cherub

Some key biblical terms that were directly transliterated from the Hebrew have ended up with unforeseen meanings in the lexicons of various recipient languages.

Take, for example, the English word “cherub,” from Hebrew “kĕrȗb.” Whereas the original Hebrew term meant something like “angelic being that is represented as part human, part animal” (…), the English word now means something like “a person, especially a child, with an innocent or chubby face.” Semantic shift has been conditioned in English by the Renaissance artistic tradition that portrayed cherubim in the guise of cute little Greek cupids. This development was of course impossible to foresee at the time when the first English translations borrowed this Hebrew word into the English Bible tradition, following the pattern of borrowing set by the Greek and Latin translations of the Old Testament.

In Russian, the semantic shift of this transliteration was somewhat different: the -îm ending of “kĕrūbîm,” originally signifying plurality in Hebrew, has been reanalyzed as merely the final part of the lexical item, so that the term херувим (kheruvim) in Russian is a singular count noun, not a plural one. (A similar degrammaticalization is seen in English writers who render the Hebrew plural kĕrūbîm as “cherubims.”) Apparently, this degrammaticalization of the Hebrew ending is what led the Russian Synodal translator of Genesis 3:24 to mistakenly render the Hebrew as saying that the Lord God placed a kheruvim (accusative masculine singular in Russian) to the east of the garden of Eden, instead of indicating a plural number of such beings. (Source: Vitaly Voinov in The Bible Translator 2012, p. 17ff.)

In Ngäbere the Hebrew that is translated in English as “cherub” is translated as “heavenly guard” (source: J. Loewen 1980, p. 107), in Nyamwezi as v’amalaika v’akelubi or “Cherubim-Angel” to add clarity, in Vidunda as “winged creature” (source for this and before: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext), and in Bura-Pabir as “good spirit with wings” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin).

In Northern Pashto it is either translated as “heavenly creature” (Afghan Pashto Bible, publ. 2023) or “winged creature” (Holy Bible in Pakistani [Yousafzai] Pashto, publ. 2020) (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin).

In French Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines “angel” and “spinning sword” (referring to Genesis 3:24):


“Cherub” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

See also seraph and ark of the covenant.

mercy seat

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “mercy seat” or similar in English is translated by the interconfessional Chichewa translation (publ. 1999) as or “the cover of that box which was the place for forgiving sins upon.” (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 110)

Translation commentary on Exod 25:20

The cherubim shall spread out their wings above is literally “the cherubs will be outspread [two-]wings to above.” The dual form is used for wings, meaning that each cherub would have just two wings (unlike the “seraphim” in Isaiah 6). The meaning of above in this clause is not clear, but “to above” may suggest “pointing upwards” (Revised English Bible) or simply “uplifted” (Durham). However, both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version suggest that the wings of one cherub reached across the lid toward the wings of the other one, so that the wings of both cherubs covered the covenant chest. Good News Translation has “and their outspread wings are to cover it,” and Contemporary English Version has “with their wings spread over the chest.” One may also say “The cherubs [or, winged creatures] must face each other across the lid of the chest, and their wings must spread out and cover it.”

Overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings means that the wings of the two cherubim are to cover the “lid” in a protective way. But they would not be touching it since they are to be “spread upward” (New International Version). Their faces one to another is literally “and their faces each unto the other.” This does not mean that they are to be looking at each other, for toward the mercy seat suggests that they are to be looking down at the “lid” rather than across to each other. Literally the text says “unto the kapporeth shall be the faces of the cherubim.” Good News Translation unfortunately does not bring this out.

Alternative translation models for this verse are:

• The cherubs shall have their wings stretching out toward each other and covering the lid of the chest. They should face each other with their faces looking down toward the lid of the chest.

• The cherubs must face each other across the top of the box, with their faces looking down at the lid. The wings of one cherub must stretch across the top of the box toward the wings of the other cherub, covering the box.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .