(6) To the realm of angels belong, beyond doubt, the séraphim (naw). Although mentioned only in
* According to the oldest form of this narrative, as comes out plainly in 181-3-10-15, Jahweh alone appears to Abraham. Offence is naturally taken at this by a later recension, which is now skilfully interwoven with the earlier one, and which introduces three men or angels in place of Jahweh.
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the vision of Isaiah (67), they appear there as well- known beings, so that the belief in them may certainly be assumed for the pre-Prophetic period. Furnished with six wings, they offer around God’s throne antiphonal praise in the Trisagion; one of them purges the lips of the prophet, and announces to him the forgiveness of his sins. They are thus, in fact, intelligent beings, angels. Of the numerous explanations of the name, the only one that can be taken in earnest is that which traces it back to the singular s@rdph. This word means properly ‘serpent’ (Nu 21%, Dt 8%), and the seraphim must accordingly have been origin- ally serpent - formed creatures — embodiments, in- deed, of the serpent -like lightning - flashes that play around Jahweh. But, in the case of the seraphim of Isaiah, the six wings may be regarded as all that has survived of this somewhat mytho- logical form. Moreover (probably long before the time of Isaiah), they have assumed human form, as is evident not only from the song of praise (v.°), which would be inconceivable in a serpent’s mouth, but from the hand (v.*) and the speech of the sardph (v."). It may be noted, finally, that here again in Is 6 it is a vision that is recorded.
(c) Even more clearly than the seraphim, the cherubim (kéribim, 272 or 0°33, sing. kérib) belong originally to the realm of mythology.* The etymology of the word is still disputed. According to some, kérdéb is from the same root (Sanskrit gribh, ‘ grip’) as the Greek ~ypvy, ‘ griffin’; according to others, it is due to a transposition of the consonants of rékib, ‘ chariot’ (cf. Ps 104°), from the root rakad, ‘ride’ or ‘drive’ (see below). The most probable derivation would be from the Assyr. kuribu (plur. kuribi), ‘ great,’ ‘strong,’ if it could be proved with certainty that the winged bull-colossi with human heads, found at the entrance of Assyrian palaces, bore the name kuribi.
All the various references to the cherubim have this in common, that they always imply the near- ness of God, or at least indicate a sacred spot. But there are Sey two quite distinct under- lying conceptions, which were only at a late period combined into one [hence even the name kérdid might have a double etymology]. According to Ps 18"! (cf. also Is 19") the cherub is a pale form of the wind-driven storm-cloud which serves Jahweh as His chariot [or which, originally, He rides as a horse 2]. The other sense of the word Lérdb is that of a guardian of sacred spots. To this cate- gory belong the cherubim of Gn 3%, who, after the expulsion of our first parents, guard the entrance to the Garden of Eden [i.e. according to the original intention of the narrative, the dwelling-
* Cf., for the special literature, Kosters, art. ‘De Cherubim’ in Theol. Tijdschr. 1879, p. 445 ff.; Triebs, Veteris Testamenti de Cherubim doctrina, Berlin, 1888; J. Nikel, Die Lehre des AT tiber die Cherubim und Seraphim (Wirzburg dissertation ; full of dogmatic prejudices], Breslau, 1890; J. Petersen, Cherubim, Giitersloh, 1898 [account of the various interpretations from the time of Luther downwards].
t Instead of one cherub, a number of cherubim appear in 18 44, 2S 62, 2K 1915 as bearers of God or of the Divine throne. Of these passages the last cited can scarcely have any other meaning, especially as there Hezekiah prays for a judicial intervention of Jahweh against Assyria, and thus, as it were, for an appearance of Jahweh. Ina similar connexion ‘He that sitteth upon the cherubim’ is still mentioned in such late passages as Ps 802 (1) 991. On the other hand, it is scarcely to be doubted that in 1S 44 and in 2 S 62 the same expression is due to a subsequent interpolation, and is intended of the golden cherubim upon the lid of the sacred Ark, which are first men- tioned in the Priests’ Code (Ex 2518ff.), According to the latter (Nu 789), Jahweh speaks to Moses from this lid, ‘from between the two cherubim,’7.e. He has His proper dwelling- place there. The above interpolation was very natural on the part of a late redactor of 18 44 and 28 62, because in both these passages there is express mention of Jahweh’s relation to the sacred Ark. It is impossible that any of the above passages can refer to the two great cherubim which Solomon (see text above) set up beside the sacred Ark,
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place of God]; and also the huge cherub forms, carved in olive wood, which Solomon set up in the temple to the right and the left of the sacred Ark, in such a way that with their outstretched wings they filled the whole space (1 K 6% 8%). So also the carved figures of cherubim on the walls and doors (1 K 6*- %- 35) and vessels (72% %6) of the temple indicate the near presence of God. Hence they appear also in the visionary temple of Ezekiel (Hizk 4118#-), as well as in the sanctuary which the Priests’ Code assumes for the period of the wilder- ness wanderings. In the latter they present them- selves, partly as worked on the curtains and the veil (Ex 26: 81), partly as two golden figures, with their faces turned towards each other, placed on the lid of the sacred Ark (25!8* ; ef. preced. col., note +).