¹ sn That is, the cherubim.

² tn The Hebrew text adds, “from among the cherubim.”

¹ tn Heb “the wings of these cherubim were spreading 20 cubits.”

³ tn The Hebrew word is traditionally transliterated “the cherubim.”

³ tn Heb “the faces of the cherubim will be” (“the cherubim” was moved to the preceding clause for smoother English).

¹ tn Heb “each one”; the referent (the cherubim) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the cherubim) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn Heb “and he hammered out the gold on the cherubim and the palm trees.”

² tn The subject, “the cherubim,” has been added again in the translation for smoothness.

⁴ tn Heb “to the atonement lid were the faces of the cherubim.”

¹ tn Heb “and the wings of the cherubim, their length was 20 cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the wingspan of the cherubim would have been 30 feet (9 m).

¹ sn The cherubim (singular “cherub”) refer to the images of winged angelic creatures that were above the ark of the covenant.

¹ tn Heb “the ark of God the Lord who sits [between] the cherubim which is called [by his] name.”

¹ tn Heb “and the second cherub was 10 cubits, the two cherubim had one measurement and one shape.”

² tn Heb “a cherub” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV); NIV “the cherubim” (plural); TEV “his winged creature”; CEV “flying creatures.”

² tn The meaning of this phrase in Hebrew is uncertain. The word translated here “guards” occurs in Exod 25:20 in reference to the cherubim “covering” the ark.

³ sn Angelic sentries (Heb “cherubim”). The cherubim in the Bible seem to be a class of angels that are composite in appearance. Their main task seems to be guarding. Here they guard the way to the tree of life. The curtain in the tabernacle was to be embroidered with cherubim as well, symbolically guarding the way to God. (See in addition A. S. Kapelrud, “The Gates of Hell and the Guardian Angels of Paradise,” JAOS 70 [1950]: 151-56; and D. N. Freedman and M. P. O’Connor, TDOT 7:307-19.)

³ 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.

¹ tn The verb is simply “he made” but as in Exod 26:31 it probably means that the cherubim were worked into the curtain with the yarn, and so embroidered on the curtain.

⁴ sn S. R. Driver suggests that the curtains were made with threads dyed with these colors (Exodus, 280). Perhaps the colored threads were used for embroidering the cherubim in the curtains.