Exodus 37:9

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

And the cherubim spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy-seat were the faces of the cherubim.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיִּהְי֣וּ הַכְּרֻבִים֩ פֹּרְשֵׂ֨י כְנָפַ֜יִם לְמַ֗עְלָה סֹֽכְכִ֤ים בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם֙ עַל־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת וּפְנֵיהֶ֖ם אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֑יו אֶל־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת הָי֖וּ פְּנֵ֥י הַכְּרֻבִֽים׃ פ

Transliteration

And wayyihyû the hakərubîm pōrəśê kənāpayim to ləmaʿəlâ sōkəkîm with their wings bəkanpêhem over-the hakkappōret and their faces pənêhem ʾîš to-ʾel-his brother ʾāḥîw toward-the hakkappōret hāyû faces pənê the hakərubîm

Grammar Details

• *wayyihyû*: waw consecutive + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine plural - and they were
• *hakərubîm*: article + common noun, masculine plural - the cherubim
• *pōrəśê*: Qal participle masculine plural construct - spreading of
• *kənāpayim*: common noun, feminine dual - wings
• *ləmaʿəlâ*: preposition + common noun, feminine singular - to above/upward
• *sōkəkîm*: Qal participle masculine plural - covering
• *bəkanpêhem*: preposition + common noun, feminine plural + 3rd masculine plural suffix - with their wings
• *hakkappōret*: article + common noun, feminine singular - the mercy seat
• *pənêhem*: common noun, masculine plural + 3rd masculine plural suffix - their faces
• *ʾîš*: common noun, masculine singular - man/each
• *ʾel*: preposition - to/toward
• *ʾāḥîw*: common noun, masculine singular + 3rd masculine singular suffix - his brother
• *hāyû*: Qal perfect 3rd common plural - they were
• *pənê*: common noun, masculine plural construct - faces of

Word Meanings

• *wayyihyû*: and they were/became/existed
• *pōrəśê*: spreading/stretching out/extending
• *kənāpayim*: wings/extremities
• *ləmaʿəlâ*: upward/above/on high
• *sōkəkîm*: covering/overshadowing/screening
• *ʾîš*: man/each one/each to each
• *ʾāḥîw*: his brother/counterpart/fellow

Referenced Verses

• Gen 3:24 : 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden the Cherubim, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
• Gen 28:12 : 12 And he dreamed; and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and, behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
• Exod 25:20 : 20 And the cherubim shall spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy-seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.
• Isa 6:2 : 2 Above him stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
• Ezek 10:1-9 : 1 Then I looked, and behold, in the firmament that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. 2 And he spake unto the man clothed in linen, and said, Go in between the whirling [wheels], even under the cherub, and fill both thy hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight. 3 Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court. 4 And the glory of Jehovah mounted up from the cherub, [and stood] over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Jehovah's glory. 5 And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaketh. 6 And it came to pass, when he commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim, that he went in, and stood beside a wheel. 7 And the cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim unto the fire that was between the cherubim, and took [thereof], and put it into the hands of him that was clothed in linen, who took it and went out. 8 And there appeared in the cherubim the form of a man's hand under their wings. 9 And I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like unto a beryl stone. 10 And as for their appearance, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been within a wheel. 11 When they went, they went in their four directions: they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went. 12 And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, [even] the wheels that they four had. 13 As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, the whirling [wheels]. 14 And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third face the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. 15 And the cherubim mounted up: this is the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar. 16 And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels also turned not from beside them. 17 When they stood, these stood; and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in them. 18 And the glory of Jehovah went forth from over the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. 19 And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight when they went forth, and the wheels beside them: and they stood at the door of the east gate of Jehovah's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 20 This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim. 21 Every one had four faces, {H259} and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. 22 And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves; they went every one straight forward.
• John 1:51 : 51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
• 2 Cor 3:18 : 18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.
• Eph 3:10 : 10 to the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly [places] might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God,
• Phil 3:8 : 8 Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ,
• 1 Tim 3:16 : 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
• Heb 1:14 : 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation?
• 1 Pet 1:12 : 12 To whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto you, did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.