Genesis 3:24

3:24 When he drove ¹  the man out, he placed on the eastern side ²  of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries ³  who used the flame of a whirling sword ⁴  to guard the way to the tree of life.

Exodus 25:18-22

25:18 You are to make two cherubim ⁵  of gold; you are to make them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid. 25:19 Make ⁶  one cherub on one end ⁷  and one cherub on the other end; from the atonement lid ⁸  you are to make the cherubim on the two ends. 25:20 The cherubim are to be spreading their wings upward, overshadowing ⁹  the atonement lid with their wings, and the cherubim are to face each other, ¹⁰  looking ¹¹  toward the atonement lid. 25:21 You are to put the atonement lid on top of the ark, and in the ark you are to put the testimony I am giving you. 25:22 I will meet with you there, ¹²  and ¹³  from above the atonement lid, from between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will command you for the Israelites.

Exodus 37:7-9

37:7 He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid, 37:8 one cherub on one end ¹⁴  and one cherub on the other end. ¹⁵  He made the cherubim from the atonement lid on its two ends. 37:9 The cherubim were spreading their wings ¹⁶  upward, overshadowing the atonement lid with their wings. The cherubim ¹⁷  faced each other, ¹⁸  looking toward the atonement lid. ¹⁹ 

Exodus 37:2

37:2 He overlaid it with pure gold, inside and out, and he made a surrounding border ²⁰  of gold for it.

Exodus 3:10-13

3:10 So now go, and I will send you ²¹  to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

3:11 Moses said ²²  to God, ²³  “Who am I, that I should go ²⁴  to Pharaoh, or that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 3:12 He replied, ²⁵  “Surely I will be with you, ²⁶  and this will be the sign ²⁷  to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you and they will serve ²⁸  God on this mountain.”

3:13 Moses said ²⁹  to God, “If ³⁰  I go to the Israelites and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ ³¹  – what should I say ³²  to them?”

Psalms 18:10

18:10 He mounted ³³  a winged angel ³⁴  and flew;

he glided ³⁵  on the wings of the wind. ³⁶ 

Psalms 80:1

Psalm 80 ³⁷ 

For the music director; according to the shushan-eduth style; ³⁸  a psalm of Asaph.

80:1 O shepherd of Israel, pay attention,

you who lead Joseph like a flock of sheep!

You who sit enthroned above the winged angels, ³⁹  reveal your splendor! ⁴⁰ 

Isaiah 37:16

37:16 “O Lord who commands armies, O God of Israel, who is enthroned on the cherubim! ⁴¹  You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the sky ⁴²  and the earth.

Ezekiel 10:2-22

10:2 The Lord ⁴³  said to the man dressed in linen, “Go between the wheelwork ⁴⁴  underneath the cherubim. ⁴⁵  Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” He went as I watched.

10:3 (The cherubim were standing on the south side ⁴⁶  of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court.) 10:4 Then the glory of the Lord arose from the cherub and moved to the threshold of the temple. The temple was filled with the cloud while the court was filled with the brightness of the Lord’s glory. 10:5 The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard from the outer court, like the sound of the sovereign God ⁴⁷  when he speaks.

10:6 When the Lord ⁴⁸  commanded the man dressed in linen, “Take fire from within the wheelwork, from among the cherubim,” the man ⁴⁹  went in and stood by one of the wheels. ⁵⁰  10:7 Then one of the cherubim ⁵¹  stretched out his hand ⁵²  toward the fire which was among the cherubim. He took some and put it into the hands of the man dressed in linen, who took it and left. 10:8 (The cherubim appeared to have the form ⁵³  of human hands under their wings.)

10:9 As I watched, I noticed ⁵⁴  four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub; ⁵⁵  the wheels gleamed like jasper. ⁵⁶  10:10 As for their appearance, all four of them looked the same, something like a wheel within a wheel. ⁵⁷  10:11 When they ⁵⁸  moved, they would go in any of the four directions they faced without turning as they moved; in the direction the head would turn they would follow ⁵⁹  without turning as they moved, 10:12 along with their entire bodies, ⁶⁰  their backs, their hands, and their wings. The wheels of the four of them were full of eyes all around. 10:13 As for their wheels, they were called “the wheelwork” ⁶¹  as I listened. 10:14 Each of the cherubim ⁶²  had four faces: The first was the face of a cherub, ⁶³  the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.

10:15 The cherubim rose up; these were the living beings ⁶⁴  I saw at the Kebar River. 10:16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them; when the cherubim spread ⁶⁵  their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not move from their side. 10:17 When the cherubim ⁶⁶  stood still, the wheels ⁶⁷  stood still, and when they rose up, the wheels ⁶⁸  rose up with them, for the spirit ⁶⁹  of the living beings ⁷⁰  was in the wheels. ⁷¹ 

10:18 Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. 10:19 The cherubim spread ⁷²  their wings, and they rose up from the earth ⁷³  while I watched (when they went the wheels went alongside them). They stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the Lord’s temple as the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them.

10:20 These were the living creatures ⁷⁴  which I saw at the Kebar River underneath the God of Israel; I knew that they were cherubim. 10:21 Each had four faces; each had four wings and the form of human hands under the wings. 10:22 As for the form of their faces, they were the faces whose appearance I had seen at the Kebar River. Each one moved straight ahead.

Hebrews 1:14

1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve those ⁷⁵  who will inherit salvation?

Hebrews 1:1

Introduction: God Has Spoken Fully and Finally in His Son

1:1 After God spoke long ago ⁷⁶  in various portions ⁷⁷  and in various ways ⁷⁸  to our ancestors ⁷⁹  through the prophets,

Hebrews 1:12

1:12 and like a robe you will fold them up

and like a garment ⁸⁰  they will be changed,

but you are the same and your years will never run out.” ⁸¹ 

[3:24]  ¹ tn The verb with the vav (ו) consecutive is made subordinate to the next verb forming a temporal clause. This avoids any tautology with the previous verse that already stated that the Lord expelled the man.

[3:24]  ² tn Or “placed in front.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.

[3:24]  ³ tn The Hebrew word is traditionally transliterated “the cherubim.”

[3:24]  ⁴ tn Heb “the flame of the sword that turns round and round.” The noun “flame” is qualified by the genitive of specification, “the sword,” which in turn is modified by the attributive participle “whirling.” The Hitpael of the verb “turn” has an iterative function here, indicating repeated action. The form is used in Job 37:12 of swirling clouds and in Judg 7:13 of a tumbling roll of bread. Verse 24 depicts the sword as moving from side to side to prevent anyone from passing or as whirling around, ready to cut to shreds anyone who tries to pass.

[25:18]  ⁵ tn The evidence suggests that the cherubim were composite angelic creatures that always indicated the nearness of God. So here images of them were to be crafted and put on each end of the ark of the covenant to signify that they were there. Ezekiel 1 describes four cherubim as each having human faces, four wings, and parts of different animals for their bodies. Traditions of them appear in the other cultures as well. They serve to guard the holy places and to bear the throne of God. Here they were to be beaten out as part of the lid.

[25:19]  ⁶ tn The text now shifts to use an imperative with the vav (ו) conjunction.

[25:19]  ⁷ tn The use of זֶה (zeh) repeated here expresses the reciprocal ideas of “the one” and “the other” (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 26, §132).

[25:19]  ⁸ sn The angels were to form one piece with the lid and not be separated. This could be translated “of one piece with” the lid, but it is likely the angels were simply fastened to it permanently.

[25:20]  ⁹ tn The verb means “overshadowing, screening” in the sense of guarding (see 1 Kgs 8:7; 1 Chr 28:18; see also the account in Gen 3:24). The cherubim then signify two things here: by their outstretched wings they form the throne of God who sits above the ark (with the Law under his feet), and by their overshadowing and guarding they signify this as the place of atonement where people must find propitiation to commune with God. Until then they are barred from his presence. See U. Cassuto, Exodus, 330-35.

[25:20]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “their faces a man to his brother.”

[25:20]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the faces of the cherubim will be” (“the cherubim” was moved to the preceding clause for smoother English).

[25:22]  ¹² sn Here then is the main point of the ark of the covenant, and the main point of all worship – meeting with God through atonement. The text makes it clear that here God would meet with Moses (“you” is singular) and then he would speak to the people – he is the mediator of the covenant. S. R. Driver (Exodus, 272) makes the point that the verb here is not the word that means “to meet by chance” (as in Exod 3:18), but “to meet” by appointment for a purpose (וְנוֹעַדְתִּי, vÿno’adti). The parallel in the NT is Jesus Christ and his work. The theology is that the Law condemns people as guilty of sin, but the sacrifice of Christ makes atonement. So he is the “place of propitiation (Rom 3:25) who gains communion with the Father for sinners. A major point that could be made from this section is this: At the center of worship must be the atoning work of Christ – a perpetual reminder of God’s righteous standard (the testimony in the ark) and God’s gracious provision (the atonement lid).

[25:22]  ¹³ tn The verb is placed here in the text: “and I will speak”; it has been moved in this translation to be closer to the direct object clause.

[37:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “from/at [the] end, from this.”

[37:8]  ¹⁵ tn The repetition of the expression indicates it has the distributive sense.

[37:9]  ¹⁶ tn The construction is a participle in construct followed by the genitive “wings” – “spreaders of wings.”

[37:9]  ¹⁷ tn “The cherubim” has been placed here instead of in the second clause to produce a smoother translation.

[37:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and their faces a man to his brother.”

[37:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “to the atonement lid were the faces of the cherubim.”

[37:2]  ²⁰ tn Or “molding.”

[3:10]  ²¹ tn The verse has a sequence of volitives. The first form is the imperative לְכָה (lÿkha, “go”). Then comes the cohortative/imperfect form with the vav (ו), “and I will send you” or more likely “that I may send you” (וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ, vÿ’eshlakhakha), which is followed by the imperative with the vav, “and bring out” or “that you may bring out” (וְהוֹצֵא, vÿhotse’). The series of actions begins with Moses going. When he goes, it will be the Lord who sends him, and if the Lord sends him, it will be with the purpose of leading Israel out of Egypt.

[3:11]  ²² tn Heb “And Moses said.”

[3:11]  ²³ sn When he was younger, Moses was confident and impulsive, but now that he is older the greatness of the task makes him unsure. The remainder of this chapter and the next chapter record the four difficulties of Moses and how the Lord answers them (11-12, 13-22; then 4:1-9; and finally 4:10-17).

[3:11]  ²⁴ tn The imperfect tense אֵלֵךְ (’elekh) carries the modal nuance of obligatory imperfect, i.e., “that I should go.” Moses at this point is overwhelmed with the task of representing God, and with his personal insufficiency, and so in honest humility questions the choice.

[3:12]  ²⁵ tn Heb “And he said”; the word “replied” clarifies for English readers that speaker is God.

[3:12]  ²⁶ tn The particle כִּי (ki) has the asseverative use here, “surely, indeed,” which is frequently found with oaths (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 73, §449). The imperfect tense אֶהְיֶה (’ehyeh) could be rendered as the future tense, “I will be” or the present tense “I am” with you. The future makes the better sense in this case, since the subject matter is the future mission. But since it is a stative verb, the form will also lend itself nicely to explaining the divine name – he is the One who is eternally present – “I am with you always.”

[3:12]  ²⁷ sn In view of Moses’ hesitancy, a sign is necessary to support the promise. A sign is often an unusual or miraculous event that introduces, authenticates, or illustrates the message. One expects a direct connection between the sign and the message (for a helpful discussion, see S. Porúbcan, “The Word ’OT in Isaia 7,14,” CBQ 22 [1960]: 144-49). In this passage the sign is a confirming one, i.e., when Israel worships at the mountain that will be the proof that God delivered them from Egypt. Thus, the purpose of the exodus that makes possible the worship will be to prove that it was God who brought it about. In the meantime, Moses will have to trust in Yahweh.

[3:12]  ²⁸ tn The verb תַּעַבְדוּן (ta’avdun, “you will serve”) is one of the foremost words for worship in the Torah. Keeping the commandments and serving Yahweh usually sum up the life of faith; the true worshiper seeks to obey him. The highest title anyone can have in the OT is “the servant of Yahweh.” The verb here could be rendered interpretively as “worship,” but it is better to keep it to the basic idea of serving because that emphasizes an important aspect of worship, and it highlights the change from Israel’s serving Egypt, which has been prominent in the earlier chapters. The words “and they” are supplied to clarify for English readers that the subject of the verb is plural (Moses and the people), unlike the other second person forms in vv. 10 and 12, which are singular.

[3:13]  ²⁹ tn Heb “And Moses said.”

[3:13]  ³⁰ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) in this clause introduces the foundation for what comes later – the question. Moses is saying, “Suppose I do all this and they ask this question – what should I say?”

[3:13]  ³¹ sn There has been considerable debate about the name of Yahweh in the Pentateuch, primarily because of theories that have maintained that the name Yahweh was not known in antiquity (see also 6:3 and notes there). The argument of this whole section nullifies that view. The idea that God’s name was revealed only here raises the question of what he was called earlier. The word “God” is not a name. “El Shaddai” is used only a few times in Genesis. But Israel would not have had a nameless deity – especially since Genesis says that from the very beginning people were making proclamation of the name of Yahweh (Gen 4:26; 12:8). It is possible that they did not always need a name if they were convinced that only he existed and there was no other God. But probably what Moses was anticipating was the Israelites’ wanting to be sure that Moses came with a message from their God, and that some sign could prove it. They would have known his name (Yahweh), and they would have known the ways that he had manifested himself. It would do no good for Moses to come with a new name for God, for that would be like introducing them to a new God. That would in no way authenticate to them Moses’ call, only confuse; after all, they would not be expecting a new name – they had been praying to their covenant God all along. They would want to be sure that their covenant God actually had sent Moses. To satisfy the Israelites Moses would have had to have been familiar with the name Yahweh – as they were – and know that he appeared to individuals. They would also want to know if Yahweh had sent Moses, how this was going to work in their deliverance, because they had been crying to him for deliverance. As it turned out, the Israelites had less problem with this than Moses anticipated – they were delighted when he came. It is likely that much of this concern was Moses’ own need for assurance that this was indeed the God of the fathers and that the promised deliverance was now to take place.

[3:13]  ³² tn The imperfect tense here has a deliberative nuance (“should”), for Moses is wondering what would be best to say when the Israelites want proof of the calling.

[18:10]  ³³ tn Or “rode upon.”

[18:10]  ³⁴ tn Heb “a cherub.” Because of the typical associations of the word “cherub” in English with chubby winged babies, the term has been rendered “winged angel” in the translation.

[18:10]  ³⁵ tc 2 Sam 22:11 reads “appeared” (from רָאָה, ra’ah); the relatively rare verb דָאָה (da’ah, “glide”) is more difficult and probably the original reading here in Ps 18.

[18:10]  ³⁶ sn The wings of the wind. Verse 10 may depict (1) the Lord riding a cherub, which is in turn propelled by the wind current. Another option (2) is that two different vehicles (a cherub and the wind) are envisioned. Yet another option (3) is that the wind is personified as a cherub. For a discussion of ancient Near Eastern parallels to the imagery in v. 10, see M. Weinfeld, “‘Rider of the Clouds’ and ‘Gatherer of the Clouds’,” JANESCU 5 (1973): 422-24.

[80:1]  ³⁷ sn Psalm 80. The psalmist laments Israel’s demise and asks the Lord to show favor toward his people, as he did in earlier times.

[80:1]  ³⁸ tn The Hebrew expression shushan-eduth means “lily of the testimony.” It may refer to a particular music style or to a tune title. See the superscription to Ps 60.

[80:1]  ³⁹ sn Winged angels (Heb “cherubs”). Cherubs, as depicted in the OT, possess both human and animal (lion, ox, and eagle) characteristics (see Ezek 1:10; 10:14, 21; 41:18). They are pictured as winged creatures (Exod 25:20; 37:9; 1 Kgs 6:24-27; Ezek 10:8, 19) and serve as the very throne of God when the ark of the covenant is in view (Ps 99:1; see Num 7:89; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15). The picture of the Lord seated on the cherubs suggests they might be used by him as a vehicle, a function they carry out in Ezek 1:22-28 (the “living creatures” mentioned here are identified as cherubs in Ezek 10:20). In Ps 18:10 the image of a cherub serves to personify the wind.

[80:1]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “shine forth.”

[37:16]  ⁴¹ sn Cherubim (singular “cherub”) refers to the images of winged angelic creatures that were above the ark of the covenant.

[37:16]  ⁴² tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[10:2]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:2]  ⁴⁴ tn The Hebrew term often refers to chariot wheels (Isa 28:28; Ezek 23:24; 26:10).

[10:2]  ⁴⁵ tc The LXX, Syriac, Vulgate, and Targum mss read plural “cherubim” while the MT is singular here, “cherub.” The plural ending was probably omitted in copying the MT due to the similar beginning of the next word.

[10:3]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “right side.”

[10:5]  ⁴⁷ tn The name (“El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72.

[10:6]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:6]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man dressed in linen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:6]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “the wheel.”

[10:7]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “the cherub.”

[10:7]  ⁵² tn The Hebrew text adds, “from among the cherubim.”

[10:8]  ⁵³ tn The Hebrew term is normally used as an architectural term in describing the plan or pattern of the tabernacle or temple or a representation of it (see Exod 25:8; 1 Chr 28:11).

[10:9]  ⁵⁴ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[10:9]  ⁵⁵ tn The MT repeats this phrase, a clear case of dittography.

[10:9]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “Tarshish stone.” The meaning is uncertain. The term has also been translated “topaz” (NEB), “beryl” (KJV, NASB, NRSV), and “chrysolite” (RSV, NIV).

[10:10]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “like a wheel at right angles to another wheel.” Some envision concentric wheels here, while others propose “a globe-like structure in which two wheels stand at right angles” (L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 1:33-34). See also 1:16.

[10:11]  ⁵⁸ sn That is, the cherubim.

[10:11]  ⁵⁹ tn Many interpreters assume that the human face of each cherub was the one that looked forward.

[10:12]  ⁶⁰ tc The phrase “along with their entire bodies” is absent from the LXX and may be a gloss explaining the following words.

[10:13]  ⁶¹ tn Or “the whirling wheels.”

[10:14]  ⁶² tn Heb “each one”; the referent (the cherubim) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:14]  ⁶³ sn The living creature described here is thus slightly different from the one described in Ezek 1:10, where a bull’s face appeared instead of a cherub’s. Note that some English versions harmonize the two descriptions and read the same here as in 1:10 (cf. NAB, NLT “an ox”; TEV, CEV “a bull”). This may be justified based on v. 22, which states the creatures’ appearance was the same.

[10:15]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “it was the living creature.”

[10:16]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “lifted.”

[10:17]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the cherubim) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:17]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the wheels) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:17]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the wheels) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:17]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “wind.”

[10:17]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “living creature.”

[10:17]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wheels) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:19]  ⁷² tn Heb “lifted.”

[10:19]  ⁷³ tn Or “the ground” (NIV, NCV).

[10:20]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “That was the living creature.”

[1:14]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “sent for service for the sake of those.”

[1:1]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “spoke formerly.”

[1:1]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “parts.” The idea is that God’s previous revelation came in many parts and was therefore fragmentary or partial (L&N 63.19), in comparison with the final and complete revelation contained in God’s Son. However, some interpret πολυμερῶς (polumerw") in Heb 1:1 to mean “on many different occasions” and would thus translate “many times” (L&N 67.11). This is the option followed by the NIV: “at many times and in various ways.” Finally, this word is also understood to refer to the different manners in which something may be done, and would then be translated “in many different ways” (L&N 89.81). In this last case, the two words πολυμερῶς and πολυτρόπως (polutropw") mutually reinforce one another (“in many and various ways,” NRSV).

[1:1]  ⁷⁸ tn These two phrases are emphasized in Greek by being placed at the beginning of the sentence and by alliteration.

[1:1]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “to the fathers.”

[1:12]  ⁸⁰ tc The words “like a garment” (ὡς ἱμάτιον, Jw" Jimation) are found in excellent and early mss (Ì⁴⁶ א A B D* 1739) though absent in a majority of witnesses (D¹ Ψ 0243 0278 33 1881 Ï lat sy bo). Although it is possible that longer reading was produced by overzealous scribes who wanted to underscore the frailty of creation, it is much more likely that the shorter reading was produced by scribes who wanted to conform the wording to that of Ps 102:26 (101:27 LXX), which here lacks the second “like a garment.” Both external and internal considerations decidedly favor the longer reading, and point to the author of Hebrews as the one underscoring the difference between the Son and creation.

[1:12]  ⁸¹ sn A quotation from Ps 102:25-27.