Keluaran 25:18-22

25:18 You are to make two cherubim ¹  of gold; you are to make them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid. 25:19 Make ²  one cherub on one end ³  and one cherub on the other end; from the atonement lid ⁴  you are to make the cherubim on the two ends. 25:20 The cherubim are to be spreading their wings upward, overshadowing ⁵  the atonement lid with their wings, and the cherubim are to face each other, ⁶  looking ⁷  toward the atonement lid. 25:21 You are to put the atonement lid on top of the ark, and in the ark you are to put the testimony I am giving you. 25:22 I will meet with you there, ⁸  and ⁹  from above the atonement lid, from between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will command you for the Israelites.

Keluaran 25:1

The Materials for the Sanctuary

25:1 ¹⁰ The Lord spoke to Moses:

1 Samuel 4:4

4:4 So the army ¹¹  sent to Shiloh, and they took from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts who sits between the cherubim. Now the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

1 Samuel 4:1

4:1 Samuel revealed the word of the Lord ¹²  to all Israel.

The Ark of the Covenant is Lost to the Philistines

Then the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. ¹³  They camped at Ebenezer, ¹⁴  and the Philistines camped at Aphek.

Kisah Para Rasul 6:1

The Appointment of the First Seven Deacons

6:1 Now in those ¹⁵  days, when the disciples were growing in number, ¹⁶  a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews ¹⁷  against the native Hebraic Jews, ¹⁸  because their widows ¹⁹  were being overlooked ²⁰  in the daily distribution of food. ²¹ 

Mazmur 18:10

18:10 He mounted ²²  a winged angel ²³  and flew;

he glided ²⁴  on the wings of the wind. ²⁵ 

Mazmur 68:17

68:17 God has countless chariots;

they number in the thousands. ²⁶ 

The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor. ²⁷ 

Mazmur 80:1

Psalm 80 ²⁸ 

For the music director; according to the shushan-eduth style; ²⁹  a psalm of Asaph.

80:1 O shepherd of Israel, pay attention,

you who lead Joseph like a flock of sheep!

You who sit enthroned above the winged angels, ³⁰  reveal your splendor! ³¹ 

Mazmur 99:1

Psalm 99 ³² 

99:1 The Lord reigns!

The nations tremble. ³³ 

He sits enthroned above the winged angels; ³⁴ 

the earth shakes. ³⁵ 

Yehezkiel 1:15-24

1:15 Then I looked, ³⁶  and I saw one wheel ³⁷  on the ground ³⁸  beside each of the four beings. 1:16 The appearance of the wheels and their construction ³⁹  was like gleaming jasper, ⁴⁰  and all four wheels looked alike. Their structure was like a wheel within a wheel. ⁴¹  1:17 When they moved they would go in any of the four directions they faced without turning as they moved. 1:18 Their rims were high and awesome, ⁴²  and the rims of all four wheels were full of eyes all around.

1:19 When the living beings moved, the wheels beside them moved; when the living beings rose up from the ground, the wheels rose up too. 1:20 Wherever the spirit ⁴³  would go, they would go, ⁴⁴  and the wheels would rise up beside them because the spirit ⁴⁵  of the living being was in the wheel. 1:21 When the living beings moved, the wheels moved, and when they stopped moving, the wheels stopped. ⁴⁶  When they rose up from the ground, the wheels rose up from the ground; the wheels rose up beside them because the spirit of the living being was in the wheel.

1:22 Over the heads of the living beings was something like a platform, ⁴⁷  glittering awesomely like ice, ⁴⁸  stretched out over their heads. 1:23 Under the platform their wings were stretched out, each toward the other. Each of the beings also had two wings covering ⁴⁹  its body. 1:24 When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings – it was like the sound of rushing waters, or the voice of the Almighty, ⁵⁰  or the tumult ⁵¹  of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

Yehezkiel 10:2-22

10:2 The Lord ⁵²  said to the man dressed in linen, “Go between the wheelwork ⁵³  underneath the cherubim. ⁵⁴  Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” He went as I watched.

10:3 (The cherubim were standing on the south side ⁵⁵  of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court.) 10:4 Then the glory of the Lord arose from the cherub and moved to the threshold of the temple. The temple was filled with the cloud while the court was filled with the brightness of the Lord’s glory. 10:5 The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard from the outer court, like the sound of the sovereign God ⁵⁶  when he speaks.

10:6 When the Lord ⁵⁷  commanded the man dressed in linen, “Take fire from within the wheelwork, from among the cherubim,” the man ⁵⁸  went in and stood by one of the wheels. ⁵⁹  10:7 Then one of the cherubim ⁶⁰  stretched out his hand ⁶¹  toward the fire which was among the cherubim. He took some and put it into the hands of the man dressed in linen, who took it and left. 10:8 (The cherubim appeared to have the form ⁶²  of human hands under their wings.)

10:9 As I watched, I noticed ⁶³  four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub; ⁶⁴  the wheels gleamed like jasper. ⁶⁵  10:10 As for their appearance, all four of them looked the same, something like a wheel within a wheel. ⁶⁶  10:11 When they ⁶⁷  moved, they would go in any of the four directions they faced without turning as they moved; in the direction the head would turn they would follow ⁶⁸  without turning as they moved, 10:12 along with their entire bodies, ⁶⁹  their backs, their hands, and their wings. The wheels of the four of them were full of eyes all around. 10:13 As for their wheels, they were called “the wheelwork” ⁷⁰  as I listened. 10:14 Each of the cherubim ⁷¹  had four faces: The first was the face of a cherub, ⁷²  the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.

10:15 The cherubim rose up; these were the living beings ⁷³  I saw at the Kebar River. 10:16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them; when the cherubim spread ⁷⁴  their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not move from their side. 10:17 When the cherubim ⁷⁵  stood still, the wheels ⁷⁶  stood still, and when they rose up, the wheels ⁷⁷  rose up with them, for the spirit ⁷⁸  of the living beings ⁷⁹  was in the wheels. ⁸⁰ 

10:18 Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. 10:19 The cherubim spread ⁸¹  their wings, and they rose up from the earth ⁸²  while I watched (when they went the wheels went alongside them). They stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the Lord’s temple as the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them.

10:20 These were the living creatures ⁸³  which I saw at the Kebar River underneath the God of Israel; I knew that they were cherubim. 10:21 Each had four faces; each had four wings and the form of human hands under the wings. 10:22 As for the form of their faces, they were the faces whose appearance I had seen at the Kebar River. Each one moved straight ahead.

Ibrani 9:5

9:5 And above the ark ⁸⁴  were the cherubim ⁸⁵  of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Now is not the time to speak of these things in detail.

[25:18]  ¹ tn The evidence suggests that the cherubim were composite angelic creatures that always indicated the nearness of God. So here images of them were to be crafted and put on each end of the ark of the covenant to signify that they were there. Ezekiel 1 describes four cherubim as each having human faces, four wings, and parts of different animals for their bodies. Traditions of them appear in the other cultures as well. They serve to guard the holy places and to bear the throne of God. Here they were to be beaten out as part of the lid.

[25:19]  ² tn The text now shifts to use an imperative with the vav (ו) conjunction.

[25:19]  ³ tn The use of זֶה (zeh) repeated here expresses the reciprocal ideas of “the one” and “the other” (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 26, §132).

[25:19]  ⁴ sn The angels were to form one piece with the lid and not be separated. This could be translated “of one piece with” the lid, but it is likely the angels were simply fastened to it permanently.

[25:20]  ⁵ tn The verb means “overshadowing, screening” in the sense of guarding (see 1 Kgs 8:7; 1 Chr 28:18; see also the account in Gen 3:24). The cherubim then signify two things here: by their outstretched wings they form the throne of God who sits above the ark (with the Law under his feet), and by their overshadowing and guarding they signify this as the place of atonement where people must find propitiation to commune with God. Until then they are barred from his presence. See U. Cassuto, Exodus, 330-35.

[25:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “their faces a man to his brother.”

[25:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “the faces of the cherubim will be” (“the cherubim” was moved to the preceding clause for smoother English).

[25:22]  ⁸ sn Here then is the main point of the ark of the covenant, and the main point of all worship – meeting with God through atonement. The text makes it clear that here God would meet with Moses (“you” is singular) and then he would speak to the people – he is the mediator of the covenant. S. R. Driver (Exodus, 272) makes the point that the verb here is not the word that means “to meet by chance” (as in Exod 3:18), but “to meet” by appointment for a purpose (וְנוֹעַדְתִּי, vÿno’adti). The parallel in the NT is Jesus Christ and his work. The theology is that the Law condemns people as guilty of sin, but the sacrifice of Christ makes atonement. So he is the “place of propitiation (Rom 3:25) who gains communion with the Father for sinners. A major point that could be made from this section is this: At the center of worship must be the atoning work of Christ – a perpetual reminder of God’s righteous standard (the testimony in the ark) and God’s gracious provision (the atonement lid).

[25:22]  ⁹ tn The verb is placed here in the text: “and I will speak”; it has been moved in this translation to be closer to the direct object clause.

[25:1]  ¹⁰ sn Now begin the detailed instructions for constructing the tabernacle of Yahweh, with all its furnishings. The first paragraph introduces the issue of the heavenly pattern for the construction, calls for the people to make willing offerings (vv. 2-7), and explains the purpose for these offerings (vv. 8-9). The message here is that God calls his people to offer of their substance willingly so that his sanctuary may be made.

[4:4]  ¹¹ tn Or “people.”

[4:1]  ¹² tn Heb “and the word of Samuel was.” The present translation understands Samuel to be the speaker of the divine word (“Samuel” is a subjective genitive in this case), although the statement could mean that he was the recipient of the divine word (“Samuel” is an objective genitive in this case) who in turn reported it to Israel.

[4:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “and Israel went out to meet the Philistines for battle.”

[4:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the stone, the help.” The second noun is in apposition to the first one and apparently is the name by which the stone was known. Contrast the expression used in 5:1 and 7:12, where the first word lacks the definite article, unlike 4:1.

[6:1]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “these.” The translation uses “those” for stylistic reasons.

[6:1]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “were multiplying.”

[6:1]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “the Hellenists,” but this descriptive term is largely unknown to the modern English reader. The translation “Greek-speaking Jews” attempts to convey something of who these were, but it was more than a matter of language spoken; it involved a degree of adoption of Greek culture as well.

[6:1]  sn The Greek-speaking Jews were the Hellenists, Jews who to a greater or lesser extent had adopted Greek thought, customs, and lifestyle, as well as the Greek language. The city of Alexandria in Egypt was a focal point for them, but they were scattered throughout the Roman Empire.

[6:1]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “against the Hebrews,” but as with “Hellenists” this needs further explanation for the modern reader.

[6:1]  ¹⁹ sn The care of widows is a major biblical theme: Deut 10:18; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19-21; 26:12-13; 27:19; Isa 1:17-23; Jer 7:6; Mal 3:5.

[6:1]  ²⁰ tn Or “neglected.”

[6:1]  ²¹ tn Grk “in the daily serving.”

[6:1]  sn The daily distribution of food. The early church saw it as a responsibility to meet the basic needs of people in their group.

[18:10]  ²² tn Or “rode upon.”

[18:10]  ²³ tn Heb “a cherub.” Because of the typical associations of the word “cherub” in English with chubby winged babies, the term has been rendered “winged angel” in the translation.

[18:10]  sn Winged angel (Heb “cherub”). Cherubs, as depicted in the OT, possess both human and animal (lion, ox, and eagle) characteristics (see Ezek 1:10; 10:14, 21; 41:18). They are pictured as winged creatures (Exod 25:20; 37:9; 1 Kgs 6:24-27; Ezek 10:8, 19) and serve as the very throne of God when the ark of the covenant is in view (Pss 80:1; 99:1; see Num 7:89; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15). The picture of the Lord seated on the cherubs suggests they might be used by him as a vehicle, a function they carry out in Ezek 1:22-28 (the “living creatures” mentioned here are identified as cherubs in Ezek 10:20). In Ps 18:10 the image of a cherub serves to personify the wind (see the next line of the psalm).

[18:10]  ²⁴ tc 2 Sam 22:11 reads “appeared” (from רָאָה, ra’ah); the relatively rare verb דָאָה (da’ah, “glide”) is more difficult and probably the original reading here in Ps 18.

[18:10]  ²⁵ sn The wings of the wind. Verse 10 may depict (1) the Lord riding a cherub, which is in turn propelled by the wind current. Another option (2) is that two different vehicles (a cherub and the wind) are envisioned. Yet another option (3) is that the wind is personified as a cherub. For a discussion of ancient Near Eastern parallels to the imagery in v. 10, see M. Weinfeld, “‘Rider of the Clouds’ and ‘Gatherer of the Clouds’,” JANESCU 5 (1973): 422-24.

[68:17]  ²⁶ tn Heb “thousands of [?].” The meaning of the word שִׁנְאָן (shin’an), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Perhaps the form should be emended to שַׁאֲנָן (sha’anan, “at ease”) and be translated here “held in reserve.”

[68:17]  ²⁷ tc The MT reads, “the Lord [is] among them, Sinai, in holiness,” which is syntactically difficult. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֲדֹנָי בָּא מִסִּינַי (’adonay ba’ missinay; see BHS note b-b and Deut 33:2).

[80:1]  ²⁸ sn Psalm 80. The psalmist laments Israel’s demise and asks the Lord to show favor toward his people, as he did in earlier times.

[80:1]  ²⁹ tn The Hebrew expression shushan-eduth means “lily of the testimony.” It may refer to a particular music style or to a tune title. See the superscription to Ps 60.

[80:1]  ³⁰ sn Winged angels (Heb “cherubs”). Cherubs, as depicted in the OT, possess both human and animal (lion, ox, and eagle) characteristics (see Ezek 1:10; 10:14, 21; 41:18). They are pictured as winged creatures (Exod 25:20; 37:9; 1 Kgs 6:24-27; Ezek 10:8, 19) and serve as the very throne of God when the ark of the covenant is in view (Ps 99:1; see Num 7:89; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15). The picture of the Lord seated on the cherubs suggests they might be used by him as a vehicle, a function they carry out in Ezek 1:22-28 (the “living creatures” mentioned here are identified as cherubs in Ezek 10:20). In Ps 18:10 the image of a cherub serves to personify the wind.

[80:1]  ³¹ tn Heb “shine forth.”

[80:1]  sn Reveal your splendor. The psalmist may allude to Deut 33:2, where God “shines forth” from Sinai and comes to superintend Moses’ blessing of the tribes.

[99:1]  ³² sn Psalm 99. The psalmist celebrates the Lord’s just rule and recalls how he revealed himself to Israel’s leaders.

[99:1]  ³³ tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 1 are understood here as indicating the nations’ characteristic response to the reality of the Lord’s kingship. Another option is to take them as jussives: “let the nations tremble…let the earth shake!”

[99:1]  ³⁴ sn Winged angels (Heb “cherubs”). Cherubs, as depicted in the OT, possess both human and animal (lion, ox, and eagle) characteristics (see Ezek 1:10; 10:14, 21; 41:18). They are pictured as winged creatures (Exod 25:20; 37:9; 1 Kgs 6:24-27; Ezek 10:8, 19) and serve as the very throne of God when the ark of the covenant is in view (Ps 99:1; see Num 7:89; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15). The picture of the Lord seated on the cherubs suggests they might be used by him as a vehicle, a function they carry out in Ezek 1:22-28 (the “living creatures” mentioned here are identified as cherubs in Ezek 10:20). In Ps 18:10 the image of a cherub serves to personify the wind.

[99:1]  ³⁵ tn The Hebrew verb נוּט (nut) occurs only here in the OT, but the meaning can be determined on the basis of the parallelism with רָגַז (ragaz, “tremble”) and evidence from the cognate languages (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 121).

[1:15]  ³⁶ tc The MT adds “at the living beings” which is absent from the LXX.

[1:15]  ³⁷ sn Another vision which includes wheels on thrones occurs in Dan 7:9. Ezek 10 contains a vision similar to this one.

[1:15]  ³⁸ tn The Hebrew word may be translated either “earth” or “ground” in this context.

[1:16]  ³⁹ tc This word is omitted from the LXX.

[1:16]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “Tarshish stone.” The meaning of this term is uncertain. The term has also been translated “topaz” (NEB); “beryl” (KJV, NASB, NRSV); or “chrysolite” (RSV, NIV).

[1:16]  ⁴¹ tn Or “like a wheel at right angles to another wheel.” Some envision concentric wheels here, while others propose “a globe-like structure in which two wheels stand at right angles” (L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 1:33-34). The description given in v. 17 favors the latter idea.

[1:18]  ⁴² tc The MT reads וְיִרְאָה לָהֶם (vÿyir’ah lahem, “and fear belonged to them”). In a similar vision in 10:12 the wheels are described as having spokes (יִדֵיהֶם, yideyhem). That parallel would suggest יָדוֹת (yadot) here (written יָדֹת without the mater). By positing both a ד/ר (dalet/resh) confusion and a ת/ה (hey/khet) confusion the form was read as וְיָרֵה (vÿyareh) and was then misunderstood and subsequently written as וְיִרְאָה (vÿyir’ah) in the MT. The reading וְיִרְאָה does not seem to fit the context well, though in English it can be made to sound as if it does. See W. H. Brownlee, Ezekiel 1-19 (WBC), 8-9. The LXX reads καὶ εἶδον αὐτά (kai eidon auta, “and I saw”), which assumes וָאֵרֶא (va’ere’). The existing consonants of the MT may also be read as “it was visible to them.”

[1:20]  ⁴³ tn Or “wind”; the same Hebrew word can be translated as either “wind” or “spirit” depending on the context.

[1:20]  ⁴⁴ tc The MT adds the additional phrase “the spirit would go,” which seems unduly redundant here and may be dittographic.

[1:20]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “wind.” The Hebrew is difficult since the text presents four creatures and then talks about “the spirit” (singular) of “the living being” (singular). According to M. Greenberg (Ezekiel [AB], 1:45) the Targum interprets this as “will.” Greenberg views this as the spirit of the one enthroned above the creatures, but one would not expect the article when the one enthroned has not yet been introduced.

[1:21]  ⁴⁶ tc The LXX reads “when it went, they went; when it stood, they stood.”

[1:21]  tn Heb “when they went, they went; when they stood, they stood.”

[1:22]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “like a dome” (NCV, NRSV, TEV).

[1:22]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “like crystal” (NRSV, NLT).

[1:23]  ⁴⁹ tc Heb “each had two wings covering and each had two wings covering,” a case of dittography. On the analogy of v. 11 and the support of the LXX, which reads the same for v. 11 and this verse, one should perhaps read “each had two wings touching another being and each had two wings covering.”

[1:24]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “Shaddai” (probably meaning “one of the mountain”), a title that depicts God as the sovereign ruler of the world who dispenses justice. The Old Greek translation omitted the phrase “voice of the Almighty.”

[1:24]  ⁵¹ tn The only other occurrence of the Hebrew word translated “tumult” is in Jer 11:16. It indicates a noise like that of the turmoil of a military camp or the sound of an army on the march.

[10:2]  ⁵² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:2]  ⁵³ tn The Hebrew term often refers to chariot wheels (Isa 28:28; Ezek 23:24; 26:10).

[10:2]  ⁵⁴ tc The LXX, Syriac, Vulgate, and Targum mss read plural “cherubim” while the MT is singular here, “cherub.” The plural ending was probably omitted in copying the MT due to the similar beginning of the next word.

[10:3]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “right side.”

[10:5]  ⁵⁶ tn The name (“El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72.

[10:6]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:6]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man dressed in linen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:6]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “the wheel.”

[10:7]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “the cherub.”

[10:7]  ⁶¹ tn The Hebrew text adds, “from among the cherubim.”

[10:8]  ⁶² tn The Hebrew term is normally used as an architectural term in describing the plan or pattern of the tabernacle or temple or a representation of it (see Exod 25:8; 1 Chr 28:11).

[10:9]  ⁶³ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[10:9]  ⁶⁴ tn The MT repeats this phrase, a clear case of dittography.

[10:9]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “Tarshish stone.” The meaning is uncertain. The term has also been translated “topaz” (NEB), “beryl” (KJV, NASB, NRSV), and “chrysolite” (RSV, NIV).

[10:10]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “like a wheel at right angles to another wheel.” Some envision concentric wheels here, while others propose “a globe-like structure in which two wheels stand at right angles” (L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 1:33-34). See also 1:16.

[10:11]  ⁶⁷ sn That is, the cherubim.

[10:11]  ⁶⁸ tn Many interpreters assume that the human face of each cherub was the one that looked forward.

[10:12]  ⁶⁹ tc The phrase “along with their entire bodies” is absent from the LXX and may be a gloss explaining the following words.

[10:13]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “the whirling wheels.”

[10:14]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “each one”; the referent (the cherubim) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:14]  ⁷² sn The living creature described here is thus slightly different from the one described in Ezek 1:10, where a bull’s face appeared instead of a cherub’s. Note that some English versions harmonize the two descriptions and read the same here as in 1:10 (cf. NAB, NLT “an ox”; TEV, CEV “a bull”). This may be justified based on v. 22, which states the creatures’ appearance was the same.

[10:15]  ⁷³ tn Heb “it was the living creature.”

[10:16]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “lifted.”

[10:17]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the cherubim) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:17]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the wheels) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:17]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the wheels) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:17]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “wind.”

[10:17]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “living creature.”

[10:17]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wheels) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:19]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “lifted.”

[10:19]  ⁸² tn Or “the ground” (NIV, NCV).

[10:20]  ⁸³ tn Heb “That was the living creature.”

[9:5]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “above it”; in the translation the referent (the ark) has been specified for clarity.

[9:5]  ⁸⁵ sn The cherubim (pl.) were an order of angels mentioned repeatedly in the OT but only here in the NT. They were associated with God’s presence, glory, and holiness. Their images that sat on top of the ark of the covenant are described in Exod 25:18-20.