Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Lewis Reich" <lewreich AT javanet.com>]

On 7 Jan 00, at 12:11, Job Wei wrote:

> Cherubim are not angels but mythic winged sphinx-like creatures, they
> appeared on ivory panels from the Omri dynasty found in Samaria, as well
> as a cultic (Yahwistic) terracotta.  Possibly at the time Gen 3:24 was
> written, a gigantic pair was inside the holy of holies of the Solomonic
> Temple in Jerusalem.  The exalted wings of the pair join each other and
> define the space underneath as sacred.  Inside the space is the Ark which
> has a pair of smaller cherbim.  The function of these creatures (always in
> pair) seems to be to protect, to guard, same as lions at the entrance of
> some modern or ancient buildings.

My understanding of the function of these creatures is as a throne 
for the deity or royalty. If I recall correctly, the ivory panels were 
from a throne.   Yahweh is (I unfortunately forget where) described 
as "yoshev ha-keruvim".

> Malachim are messangers and could be regarded as angelic.

As I understand it, quite literally.  *Mal'akh* in Hebrew means 
messenger, and in the Hebrew Bible it is used to describe 
messengers who are clearly human as well as those who might be 
understood as celestial.  According to the Anchor Bible Dictionary 
article on the subject, it is from the the translation of mal'akh in the 
LXX as *aggelos* that the English word "angel" derives, and both 
words as terms describing functions can refer equally to human or 
angelic beings.  The article also states that it is only with the 
Vulgate that a systematic distinction was made between angelic 
emissaries (Lat. angelus) and human ones (Lat. nuntius).

Lewis Reich