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Bible Lexicons
Old Testament Hebrew Lexical Dictionary Hebrew Lexicon
Strong's #3742 - כְּרוּב
- Brown-Driver-Briggs
- Strong
- cherub, cherubim (pl)
- an angelic being
- as guardians of Eden
- as flanking God´s throne
- as an image form hovering over the Ark of the Covenant
- as the chariot of Jehovah (figuratively)
- an angelic being
- Book
- Word
did not use
this Strong's Number
√ dubious; Assyrian karâbu = be gracious to, bless Dl HWB 350, but adjective karûbu is great, mighty, Id ib. 352; on possibly connection with כְּרוּב compare Dl in Baer Ezech. Xiii.; Assyrian kirubu = šêdu (name of winged bull in Assyrian; see Len Origines 1. 118, Eng. Tr. 126 Dl Par 154) has not been verified, compare see F. ZA i. 68f. Budge Expos. Apr. May, 1885 Teloni Za vi, 124ff.; the older view, connecting ׳כ with γρύψ and deriving from Persian giriften, griffen, lacks evidence and probability. — Possibly the thunder-cloud underlies the conception); — 1 the living chariot of the theophanic God; possibly identified with the storm-wind Psalm 18:11 = 2 Samuel 22:11 וַיִּדְכַּב עַלכְּֿרוּב and he rode upon a cherub ("" flew swiftly on the wings of the wind).
2 as the guards of the garden of Eden Genesis 3:24 (J).
3 as the throne of Yahweh Sabaoth, in phrase (צְבָאוֺת) ישֵׁב הַכְּרוּבִים׳י Yahweh Sabaoth throned on the cherubim 1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2 = 1 Chronicles 13:6; the context shews that the cherubim of the ark of the covenant are referred to, and it is probable that the same reference to, and it is probable that the same reference is in 2 Kings 19:15 = Isaiah 37:16; Psalm 80:2; Psalm 99:1.
4 P gives an account of:
a. two cherubim of solid gold upon the slab of gold of the כַּמֹּרֶת facing each other with wings outstretched above, so as to constitute a basis or throne on which the glory of Yahweh appeared, and from whence He spake Exodus 25:18-22; Exodus 37:7-9; Numbers 7:89;
b. numerous cherubim woven into the texture of the inner curtains of the tabernacle and the veils Exodus 26:1,31; Exodus 36:8,35
5 Kings and Chronicles describe the cherubim of the temple:
a. two gigantic images of olive wood plated with gold, ten cubits high, standing in the דְּבִיר facing the door, whose wings five cubits each, extended, two of them meeting in the middle of the room to constitute the throne, two of them extending to the walls 1 Kings 6:23;-28; 1 Kings 8:6;-7 2 Chronicles 3:10;-13; 2 Chronicles 5:7;-8; Chronicles (doubtless influenced by Ezekiel) represents them as the chariot of Yahweh 1 Chronicles 28:18;
b. images of cherubim were carved on the gold plated cedar planks which constituted the inner walls of the temple, and upon the olive wood doors 1 Kings 6:29;-35 2 Chronicles 3:7; and on the bases of the portable lavers, interchanging with lions and oxen 1 Kings 7:29;-36; Chronicles also represents that they were woven in the veil of the דְּבִיר 2 Chronicles 3:14.
6 Ezekiel describes the cherubim:
a. as four living creatures, each with four faces, lion, ox, eagle, and Prayer of Manasseh , having the figure and hands of men, and the feet of calves. Each has four wings, two of which are stretched upward, meeting above and sustaining the throne of Yahweh; two of them stretched downwards so as to cover the creatures themselves. The cherubim never turn but go straight forward, as do the wheels of the cherubic chariot, and they are full of eyes and are like burning coals of fire, Ezekiel 1:5;-28; Ezekiel 9:3; Ezekiel 10:1;-20; Ezekiel 11:22; the king of Tyre is scornfully compared with one of these, and is assigned a residence in Eden and the mountain of God Ezekiel 28:14;-16;
b. Ezekiel knows of no cherubic statues in the new temple, but represents the inner walls of the temple as carved with alternating palm trees and cherubim, each with two faces, the lion looking on one side, the man on the other. It is evident that the number and the form of the cherubim vary in the representations (compare Ezekiel 41:18-25). It is probable that the שְׂרָפִים of Isaiah 6:2;-6 are another form of the cherubim. The Apocalypse of the seals Revelation 4-6 combines them in four ζῷα.
כְּרוּב pl. כְּרוּבִים m.
(1) Cherub, in the theology of the Hebrews [i.e. in the revelation of God], a being of a sublime and celestial nature, in figure compounded of that of a man, an ox, a lion, and an eagle (three animals which, together with man, symbolise power and wisdom, Eze 1:1-28 and 10 ). They are first spoken of as guarding paradise, Genesis 3:24, afterwards as bearing the throne of God upon their wings through the clouds, whence, 2 Samuel 22:11, וַיִּרְכַּב עַל כְּרוּב וַיָּעֹף “and he rode upon a cherub, and did fly;” Psalms 18:11, יוֹשֵׁב הַכְּרֻבִים “who sits upon the cherubs;” lastly of the wooden statues of cherubs overlaid with gold, which were in the inmost part of the holy tabernacle (Exodus 25:18, seq.) and of the temple of Solomon (1 Kings 6:23), on the walls of which there were also figures of cherubs carved. A too farfetched idea is that of J. D. Michaëlis, who (Comment. Soc. Gotting. 1752, and in Supplem. p. 1343) compares the cherubs with the equi tonantes of the Greeks.
The etymology of the word is doubtful. As to the word with which I formerly compared it, “Syr. ܟܪܘܽܒܳܐ powerful, strong,” Cast., it was necessary to reject it so soon as I found from the words themselves of Bar Bahlul, that that signification rested on a mistake on the part of Castell (Anecdd. Orient. fasc. i. p. 66). If this word be of Phœnicio-Shemitic origin, either כרב, by a transposition of letters, stands for רכב and כְּרוּב as if רְכוּב divine steed (Psalms 18:11), compare Arab. كَرِيبُ ship of conveyance, or (which is the not improbable opinion of Hyde, De Rel. Vett. Persarum, p. 263) כְּרוּב is i.q. קָרוֹב (comp. كرب = قرب) one who is near to God, ministers to him, one admitted to his presence. Others, as Eichhorn (Introd. in O. T., vol. iii. p. 80, ed. 4), maintain that כְּרוּבִים are the same as the γρύφες (Greifen) griffins of the Persians, guardians of the gold-producing mountains (compare Gen. loc. cit.); [such conjectures are awfully profane;] in this case the root must be sought in the Pers. ثريفتن (greifen) to take hold, to take, to hold. Compare also Rödiger’s Dissertation on the Cherubs, in Ersch and Gruber’s Encyclop. vol. 16, v. Cherub. [Other conjectures are given in Thes.]
(2) [Cherub], pr.n. m. Ezra 2:59; Nehemiah 7:61.
