כְּרוּב

n.m. cherub;—כ׳ Ex 25:19 + 26 times; pl. כְּרוּבִים ψ 99:1 + 33 times; כְּרֻבִים Ex 25:18 + 29 times; (NH id.; Aramaic כְּרוּבָא, ܟܪܽܘܒܳܐ; √ dub.; Assyrian karâbu = be gracious to, bless DlHWB 350, but adj. karûbu is great, mighty, Id. ib. 352; on poss. connex. with כְּרוּב cf. Dl in Baer Ezech. xiii.; Assyrian kirubu = šêdu (name of winged bull in Assyrian; v. LenOrigines i. 118, Eng. Tr. 126 DlPar 154) has not been verified, cf. v. F.ZA i. 68 f. Budge Expos. Apr. May, 1885 Teloni ZA vi. 124 ff.; the older view, connecting כ׳ with γρύψ, and deriving from Pers. giriften, griffen, lacks evidence and probability.—Possibly the thunder-cloud underlies the conception);— the living chariot of the theophanic God; possibly identified with the storm-wind ψ 18:11 = 2 S 22:11 וַיִּרְכַּב עַל־כְּרוּב and he rode upon a cherub (‖ flew swiftly on the wings of the wind). as the guards of the garden of Eden Gn 3:24 (J). as the throne of Yahweh Sabaoth, in phrase י׳ (צְבָאוֹת) יֹשֵׁב הַכְּרוּבִים Yahweh Sabaoth throned on the cherubim 1 S 4:4; 2 S 6:2 = 1 Ch 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 is in 2 K 19:15 = Is 37:16, ψ 80:2; 99:1. P gives an account of: two cherubim of solid gold upon the slab of gold of the כַּפֹּרֶת 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 Ex 25:18–22; 37:7–9; Nu 7:89; numerous cherubim woven into the texture of the inner curtains of the tabernacle and the veils Ex 26:1, 31; 36:8, 35. K and Ch describe the cherubim of the temple: 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 K 6:23–28; 8:6–7 2 Ch 3:10–13; 5:7–8; Ch (doubtless influenced by Ez) represents them as the chariot of Yahweh 1 Ch 28:18; 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 K 6:29–35; 2 Ch 3:7; and on the bases of the portable lavers, interchanging with lions and oxen 1 K 7:29–36; Ch also represents that they were woven in the veil of the דְּבִיר 2 Ch 3:14. Ezekiel describes the cherubim: as four living creatures, each with four faces, lion, ox, eagle, and man, 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, Ez 1:5–28; 9:3; 10:1–20; 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 Ez 28:14, 16; Ez 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 (cf. Ez 41:18–25). It is probable that the שְׂרָפִים of Is 6:2–6 are another form of the cherubim. The Apoc. of the seals Rev 4–6 combines them in four ζῷα.