When most people envision cherubs, we think of cupid looking type beings with wings 🪽 minus the bow and arrow 🏹. When looking at the scriptures from a Hebrew Israelite perspective, that should be our first clue🕵🏽♂️ concerning the detrimental effects of Greek-Roman programming via renaissance artists. If you don’t envision them as young, cute floaty beings then you might envision them the way the ancient Mesopotamians did.
The site I showcased is from the World History Encyclopedia – Cherub
As you can see the ancient Mesopotamians portrayed them as anthropomorphic (human-Lookin), large & ferocious to instill fear, with the addition of war helmets 🪖 & wings 🪽. This is what the Old Testament deems as pagan idolatry. In both the Aramaic & Hebrew scripts they use the word 𐤊𐤓𐤅𐤁 or כרוב (krub) for the english word cherub in which they’ve gotten from the Akkadian word Karabu (to bless, praise, thanks). But there is another word that is similar to כרוב or 𐤊𐤓𐤅𐤁 (krub) that Akkadian & Sumerian do not hold, which is 𐤇𐤓𐤁 or חרב (chrb “ch-erb” or “ch-rib”) in Aramaic & Hebrew meaning sword 🗡️. I find it odd how english would adopt the “ch” in “ch-erub” instead of a normal “k” like Aramaic, Hebrew and Akkadian. Basically, the “ch” in english for the word cherub corresponds to the “ch” in Aramaic & Hebrew word for sword 🗡️ (chrb).
This should put a another perspective on Old Testament scriptures such as:
Genesis 3:24 (Garden of Eden and cherubs, swords)
Pay close attention to each source of scripture because each one provides important subtle details to the narrative or instructions.
Aramaic Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
וטרד ית אדם מן דאשרי יקר שכינתיה מן לקדמין בין תרין כרוביא קדם עד לא ברא עלמא ברא אורייתא ואתקין גינתא דעדן לצדיקייא דייכלון ויתפנקון מן פירי אילנא על די פלחו בחייהון באולפן אורייתא בעלמא הדין וקיימו פקודיא אתקין גיהנם לרשיעייא דמתילא לחרבא שנינא אכלה מתרין סטרין אתקין בגווה זיקוקון דינור וגומרין דאשתא למידן בהון לרשיעייא דמרדו בחייהון באולפן אורייתא טבתא הוא אורייתא לפלחה מן פירי אילן חייא דאתקנהא מימר דיי לנטורהא דיהי קיים ומטייל בשבילי ארחא דחיי לעלמא דאתי
And He drave out the man from thence where He had made to dwell the glory of His Shekina at the first between the two Kerubaia. Before He had created the world, He created the law; He prepared the garden of Eden for the righteous, that they might eat and delight themselves with the fruit of the tree; because they would have practised in their lives the doctrine of the law in this world, and have maintained the commandments: (but) he prepared Gehinnam for the wicked, which is like the sharp, consuming sword of two edges; in the midst of it He hath prepared flakes of fire and burning coals for the judgment of the wicked who rebelled in their life against the doctrine of the law. To serve the law is better than (to eat of) the fruit of the tree of life, (the law) which the Word of the Lord prepared, that man in keeping it might continue, and walk in the paths of the way of life in the world to come.
https://www.sefaria.org/Targum_Jonathan_on_Genesis.3.24?lang=bi&with=all
King James Version
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Aramaic Targum Onkelos
ותרך ית אדם ואשרי מלקדמין לגינתא דעדן ית כרוביא וית שנן חרבא דמתהפכא למיטר ית אורח אילן חייא:
He banished the man [from the Garden] and at the east of [before] the Garden of Eden He stationed the Cherubim and the flame of the rotating sword, to guard the way to the Tree of Life.
https://www.sefaria.org/Onkelos_Genesis.3.24?lang=bi&with=all
Exodus 25:18-22 (Cherubs on the Ark of the Covenant)
Aramaic Targum Onkelos
ותעבד תרין כרובין דדהב נגיד תעבד יתהון מתרין סטרי כפרתא:
Make two golden cherubim. You must make them by hammering them out of the two ends of the [ark] cover.ועבד כרובא חד מסטרא מכא וכרובא חד מסטרא מכא מן כפרתא תעבדון ית כרוביא על תרין סטרוהי:
Make one cherub out of one end [side], and one cherub out of the other end [side]. From the [same piece of gold as] the cover itself, you shall make the cherubim on its two ends [sides].
ויהון כרוביא פריסן גדפיהון לעלא מטלין בגדפהון על כפרתא ואפיהון חד לקבל חד לקבל כפרתא יהון אפי כרוביא:
The cherubim shall spread their wings upward, sheltering the cover with their wings, and the cherubim shall face one another. Their faces shall be [inclined] toward the cover.ותתן ית כפרתא על ארונא מלעלא ובארונא תתן ית סהדותא די אתן לך:
Place the cover on top of the ark and place the Testimony in the ark that I will give you.ואזמן מימרי לך תמן ואמלל עמך מעלוי כפרתא מבין תרין כרוביא די על ארונא דסהדותא ית כל די אפקד יתך לות בני ישראל:
https://www.sefaria.org/Onkelos_Exodus.25.18?lang=bi&with=all
I will set [prepare] My meetings [Word] with you there, and I will speak with you from above the cover, from between the cherubim that are on the Ark of the Testimony. All that which I will command you concerning the B’nei Yisrael.
King James Version
Exodus 25:18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
Exodus 25:19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
Exodus 25:20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
Exodus 25:21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
Exodus 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
Aramaic Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
ותעביד תרין כרובין דדהב דכי נגיד תעביד יתהוי מתרין ציטרי כפורתא
And thou shalt make two kerubin, of pure beaten gold shalt thou make them on the two sides of the mercy-seat.ועביד כרובא חד מציטרא מכא וכרובא חד מציטרא מכא מן כפורתא תעביד ית כרוביא מתרין ציטרוי
Thou shalt make one keruba on this side, and one keruba on that side of the mercy-seat; you shall make the kerubaia on its two sides.ויהון כרוביא פריסן גדפיהון לעילא כל קביל רישיהום מטללין בגדפיהון על כפורתא ואפיהון חד כל קביל חד לקביל כפורתא יהון אפי כרוביא
And the kerubaia shall stretch forth their wings above, their heads over against each other, their wings overshadowing the mercy-seat, and their faces over against each other; towards the mercy-seat shall be the faces of the kerubaia.ותתן ית כפורתא על ארונא מלעילא ובגו ארונא תתן ית לוחי סהדותא דאיתן לך
And thou shalt put the mercy-seat above upon the ark, and within the ark thou shalt lay the Tables of the Testament that I will give thee.ואיזמן מימרי לך תמן ואימליל עמך מעילוי כפורתא מבין תרין כרוביא דעל ארונא דסהדותא ית כל מה דאפקיד יתך לות בני ישראל
https://www.sefaria.org/Targum_Jonathan_on_Exodus.25.18?lang=bi&with=all
And I will appoint My Word with thee there, and will speak with thee from above the mercy-seat, between the two kerubaia that are over the ark of the testament, concerning all that I may command thee for the sons of Israel.
Exodus 20:4 (No graven images)
King James Version
Exodus 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Aramaic Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
לא תעבדון לכון צלם וצורא וכל דמוי דבשמיא מלעיל ודי בארעא מלרע ודי במיא מלרע לארעא
https://www.sefaria.org/Onkelos_Exodus.20.4?lang=bi&with=all
You shall not make to yourselves image or figure, or any similitude of what is in the heavens above, or on the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth.
Aramaic Targum Onkelos
לא תעבד לך צלם וכל דמות די בשמיא מלעלא ודי בארעא מלרע ודי במיא מלרע לארעא:
https://www.sefaria.org/Targum_Jonathan_on_Exodus.20.4?lang=bi&with=all
You must not make for yourself any carved image, or picture of anything that is in the heaven above, or on the earth below, or in the water below the earth.
CONCLUSION
From the study I just presented one should already be informed that cherubs are pagan deities and should not 🙅🏽♂️ be used or carved by Hebrew Israelites. These are abominable idols. My take on the cherubs at the gates of the garden of Eden is that in description they are just guards with חרב or 𐤇𐤓𐤁 (chrb) swords ⚔️. My take on the carved cherubs on the top of the ark are just 𐤇𐤓𐤁 or חרב (chrb) swords ⚔️. One sword carved from the gold at top of the ark at one end, pointing towards the other sword at the other end.
This would then not go against Exodus 20:4 because this is not a carved image of anything TMH has made in the heavens, earth, and water. Cherubs on the other hand contain wings from birds, and a human form in its depiction. Swords and other sharp metal objects are tools carved by humans used for the purposes of justice, protection, construction, farming etc.
🛸 13/17/3 🛸
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