- cherubims:
- Keroovim, cherubim, not cherubims. What these were we cannot determine. 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 ("As for the likenessª of their faces,ª they fourª had the faceª of a man,ª and the faceª of a lion,ª on¹ the right side:ª and they fourª had the faceª of an oxª on the left side;ª¹ they fourª also had the faceª of an eagle.ª" {Ezk 1:10} + "And every oneª had fourª faces:ª the firstª faceª [was] the faceª of a cherub,ª and the secondª faceª [was] the faceª of a man,ª and the thirdª the faceª of a lion,ª and the fourthª the faceª of an eagle.ª" {Ezk 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 ("So he drove outª°¹ the man;ª and he placedª° at the eastª¹ of the gardenª of Edenª¹ Cherubims,ª and a flamingª swordª which turned every way,ª° to keepª°¹ the wayª of the treeª of life.ª" {Gen 3:24}). "And thou shalt makeª° twoª cherubimsª [of] gold,ª [of] beaten workª shalt thou makeª° them, in the twoª¹ endsª of the mercy seat.ª" {Exd 25:18} + "And there¹ I will meetª° with thee, and I will communeª° with¹ thee from above¹¹ the mercy seat,ª from betweenª¹ the twoª cherubimsª which¹ [are] uponª the arkª of the testimony,ª¹ of all¹ [things] which¹ I will give thee in commandmentª°¹ unto¹ the childrenª of Israel.ª" {Exd 25:22} + "And within the oracleª he madeª° twoª cherubimsª [of] oliveª tree,ª [each] tenª cubitsª high.ª" {1Kg 6:23} + "And in the most² holyª houseª he madeª° twoª cherubimsª of imageª work,ª and overlaidª° them with gold.ª" {2Ch 3:10} + "Also out of the midstª¹ thereof [came] the likenessª of fourª living creatures.ª And this¹ [was] their appearance;ª theyª had the likenessª of a man.ª ... As the appearanceª of the bowª that¹ is¹ in the cloudª in the dayª of rain,ª so¹ [was] the appearanceª of the brightnessª round about.ª This¹ [was] the appearanceª of the likenessª of the gloryª of the LORD.ª And when I sawª° [it], I fellª° upon¹ my face,ª and I heardª° a voiceª of one that spake.ª°" {Ezk 1:5-28} + "Then I looked,ª° and, behold,¹ in¹ the firmamentª that¹ was above¹ the headª of the cherubimsª there appearedª° over¹ them as it were a sapphireª stone,ª as the appearanceª of the likenessª of a throne.ª ... And the cherubimsª lifted upª°¹ their wings,ª and mounted upª° from¹ the earthª in my sight:ª when they went out,ª° the wheelsª also [were] besideª them, and [every one] stoodª° at the doorª of the eastª gateª of the LORD'Sª house;ª and the gloryª of the Godª of Israelª [was] over¹ them above.ª¹" {Ezk 10:1-19}
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