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,” in Makonde as “winged creature from heaven” (source for this and two before: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext), in Bura-Pabir as “good spirit with wings,” and 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 for Bura-Pabir and Northern Pashto: 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,” “cover of the ark” 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) and in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with Sühnedeckel or “atonement cover.”

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Heb. 9:5)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the readers of the letter).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (Hebrews 9:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 9:5:

  • Uma: “On the lid of that box there were two angel images, called kerub. The wings of the kerubs were spread-out shadowing the lid of the box, for above that lid the shining of God appeared. The lid was called the paying-for sins lid. But all of this we will not now talk exhaustively here.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “On top of the golden chest there were two statues like the appearance of angels with wings, a sign that there in that place God was. Their wings were unfolded over the chest shielding the place where sins of people were forgiven. But enough (lit. up to here only), because this is not the time to explain all this.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “That chest was placed underneath two images of powerful supernatural beings who were the sign that God was there. Their wings was opened and spread out over the golden altar where God removed with blood the sins of the people. And this is all I am going to say about this because it’s not possible that I completely explain everything here.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “On the lid of the Chest, there were two winged statues-of (lit. imitation) creatures called kerubim who were the sign of God’s presence. Their outstretched wings umbrella’d the lid of the Chest on which was sprinkled blood so that the sins of the collective-people would be hidden-from-sight. But even if I don’t (i.e. I won’t) continue now to explain concerning all these.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “On the top of that Chest there were two of what are called Kerubin. As for those, (they were) the sign that God’s praiseworthiness/glory is really far-from-ordinary. Being overshadowed by their wings was also what was called Place-where- Grace/Mercy which is Forgiveness -can-be-asked-for. But as for these things, I will not now explain exhaustively.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “On top of the box, on each end are made two angels who spread their wings above the box. For there on top of the box is where blood is offered which clears the sins of the people. But now, it isn’t necessary that I go on telling you all about this matter.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Hebrews 9:5

There is no doubt that Revised Standard Version‘s “above it” means Above the Box. Winged creatures (Good News Bible third edition “glorious creatures”) are the “cherubs” or “cherubim” who were signs of God’s glory or presence. Revised Standard Version‘s “cherubim of glory” is the literal translation of a Hebrew idiom. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch keeps the word “cherubs,” with a glossary note explaining that the “cherubim” are “winged creatures in the shape of animals and men, who were represented as watchers over the Ark of the Covenant.”

Winged creatures: there are particularly difficult problems involved in rendering in English the term “cherubim” (Good News Translation winged creatures), which is a Greek borrowing from Hebrew. For most English-speaking people the term “cherubim” is completely meaningless, and in order to indicate clearly that it is plural, one is compelled to use the expression “cherubims.” However, this is not a recognized form. The proper plural form, “cherubs,” usually refers to beautiful and innocent people, especially children. “Winged animals” does not do justice to the composite nature of these ancient symbols. Their one distinguishing characteristic was the fact of having wings. But to refer to the objects themselves, it seems necessary to use some such expression as “creatures” or perhaps “beings.” Yet these objects were actually representations made of hammered gold, It may be appropriate to speak of “winged images” or “winged figures.”

The phrase representing God’s presence may be even more difficult to translate than the phrase the winged creatures. In some languages, representing God’s presence may be rendered as “standing for God’s presence,” “pointing to God’s presence,” “showing that God was present,” or “symbolizing God’s being there.”

These objects are described in Exodus 25.17-22, together with the place where sins were forgiven (Revised Standard Version “mercy seat”). The “mercy seat” or “cover” (Revised Standard Version note on Exo 25.17) was a covering for the ark or Covenant Box. This “cover” was splashed with blood once a year on the Day of Atonement, as a sign that Israel’s sins were forgiven. The same word is used with an extended meaning in Romans 3.25 to describe Jesus as “the means by which men’s sins are forgiven.”

With their wings spread over the place where sins were forgiven may have to be rendered as a separate sentence; for example, “Their wings were spread over the place where sins were forgiven” or “Their wings cast a shadow over the place where sins were forgiven.”

The passive expression where sins were forgiven may need to be made active in translation, for example, “where God forgave sins.”

Everything, literally “of which” (plural), refers back to verses 1-5a as a whole, or perhaps to the rules for worship mentioned in verse 1, but certainly not to the cherubim alone.

Now is not the time to explain everything in detail seems to be a reference to time, but in reality it is a reference to the location in this letter, though it can be interpreted as “the period of time in which the author was writing this letter.” It may be better to translate the last sentence of verse 5 as “but this is not the place to explain everything with many words,” in which the phrase “with many words” may be the equivalent of in detail.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .