cherub

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Representation of the four evangelist symbols bull, lion, eagle and winged being in a single figure (16th century)
Cherub, largely corresponding to the description from Ezekiel 1: 4-19, from the Floreffe Bible (around 1156)
Cherubim, seraphim and archangels in the dome of the Cathedral of Cefalù

A cherub (also kerub ; plural cherubim , cherubins or cherubs ; Hebrew כְּרוּב, plural כְּרֻבִים; Latin cherub , plural cherubin and cherubim ) is a supernatural being who appears in Abrahamic religions as a servant or companion of God and has different manifestations. In the Old Testament , the cherubim were not yet ascribed to the angels . An explicit classification of the cherubim in the angelic hierarchy only happened in later works, such as in De Coelesti Hierarchia . Different sources give partly contradicting information about the appearance of the cherubim. In early traditional Jewish views, cherubim were also depicted as being with the features of a young person, and they were later associated with Cupid / Eros . The book of Ezekiel describes the cherubim as winged lions with human heads. The cherub can have a cultic protective function or serve God as a carrier (throne).

Cherubim in the Bible

Cherubim are angels of high rank in the Bible who are used for special tasks. They are different from the seraphim , another class of angels who have a shape resembling that of man.

Cherubim are mentioned over ninety times in the Bible. They appear for the first time in Genesis , where after the fall of man and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden they are set up by God as guardians in front of its entrance:

"He drove people away and set up the cherubim and the blazing sword of flames east of the Garden of Eden, so that they might guard the way to the tree of life."

- Gen 3.24  EU

The ark in the tabernacle was decorated with two cherubim statues as instructed by YHWH :

“Also make a cover plate of pure gold two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide! Make two kerubim out of chased gold and work them out at the two ends of the cover plate! Make a kerub at one end and the other; on the top plate makes the kerubim at both ends! The Kerubim should spread their wings upwards, shield the cover plate with their wings and they should turn their faces towards one another; the faces of the Kerubim should be facing the cover plate. "

- Ex 25.17-20  EU

The 17 mentions of cherubim in the Book of Exodus refer mainly to the figurative representations above the cover plate of the ark and to a lesser extent to representations on the curtains for the sanctuary in the tabernacle. Other than stating that they are figures with wings, their shape is not precisely described. It remains to be seen whether the body and face are similar to humans or animals. The same applies to the artistic representation of the cherubim for the Temple of Solomon , as it appears in 1 Kings 6–8  EU and 2 Chr 3–5  EU .

At the beginning of the book of Ezekiel (1.5–11 EU ) unspecified “living beings” are described, which are identified as cherubim in chapter 10 EU . They are represented as limited human-like beings with wings similar to sphinxes , who accompany a heavenly chariot ( merkaba ) on which God is enthroned:

“Something like four living things appeared in the middle. And that was their shape: they looked like people. Each of the living beings had four faces and four wings. Her legs were straight and her feet like the feet of a bull; they shone like smooth and flashing bronze. They had human hands under the wings on their four sides. [The four had faces and wings too.] Their wings touched one another. The living beings did not change their direction as they walked: each one went in the direction one of its faces was pointing. And their faces looked like this: a human face (all four looked forward), a lion face to the right on all four, a bull face to all four to the left and an eagle face to all four (to the rear). Their wings were spread upwards. They touched each other with two wings and covered their bodies with two. "

A well-known cherub from the Bible is Helel , mentioned in the book of Ezekiel, identified in Christian mythology as Satan , who is said to have been driven out of heaven by falling to earth ( Ez 28: 14-17  EU ) .

Cherubim in Islam

The four bearers of the heavenly throne in Islamic art

In Islam the cherubim are the angels close to God (muqarraboon) (sura 4: 172) who carry the throne. They ask God to forgive people and protect the righteous (40: 7). In Sura 69 the Koran says:

“And the sky splits and is brittle that day. And the angels are (all around) on its edge, while eight high above (w. Above them) carry your Lord's throne on that day. "

- Rudi Paret : The Koran, Sura 69: 16-17

There are eight cherubim in total. The four archangels also belong to the hierarchy of the cherubim. The other cherubim are often provided with animal characteristics and consist of different materials, such as fire, mercy or water.

In the Ismaili imagination there are seven cherubim, comparable to the belief in seven archangels.

Art history

Human-like cherub in the Church of St. Genesius in Madrid (18th century)

The cherubim appear frequently in art and are usually depicted human-like (except in the medieval images). Here, too, the term cherubim is often used as a synonym for angel.

The cherub is mentioned in Schiller's poem To Joy and in its setting in the fourth movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony : "[...] and the cherub stands before God".

The hymn Great God, we praise you also calls the cherub in the 2nd stanza.

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Cherubim  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Cherub  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Alice Wood Of Wings and Wheels: A Synthetic Study of the Biblical Cherubim Walter de Gruyter, November 3, 2008 ISBN 9783110211214 page 1 (English)
  2. ↑ Alice Wood Of Wings and Wheels: A Synthetic Study of the Biblical Cherubim Walter de Gruyter, November 3, 2008 ISBN 9783110211214 page 2 (English)
  3. ↑ Stephen T. Hague: אֲרוֹן. In: Willem A. VanGemeren (Gen. Ed.): Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, Vol. 1 , Paternoster: Carlisle 1997, p. 502
  4. ↑ Peter Riede:  Keruben / Kerubenthroner. In: Michaela Bauks, Klaus Koenen, Stefan Alkier (eds.): The scientific Bibellexikon on the Internet (WiBiLex), Stuttgart 2006 ff., Accessed on November 1, 2013.
  5. ↑ Rudi Paret: The Koran . 12th edition. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2014, ISBN 978-3-17-026978-1 , pp. 405 .
  6. ^ Joseph Freiherr von Hammer-Purgstall: Rose oil. First and second bottle: sagas and customers of the Orient collected from Arabic, Persian and Turkish sources . Ed .: BoD - Books on Demand. ISBN 978-3-86199-486-2 , pp. 12 .
  7. ↑ Syrinx von Hees: Encyclopedia as a mirror of the world view: Qazwīnīs miracle of creation: a natural history of the 13th century . ((Discourses of Arabic Studies, Volume 4) Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2002, p. 283, ISBN 978-3-447-04511-7