worshipper of idols, to the knowledge of the truth, first by His word: “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel (1 Kings 5:1414And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy. (1 Kings 5:14)), and then by giving her to know Himself as “God that raiseth the dead” — the living God (17-24; 2 Cor. 1:9; 4:149But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: (2 Corinthians 1:9)
14Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. (2 Corinthians 4:14); Heb. 11:17-1917By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Hebrews 11:17‑19)).
Children. — This word is not confined in Scripture to persons under adult age, but has several other meanings and applications. For instance, it is sometimes used for inhabitants, or people (Gen. 29:1,1Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. (Genesis 29:1) margin), and very frequently for descendants (Num. 13:2828Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. (Numbers 13:28); Deut. 2:9; 9:29And the Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession. (Deuteronomy 2:9)
2A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak! (Deuteronomy 9:2); Josh. 22:99And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses. (Joshua 22:9); Judg. 4:6; 14:16,6And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? (Judges 4:6)
16And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee? (Judges 14:16) &c.). By “children of Belial” and “children of wickedness,” &c. (Deut. 13:1313Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; (Deuteronomy 13:13); 1 Sam. 10:2727But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace. (1 Samuel 10:27); 2 Sam. 7:1010Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, (2 Samuel 7:10); 1 Kings 21:1313And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. (1 Kings 21:13)) is meant wicked persons, or followers of Belial. In this sense it has very much the same meaning as disciple, so also in the term, “children of the prophets” (2 Kings 9:1; 2:3, 5, 7, 151And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead: (2 Kings 9:1)
3And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. (2 Kings 2:3)
5And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. (2 Kings 2:5)
7And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. (2 Kings 2:7)
15And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. (2 Kings 2:15)). Moreover, as children inherit the nature and property of their parents, the word is often used in the sense of inheritors, or belonging to (Job 41:3434He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride. (Job 41:34); Isa. 57:44Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, (Isaiah 57:4); Matt. 8:12; 13:3812But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 8:12)
38The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; (Matthew 13:38); Eph. 2:33Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2:3)).
Chi’os (Acts 20:1515And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus. (Acts 20:15)). — One of the largest islands of the Archipelago, and distant about eight miles from the nearest point of Asia Minor. It is thirty miles long and ten miles broad, and very fertile in fruit, cotton, and silk. Its chief town was also called Chios, and had a good harbor. It is now called Khio by the Greeks, and Scio by the Italians.
Chittim. — A name applied to the coasts and islands of the Mediterranean sea, because, according to Jewish tradition, Kittim, son of Javan (Gen. 10:44And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. (Genesis 10:4)), possessed the island of Cyprus, from which circumstance the whole region was afterward called Kittim or Chittim. As the Roman empire included these islands and coasts, “the ships of Chittim” (Dan. 11:3030For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. (Daniel 11:30)) mean the vessels of that people (Num. 24:2424And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever. (Numbers 24:24)).