He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.
Parallel translations
- WEB He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind.
- KJV And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
- NKJV He rode upon a cherub, and flew; And He was seen upon the wings of the wind.
- NASB “He rode on a cherub and flew; He appeared on the wings of the wind.
- NLT Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God is depicted riding a cherub and flying on the wings of the wind. The imagery exalts his swift, sovereign power to come and save.
Overview
David portrays the LORD as the heavenly King who rides the cherubim and speeds on the wind to rescue. The language echoes God's enthronement above the ark and his mastery over creation. It assures the believer that no distance or delay can hinder the God who flies to the aid of his own.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ps 104:3laying the beams of His chambers in the waters above, making the clouds His chariot, walking on the wings of the wind.
- Ps 18:10He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.
- Ezek 9:3Then the glory of the God of Israel rose from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side.
- Heb 1:14Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
- Gen 3:24So He drove out the man and stationed cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden, along with a whirling sword of flame to guard the way to the tree of life.
- Ps 80:1For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm of Asaph. Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth
- Exod 25:19one cherub on one end and one on the other, all made from one piece of gold.
- Ezek 10:2–14And the LORD said to the man clothed in linen, “Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.
- Ps 99:1The LORD reigns; let the nations tremble! He is enthroned above the cherubim; let the earth quake!
- 1 Sam 4:4So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts, who sits enthroned between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
- Ps 139:9If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea,
- Ps 68:17The chariots of God are tens of thousands—thousands of thousands are they; the Lord is in His sanctuary as He was at Sinai.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 22:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.