2 Chronicles 3:11 kjv
And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
2 Chronicles 3:11 nkjv
The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in overall length: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub;
2 Chronicles 3:11 niv
The total wingspan of the cherubim was twenty cubits. One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long and touched the temple wall, while its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the other cherub.
2 Chronicles 3:11 esv
The wings of the cherubim together extended twenty cubits: one wing of the one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub;
2 Chronicles 3:11 nlt
The total wingspan of the two cherubim standing side by side was 30 feet. One wing of the first figure was 7 1?2 feet long, and it touched the Temple wall. The other wing, also 7 1?2 feet long, touched one of the wings of the second figure.
2 Chronicles 3 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 3:24 | After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword... | Cherubim as guardians of sacred space. |
| Exod 25:18-22 | Make two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the cover... There, above the cover... I will meet with you. | Cherubim on Ark; site of divine encounter. |
| Exod 37:7-9 | He made two cherubim of hammered gold for the ends of the atonement cover. | Construction of Tabernacle cherubim. |
| Num 7:89 | When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim that were on the atonement cover... | God speaking from between the cherubim. |
| 1 Sam 4:4 | ...the ark of the covenant of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim... | God enthroned on/above cherubim. |
| 2 Sam 6:2 | David and all the Israelites set out to bring up the ark of God... which is called by the Name, the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. | Reinforces God's enthronement. |
| 1 Kgs 6:19-22 | He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there. The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long... | Context of Holy of Holies dimensions. |
| 1 Kgs 6:23-28 | Inside the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood... The wings of one cherub were five cubits... their total wingspan was twenty cubits. | Parallel account and confirmation. |
| 1 Kgs 8:6-7 | The priests brought the ark of the LORD's covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. | Ark placed beneath the cherubim. |
| 2 Chron 5:7-8 | The priests brought the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to its place... beneath the wings of the cherubim. The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the Ark. | Ark's placement, cherubim's covering. |
| Psa 18:10 | He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. | God's divine movement and sovereignty. |
| Psa 80:1 | Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth! | Prayer invoking God's throne. |
| Psa 99:1 | The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. | God's sovereign rule from His throne. |
| Isa 37:16 | LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. | Emphasizes God's unique deity. |
| Ezek 1:4-28 | Description of four living creatures... Cherubim with wings, full of eyes... associated with the divine throne. | Ezekiel's vision of living creatures/cherubim. |
| Ezek 10:1-22 | Then I looked, and I saw in the firmament above the heads of the cherubim what looked like a sapphire throne... | More on cherubim, associated with God's glory/throne. |
| Ezek 41:18-20 | ...made with cherubim and palm trees. Palm trees were between the cherubim and the cherubim had two faces... | Decorative use of cherubim in Ezekiel's temple vision. |
| Zech 5:9-10 | Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork... | Different imagery but highlights angelic wings. |
| Heb 9:3-5 | Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the gold altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory... | New Testament reference to the Tabernacle/Temple furnishings, including cherubim. |
| Heb 8:5 | They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” | Earthly sanctuary reflecting heavenly reality. |
| Rev 4:6-8 | In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes... The first living creature was like a lion... like an ox... like a man... like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around. | Cherubim-like figures in heavenly throne room. |
| Rev 15:7 | Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God... | Living creatures involved in divine judgments. |
2 Chronicles 3 verses
2 Chronicles 3 11 Meaning
Second Chronicles 3:11 describes the specific dimensions of the wings of the two golden cherubim placed in the Most Holy Place of Solomon's Temple. It details how their collective twenty-cubit span fully occupied the inner sanctuary, with each cherub's outer wing reaching a wall and its inner wing meeting the wing of the other cherub. This arrangement symbolized their role in overshadowing the Ark of the Covenant, representing God's throne and highlighting His transcendent holiness and protective presence within His dwelling.
2 Chronicles 3 11 Context
2 Chronicles 3 describes Solomon's construction of the Temple, specifically the Holy of Holies (also known as the inner sanctuary or Most Holy Place). This verse is part of a detailed architectural description, highlighting the precise specifications mandated for the sacred structure. Following the construction of the Temple building itself (2 Chron 3:1-7) and its ornamentation (2 Chron 3:8-10), verse 11 focuses on the two massive cherubim fashioned for the Most Holy Place. These cherubim were central to the symbolism of God's presence, as they were positioned to overshadow the Ark of the Covenant, the dwelling place of the Tablets of the Law. The dimensions emphasized in the verse reinforce the cherubim's prominence and their role in creating a sacred, enclosed space for the Divine presence. Historically, the building of this Temple by Solomon fulfilled God's promise to David and became the central place of worship for the nation of Israel, representing God's tabernacling among His people. The precise, intricate details, like the cherubim's dimensions, underline the sanctity and divinely ordained nature of the Temple, standing in stark contrast to pagan temples and their human-conceived idols.
2 Chronicles 3 11 Word analysis
- The wings (
כְּנַף- kenaf fromכנפיים- k'nafayim): Hebrew word for wings. Symbolically represent mobility, protection, and overshadowing. In the context of cherubim, wings often signify their angelic nature, their readiness to execute divine will, and their role in guarding or covering the holy. - of the cherubim (
הַכְּרוּבִים- hakeruvim): From the Hebrewכְּרוּב(keruv), plural keruvim. These are angelic, symbolic creatures, first mentioned guarding the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:24). They are consistently associated with God's presence, glory, and throne, appearing on the Ark of the Covenant (Exod 25:18-20) and in Ezekiel's visions (Ezek 1, 10). Their presence in the Temple signified God's immanent presence and transcendence. They were not objects of worship but guardians of God's holiness. - stretched (
אֹרֶךְ- orek): Implies extension or length. Here it describes the full expanse or reach of the cherubim's wings when extended. - twenty cubits (
עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה- esrim ammah):עַמָּה(ammah) is the Hebrew unit of measurement, approximately 18-21 inches or 45-52 centimeters, varying by period. A total of twenty cubits across the inner sanctuary (which was twenty cubits long and wide, 1 Kgs 6:20) signifies that the cherubim's wings spanned the entire width of the Holy of Holies. This highlights their immense size and their complete domination of the sacred space. - long: Emphasizes the length measurement of the wings.
- one wing of the one cherub: Refers to a single wing of one of the two large cherubim.
- was five cubits (
חָמֵשׁ אַמָּה- chamesh ammah): This specifies the length of an individual wing, showing a meticulous design. Since there were two cherubim, each with two wings (one stretching to the wall, the other meeting the fellow cherub's wing), each wing measuring five cubits explains the total twenty-cubit span (5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 20). - reaching to the wall of the house (
נֹגַעַת לְקִיר הַבַּיִת- noga'at lekir ha-bayit): The wordנֹגַעַת(noga'at) means "touching" or "reaching." This detail specifies the exact positioning: one wing of each cherub extended to touch the physical wall of the Most Holy Place. This demonstrated their pervasive presence within the Holy of Holies. - and the other wing was five cubits also: Confirms the symmetrical length of the cherub's second wing.
- reaching to the wing of the other cherub (
מַגִּיעַ אֶל־כְּנַף הַכְּרוּב הָאַחֵר- maggi'a el-kanaf ha-keruv ha-akher): This describes the second wing's placement, stretching inward to meet the corresponding inner wing of the other cherub. This interconnectedness symbolized their united function as a covering or a base for God's invisible throne.
Words-Group Analysis:
- "The wings of the cherubim stretched twenty cubits long": This phrase encapsulates the grandeur and vastness of these angelic figures within the holiest part of the Temple. Their total span across the room indicates a full occupation of the divine space, leaving no gap in their coverage of the Ark below. This reinforces the complete overshadowing and guarding of the mercy seat, where God's presence dwelt.
- "one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits also, reaching to the wing of the other cherub": This detailed breakdown of the total span highlights the precision of the divine blueprint given for the Temple. It shows an intricate, symmetrical design where each part contributes to the whole, forming a unified canopy or throne-like structure over the Ark. This meticulousness underscores the holiness of the place and the deliberate nature of God's dwelling. The precise measurements imply divine order, perfection, and careful establishment of the sacred.
2 Chronicles 3 11 Bonus section
- The two cherubim described here were made of olive wood overlayed with gold (1 Kgs 6:23-28), complementing the gold cherubim directly on the mercy seat of the Ark (Exod 25:18). This layered presence of cherubim reinforced the idea of a guarded, sacred, multi-dimensional space around God's manifest presence.
- The cubit's specific length (1 Kgs 6:2-3 implies an extended cubit in some temple measurements, but for cherubim, standard cubit applies unless specified otherwise) further accentuates the massive scale, impressing upon the observer the grandeur of the Lord whom these figures attended.
- While the physical Temple with its cherubim stood for centuries, their ultimate meaning points to the New Covenant reality. Hebrews 9:3-5 refers to these elements of the earthly sanctuary as copies of heavenly things, hinting at a greater reality in heaven itself, where true worship and God's ultimate throne reside (Rev 4). The cherubim's guardianship of holiness is fulfilled in Christ, who grants access to God's presence (Heb 10:19-20).
2 Chronicles 3 11 Commentary
2 Chronicles 3:11 offers a glimpse into the sacred architecture of Solomon's Temple, specifically emphasizing the design and placement of the two large golden cherubim in the Holy of Holies. These cherubim were not mere decorations but embodied profound theological meaning. Their massive wingspan of twenty cubits, which entirely filled the width of the inner sanctuary, signifies their overarching protective role for the Ark of the Covenant, located beneath them. This position symbolizes God's throne (Psa 80:1; 99:1), with the cherubim serving as His chariot or support (Psa 18:10), indicating His transcendent sovereignty.
The detailed measurement of each wing (five cubits) speaks to the precision and perfection inherent in divine design. It reflects the truth that every aspect of God's sanctuary was ordered and specific, unlike human constructs. Their wings touching both the walls and each other indicates a complete enclosure of the divine presence, underscoring the exclusivity and holiness of God within that space. This sacred boundary deterred any unauthorized or unholy approach. These cherubim also serve as a polemic against pagan idol worship, for they were guardians of the Invisible God's throne, not deities themselves to be venerated. They pointed to the majestic and fearsome holiness of Yahweh, reminding all of His supreme power and sacred dwelling.