And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon 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.
- BSB He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on 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 104:3Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
- Ps 18:10And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
- Ezek 9:3And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side;
- Heb 1:14Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
- Gen 3:24So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
- Ps 80:1Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.
- Exod 25:19And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
- Ezek 10:2–14And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.
- Ps 99:1The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
- 1 Sam 4:4So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
- Ps 139:9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
- Ps 68:17The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.
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.