Exodus 25:18 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Thou shalt make two cherubims of gold— These cherubims were to be made of gold, of the matter of the mercy-seat, Exodus 25:19. (margin of our Bibles) which seems to specify only that they were to be made of gold, i.e. the matter of the mercy-seat; and not, as some have supposed, of the same piece gold with the mercy-seat. With respect to these cherubical figures, thus much is certain, that they were two, that they were winged, that they had faces; that these faces, opposite to each other, looked upon the mercy-seat, and that, between their wings, Jehovah used to appear; whence the expression of his sitting up, or dwelling between the cherubim. 1 Samuel 4:4.Psalms 80:1; Psalms 99:1. See also Numbers 7:89. And, from no particular description being given of them by God to direct Moses in the forming of them, either here or ch. Exodus 26:1 it seems to follow, that their form was well known to him; as indeed it could not be otherwise, if what is advanced in the preceding note be true respecting their antiquity. But for the rest, many and various are the opinions of commentators. Some hints we gave of this in the note on Genesis 3:24 nor can we hesitate to believe, that the cherubims there mentioned were of the same import with these placed on the mercy-seat. It is also most probable, from Ezekiel 1:10, &c. and Exodus 10:14, &c. that the faces of the cherubims were of four sorts; an opinion which Revelation 4:7 seems to confirm. Though both from Ezekiel, Revelation, and the present passage, where cherub in the singular is used, one would be led to believe, that each cherub had only one face, of whatever sort it might be; for cherubims, in the plural, plainly signify the two figures on the mercy-seat, and not a compound figure with four faces. Whether these faces were emblematical of the Divine Persons in the Godhead, as Mr. Hutchinson and his followers strongly assert, or whether they were representative of those Divine messengers and ministers, the angels of God, who are spoken of, not only as stooping down through an ardent desire to look into the mysteries of redemption, 1 Peter 1:12 but as ministering for them who shall be heirs of salvation, Hebrews 1:14 we confess ourselves unable to determine. Great objections appear on the side of each opinion, which properly to discuss would fill a volume. That there is great merit and ingenuity in Mr. Hutchinson's interpretation, must be allowed; had it been proposed with more candour and diffidence, it would certainly have obtained more praise: but Dr. Sharpe, in his Discourse on Cherubim, appears to have raised such objections as none of the followers of Mr. Hutchinson have yet been able to invalidate. To his work, therefore, we refer in vindication of our own sentiments; and there the reader will find, that cherubim have been generally understood by the Christian church to denote angels. We shall speak farther on this subject when we come to the prophet Ezekiel. It may be necessary just to remark, that, as it seems not probable that these figures were designed to represent the Deity, since he promised to be present himself between them, and consequently there could be no need of such a representation; so neither, if they were designed to represent angels, was there any contradiction to the second commandment herein: for there it is ordered, thou shalt not make unto thee; thou shalt not frame unto thyself, or from thine own imagination, any likeness, &c. to bow down to, or serve it: where the forming of idols, from their own fancies, for the purpose of worship, is evidently prohibited; which could have no respect to these figures of the cherubim, which were formed by God's own order, and never were, or were intended to be, worshipped. The Seraphim described by Isaiah 6:2-3 are manifestly angels, and are decyphered in a manner very similar to the cherubim: and since so many texts of Scripture speak of the legal dispensation as given by the ministration of angels, a typical representation of them might be well expected according to the genius of the Mosaic ritual; especially as they ministered also so much to the great Redeemer, the true Propitiator, when he came into the world.