1 Kings 6:23

And within the oracle he made two cherubim [of] olive tree,.... Or of the oil tree, as in Isaiah 41:19; see Ne 8:15; for there are other trees besides olives, out of which oil is pressed, as pine trees, cypress trees, c.

And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high. Within the oracle he made two cherubim of olive tree.

Besides those two made by Moses, , which were of gold, and far less than these, and fixed in another place and posture. Of olive tree, or, of oily trees, which sometimes are distinguished from the olive trees, as .

1 Kings 6:23 And within the oracle he made two cherubims [of] olive tree, [each] ten cubits high.Ver. 23. And within the oracle he made two cherubims.] These were two great human winged statues, five yards high, representing the strength and excellency of the blessed angels, ever attendant upon the Almighty God; as also the eminent parts, and praiseworthy practices of gospel ministers, who should be at peace among themselves, and promote peace all they can among others. These cherubims were two of them, - Christ sent out his apostles by two and two, - they were also made of olive, that emblem of peace, and their faces looked one toward another: they were also uniform.

(23) Cherubim.—These were copied from the Tabernacle, but apparently with some differences, over and above the necessary increase of size, and the change of material from solid gold to olive-wood overlaid with gold. In Exodus 25:18-20; Exodus 37:7-9, they are described as having their faces towards the mercy-seat, and covering the mercy-seat with their wings. Here, from the careful description of the outstretched wings, of ten cubits in width for each cherub, meeting in the midst of the house and touching the walls, it would seem that they must have been turned so as to face the entrance. The cherubim over the ark are described only in three places in the Old Testament—in the passages in Exodus, here, and in the parallel 2 Chronicles 3:10-13, and in those great visions of the priestly prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:4-25; Ezekiel 10:1-22) which have determined the imagery of the Apocalypse. In no case is their form distinctly mentioned, unless, by comparison of Eze 10:14-15 with Ezekiel 1:10, it may be inferred to have been the form of a winged bull; whence would be naturally derived the golden calves of the idolatry introduced into Israel in the time of Jeroboam. Josephus, indeed, in his description of the Temple (Antt. viii. c. 3, § 3), expressly says that “no one can tell, or even conjecture, of what shape the cherubim were.” The tradition, therefore, must have been lost in the Second Temple, where there was no ark; and this is the more strange, because in Exodus 26:1 the cherubim are said to have been represented in the embroidery of the curtains, and here (in 1 Kings 6:32; 1 Kings 6:35) to have been similarly carved on the walls.But, whatever the cherubim were, it is certain that they were in no sense representations or emblems of Deity, like the winged figures of Assyria or Egypt, with which they have been often compared. They appear to symbolise the great physical forces of the universe, as guided by superhuman angelic intelligence to serve the supreme will of God. Thus, when first mentioned in Scripture (Genesis 4:24), the cherubim are associated with “the flaming sword, turning every way, to guard the tree of life”; in Psalms 18:10, the Lord is said “to ride upon the cherubim,” and “come flying upon the wings of the wind”; in Ezekiel 1:10, the four living creatures, or cherubim, sustain the throne of God, and bear it away upon their wings; in Revelation 4:6-8; Revelation 5:8-9, the same living creatures unite with the elders representing the Church of redeemed humanity, in worship of the Lord upon His throne. The representation, therefore, of the cherubim in the Temple simply expresses the claim for Jehovah, the God of Israel, of such lordship over all creation as is hymned in the seraphic song of Isa 6:3. Possibly the change of attitude of the cherubim in the Temple denoted a change of idea, characteristic of Solomon and his age.

23–30. Of the Cherubim within the oracle (2 Chronicles 3:10-12) 23. And within the oracle he made two cherubims] As the Hebrew word is already in the plural form, write cherubim. These cherubim were winged figures intended to represent some holy and heavenly form. They are first mentioned in Genesis 3:24, where some have thought that ‘the flame of a sword’ spoken of in connexion with them implies that the cherubim were aimed with this weapon. But this is not certainly to be deduced from the words. In 2 Chronicles 3:13 they are said to stand upon their feet, while the descriptions in Ezekiel (chapp. 1 and 10) make them to have four faces. (Cf. also Exodus 25:18-22). Their chief office in Scripture is to be a chariot for Jehovah (Psalms 18:11), and for this reason they were set up in the most holy place, where the divine presence was to manifest itself. Hence of God it is frequently said ‘who dwelleth’ or ‘sitteth upon the cherubim.’

Two cherubims - The pattern of the tabernacle was followed (marginal reference), but without servile imitation. The original cherubs were entirely of gold.

23. Made two cherubim — The cherubim were composite images significant of all forms of creature life, and symbols of the living presence of Jehovah in all departments of the animal world.