13. Its matter was of pure gold; and for its dimensions, it was just as broad and long as the ark whereon it was laid, Exod. xxv. 21. And this mercy-seat or covering of gold seems to have lain upon the ark within the verge of gold or crown that encompassed it, being itself plain, without any such verge or crown; for it was placed MST-Y, myn, “upon the ark,” just over it, verse 21, and so was encom- passed with its crown,—the glory both of justice and mercy, of law and gospel, being the same in Christ Jesus.
14, At the two ends of this mercy-seat were placed two cherubim, one at the one end, the other at the other, both of gold, and, as it should seem, of one continued work with the covering itself. The name of “ cherubim” hath prevailed for these figures or images from the Hebrew; partly because it is retained by our apostle, who calls them “cherubim of glory,” yepou€iu dns, Heb. ix. 5; and partly be- cause the signification of the word being not well known, it cannot properly be otherwise expressed,—for which reason it was retained also by the LXX. They were of those things which our apostle, chap. ix. 23, terms imodetymara rav ev rors obpavors, “ examples,’—ex- pressions, or similitudes, “ of things in heaven ;” whose framing and erection, in reference unto the worship of God, is forbidden under the name of DYY2 Ww MYA, Exod. xx. 4,—“The likeness of any thing in heaven above.” The first mention of cherubim is Gen. ii. 24, “God placed cherubim;” which seems to intimate that the prototypes of these figures were heavenly ministers or angels, though Aben Ezra supposes that the word denotes any erected figures or appearances whatever. Others of the Jews, as Kimchi, think the word to be compounded of 5, “caph,” a note of similitude, and x'5, “a child,” to signify “like a child,” being so called from their form or shape. But this answers not unto the description given after- wards of them in Ezekiel; much less with the same appellation given to the winds and clouds, Ps. xviii. 10. The word hath a great affinity with 337, “a charict.” So are the angels of God called his “ cha- riots,” Ps. lxviii. 17; and David so calls expressly the cherubim that were to be made in Solomon’s temple, 1 Chron. xxviii. 18, “ Gold for the pattern 5°24933 132793,” “ hammercheba hacherubim,” where the allusion is open, “the chariot of the cherubim;” and Ezekiel describes his cherubim as a triumphal chariot, chap. x. It is not, therefore, unlikely that their name is derived from 237, which sig-
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nifies “ to ride,” or “to be carried,” “to pass on swiftly,” expressing the angelical ministry of the blessed spirits above; if they were not rather mere emblems of the power and speed of God in his works of grace and providence.
15. These cherubim are said to be "YP2,—that is, not molten, but beaten even and smooth; and seem to have been one continued piece with the mercy-seat, beat out with it and from it. There is no more mention of their form, but only that they had faces and wings. Of what sort those faces were, or how many in number were their wings, is not expressed.
16. In Ezekiel’s vision of the “ living creatures,’—which he also ealleth “cherubim,” chap. x. 2,—there is the shape of a man ascribed unto them: “ They had the likeness of a man,” chap. i. 5; “ faces,” verse 6; “feet,” verse 7; “hands,” verse 8; “sides,” or “ bodies,” verses 8,11. Each of them also had four faces, of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle, verse 10; and each had four wings, verse 23. In John’s vision in the Revelation, seeming to answer this of Eze- kiel’s cherubim, from the eyes that his living creatures were full of, and the appearance of their faces, they had each of them six wings, answering unto those of the seraphim in the vision of Isaiah, chap. vi. 2.
17. The Jews generally affirm, that these visions of the glory of God by Isaiah and Ezekiel were the same, and that Ezekiel saw nothing but what Isaiah saw also; only, they say that Ezekiel saw the glory of God and his majesty, as a countryman who admires at all the splendour of the court of the king, Isaiah as a courtier who takes notice only of the person of the king himself. But there are many evident differences in their visions. Isaiah calls the glorious ministers of God DW, “seraphim,” from their nature, compared to fire and light; Ezekiel, 0°293, “cherubim,” from their speed in the accomplishment of their duty. Isaiah saw his vision as in the temple: for although from these words, “I saw the Lorp sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple,” Aben Ezra and Kimchi suppose that he saw the throne of God in heaven, and only his train of glory descending into the temple, yet it is more probable that he saw the throne itself in the temple, his train spreading abroad to the filling of the whole house; for He calls the temple, “ the throne of his glory,” Jer. xiv. 21, and “a glorious high throne,” chap. xvii. 12,—that is, “a throne high and lifted up,” as in this place. Ezekiel saw his vision abroad in the open field, by the river of Chebar, chap. i. 3. Isaiah first saw the Lord him- self, and then his glorious attendants; Ezekiel first saw the chariot of his glory, and then God above it. Isaiah’s seraphim had six wings, with two whereof they covered their faces, which Ezekiel’s che- rubim had not; and that because Isaiah’s vision represented Christ,