Cherubim

Cherubim

The Many-Faced Guardians

Ezekiel 1:10

The four faces of a cherub

As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle.

— Ezekiel 1:10 (ESV)

Genesis 3:24

Cherubim guarding the gates of Eden

He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

— Genesis 3:24 (ESV)

Cherubim are among the most vividly described celestial beings in all of Scripture. Far removed from the plump winged infants of later European art, the biblical cherubim are imposing, otherworldly guardians of immense power and mystery.

In Ezekiel's extraordinary vision, each cherub has four faces — human, lion, ox, and eagle — representing the fullness of creation. They have four wings: two stretched upward touching the wings of their companions, forming a living canopy, and two covering their bodies. Beneath their wings are human hands, and their legs are straight, ending in feet like burnished bronze that gleam like polished metal. Their entire bodies, including their wings and backs, are covered with eyes.

They first appear in Genesis, stationed at the gates of Eden with a flaming sword, barring humanity's return to paradise. Golden cherubim were sculpted atop the Ark of the Covenant, their wings overshadowing the mercy seat where God's presence dwelt. They are the throne-bearers and gatekeepers of the Most High — symbols of divine authority and the boundary between the sacred and the profane.

Further Reading