Cherubim Cherub
Jump to: Smith'sHebrewLibrarySubtopicsTerms
Topical Encyclopedia
Introduction:
The term "Cherubim" refers to a class of angelic beings mentioned frequently in the Bible. They are often depicted as guardians of sacred spaces and are associated with the presence and glory of God. The singular form is "Cherub." Cherubim are described in various passages, each providing insight into their role and appearance.

Biblical References and Descriptions:
Cherubim are first mentioned in the Book of Genesis. After Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, God placed Cherubim at the east of the garden to guard the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:24): "So He drove out the man and stationed cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden, with a whirling sword of flame to guard the way to the tree of life."

In the construction of the Tabernacle and later the Temple, Cherubim played a significant role. They were intricately woven into the design of the Tabernacle curtains and the veil (Exodus 26:31): "Make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it." Additionally, two Cherubim were crafted from gold and placed on the atonement cover of the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing the divine presence (Exodus 25:18-20): "And make two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on one end and one on the other, all made from one piece with the mercy seat. The cherubim are to have wings that spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the mercy seat."

The prophet Ezekiel provides a vivid description of the Cherubim in his visions. In Ezekiel 1:5-11 , they are described as having four faces and four wings, with the likeness of a man. Their appearance is both awe-inspiring and complex, symbolizing their role as bearers of God's glory and executors of His will.

Role and Symbolism:
Cherubim are often associated with the holiness and majesty of God. Their presence signifies the sacredness of the space they occupy, whether it be the Garden of Eden, the Tabernacle, or the Temple. They serve as guardians, not only of physical locations but also of divine mysteries and truths.

In the visions of Ezekiel and the Book of Revelation, Cherubim are depicted as part of the heavenly host, surrounding the throne of God and participating in the worship and adoration of the Almighty. Their multifaceted appearance, with faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle, symbolizes the fullness of creation and the omniscience and omnipotence of God.

Theological Significance:
Cherubim are a testament to the transcendence and immanence of God. They remind believers of the holiness that surrounds God and the reverence due to Him. As guardians of the divine, they also emphasize the separation between the holy and the profane, underscoring the need for purity and righteousness in approaching God.

In Christian theology, Cherubim are sometimes seen as prefigurations of Christ, who is the ultimate mediator between God and humanity. Their role in the Tabernacle and Temple foreshadows the work of Christ in reconciling humanity to God and granting access to the divine presence.

Conclusion:
The Cherubim, as depicted in the Bible, serve as powerful symbols of God's holiness, majesty, and the sacredness of His presence. Their role as guardians and participants in divine worship highlights the importance of reverence and purity in the relationship between God and His creation.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Cherubim Cherub

The symbolical figure so called was a composite creature-form which finds a parallel in the religious insignia of Assyria, Egypt and Persia, e.g. the sphinx, the winged bulls and lions of Nineveh, etc. A cherub guarded paradise. (Genesis 3:24) Figures of Cherubim were placed on the mercy-seat of the ark. (Exodus 25:18) A pair of colossal size overshadowed it in Solomon's temple with the canopy of their contiguously extended wings. (1 Kings 6:27) Those on the ark were to be placed with wings stretched forth, one at each end of the mercy-seat." Their wings were to be stretched upwards, and their faces "towards each other and towards the mercy-seat." It is remarkable that with such precise directions as to their position, attitude and material, nothing, save that they were winged, is said concerning their shape. On the whole it seems likely that the word "cherub" meant not only the composite creature-form, of which the man, lion, ox and eagle were the elements, but, further, some peculiar and mystical form. (Some suppose that the cherubim represented God's providence among men, the four faces expressing the characters of that providence: its wisdom and intelligence (man), its strength (ox), its kingly authority (lion), its swiftness, far-sighted (eagle). Others, combining all the other references with the description of the living creatures in Revelation, make the cherubim to represent God's redeemed people. The qualities of the four faces are those which belong to God's people. Their facing four ways, towards all quarters of the globe, represents their duty of extending the truth. The wings show swiftness of obedience; and only the redeemed can sing the song put in their mouths in (Revelation 5:8-14) --ED).

Strong's Hebrew
3742. kerub -- probably an order of angelic beings
... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition probably an order of angelic beings
NASB Word Usage cherub (25), cherubim (65). cherub, plural cherubims. ...
/hebrew/3742.htm - 6k
Library

Whether the Highest Angel among those who Sinned was the Highest ...
... is stated (Ezech.28:14): "Thou wast a cherub stretched out, and protecting, and
I set thee in the holy mountain of God." Now the order of the Cherubim is under ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the highest angel among.htm

The Anathematisms of the Emperor Justinian against Origen.
... If anyone says or thinks that the Word of God has become like to all heavenly orders,
so that for the cherubim he was a cherub, for the seraphim a seraph: in ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/the anathematisms of the emperor.htm

Dundee. CM Majesty. Ps. 18.
... of the sky. 2 On cherub and on cherubim Full royally he rode; And on the
wings of mighty winds Came flying all abroad. 3 He sat ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/lorenz/the otterbein hymnal/82 dundee c m majesty ps.htm

The Four Gospels.
... they are the chariot of God, who sitteth between the cherubim; like them ... to fertilize
the whole earth; 3d, the prophetic symbol, the winged cherub of fourfold ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 78 the four gospels.htm

Whether Sufficient Reason Can be Assigned for the Ceremonies ...
... These are signified by the two cherubim, looking one towards the other, to show ... high
places." For this reason, too, there was more than one cherub, to betoken ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether sufficient reason can be.htm

The Redeemer's Return is Necessitated by the Present Exaltation of ...
... In Old Testament prophecy he is denominated "The anointed Cherub" (Ezek.28:14) and
from other Scriptures we learn that the "cherubim" are the highest order ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/v the redeemers return is.htm

Our Lord Subdued his Might and Constrained It, that his Living ...
... because of his transgressions he is shut up here; Cherubim and Seraphim await not ...
that into Paradise, they have entered and escaped, a mighty Cherub guards it. ...
/.../hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn xxxvi our lord subdued.htm

On Rational Natures.
... From the day when thou wert created along with the cherubim, I placed thee in the ...
And a cherub drove thee forth from the midst of the burning stones; and thy ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/chapter v on rational natures.htm

Hymns of Praise and Worship.
... On cherub and on cherubim Full royally He rode, And on the wings of mighty winds
Came flying all abroad. Thomas Sternhold was born in Gloucestershire, Eng. ...
/.../brown/the story of the hymns and tunes/chapter i hymns of praise.htm

The Old and New Testaments have Many Things in Common -- Far More ...
... It is the word used of the wings of the cherubim in Ex.25:20 and Ezek.10:5, etc.
And in Psa.18:10 we read of Jehovah that "He rode upon a cherub, and did fly ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/the old and new testaments.htm

Resources
What are the ophanim? | GotQuestions.org

Who are the four living creatures in Revelation? | GotQuestions.org

Do angels have wings? | GotQuestions.org

Cherubim: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Subtopics

Cherubim

Cherubim Cherub

Cherubim in Ezekiel's Vision of the Temple

Cherubim in the Tabernacle

Cherubim in the Temple

Cherubim of Gold: Formed out of, and at Each End of the Mercy Seat

Cherubim of Gold: God's Presence Manifested Between

Cherubim of Gold: Placed Over the Ark of the Covenant

Cherubim of Gold: The Oracles or Answers of God Delivered from Between

Cherubim: Animated by the Spirit of God

Cherubim: Called the Cherubim of Glory

Cherubim: Eastward of the Garden of Eden

Cherubim: Engaged in Accomplishing the Purposes of God

Cherubim: Figurative

Cherubim: Figures of On the Curtain

Cherubim: Figures of On the Lavers

Cherubim: Figures of On the Walls

Cherubim: Figures of, Embroidered: And on the Curtain

Cherubim: Figures of, Embroidered: On the Walls of the Tabernacle

Cherubim: Form and Appearance of

Cherubim: Placed at the Entrance of Eden

Cherubim: Representations of, Made on The: Bases of Brazen Lavers

Cherubim: Representations of, Made on The: Curtains of the Tabernacle

Cherubim: Representations of, Made on The: Doors of the Temple

Cherubim: Representations of, Made on The: Vail of the Tabernacle

Cherubim: Representations of, Made on The: Vail of the Temple

Cherubim: Representations of, Made on The: Walls of the Temple

Cherubim: Riding On, Illustrative of Majesty and Power of God

Cherubim: Sound of Their Wings Was As the Voice of God

Cherubim: Symbolical

Cherubim: The Ark of the Covenant Rested Beneath the Wings of

Cherubim: The Glory of God Exhibited Upon

Related Terms

Cherubim's (1 Occurrence)

Ark-cover (21 Occurrences)

Mercy-seat (23 Occurrences)

Enthroned (25 Occurrences)

Cherub (21 Occurrences)

Palm-trees (23 Occurrences)

Carved (36 Occurrences)

Wheels (30 Occurrences)

Overshadowing (5 Occurrences)

Living (3112 Occurrences)

Finely (27 Occurrences)

Twined (25 Occurrences)

Craftsman (23 Occurrences)

Artistic (14 Occurrences)

Screening (3 Occurrences)

Skilled (44 Occurrences)

Skillful (42 Occurrences)

Skilful (38 Occurrences)

Workman (22 Occurrences)

Curious (18 Occurrences)

Cunning (43 Occurrences)

Ends (108 Occurrences)

Byssus (40 Occurrences)

Overlaid (50 Occurrences)

Twisted (79 Occurrences)

Material (61 Occurrences)

Wings (81 Occurrences)

Olivewood (4 Occurrences)

Olive-wood (4 Occurrences)

Graved (5 Occurrences)

Stuff (49 Occurrences)

Cherubims (19 Occurrences)

Carvings (6 Occurrences)

Skilfully (13 Occurrences)

Seraphim (2 Occurrences)

Flowers (42 Occurrences)

Scarlet (54 Occurrences)

Staffs (47 Occurrences)

Nave (19 Occurrences)

Wing (18 Occurrences)

Poles (58 Occurrences)

Yarn (37 Occurrences)

Sits (52 Occurrences)

Covering (191 Occurrences)

Hammered (22 Occurrences)

Threshold (28 Occurrences)

Purple (54 Occurrences)

Engraved (62 Occurrences)

Beaten (73 Occurrences)

Blue (51 Occurrences)

Staves (50 Occurrences)

Beneath (73 Occurrences)

Faces (158 Occurrences)

Inner (141 Occurrences)

Palm (49 Occurrences)

Oracle (57 Occurrences)

Kebar (8 Occurrences)

Underneath (19 Occurrences)

Overshadowed (4 Occurrences)

Lions (50 Occurrences)

Ledges (7 Occurrences)

Whirling (7 Occurrences)

Wreaths (9 Occurrences)

Innermost (22 Occurrences)

Faced (32 Occurrences)

Cover (254 Occurrences)

Panels (10 Occurrences)

Chebar (8 Occurrences)

Curtains (34 Occurrences)

Seatward (1 Occurrence)

Sittest (15 Occurrences)

Extended (40 Occurrences)

Upward (74 Occurrences)

Vail (44 Occurrences)

Sitteth (74 Occurrences)

Spread (257 Occurrences)

Center (30 Occurrences)

Carrying (88 Occurrences)

Cherubim as Guardians of Holiness
Top of Page
Top of Page