And He rode upon a cherub, and flew; He flew upon the wings of the wind.
Parallel translations
- WEB He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
- KJV And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
- BSB He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.
- NASB He rode on a cherub and flew; And He sped 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 rides upon a cherub and soars on the wings of the wind. It matters because it portrays God's swift, sovereign power coming to the rescue.
Overview
David depicts the Lord riding a cherub and flying on the wings of the wind, imagery of God's majestic mobility and command over creation. He comes swiftly and irresistibly to save. The picture of God enthroned above the cherubim underscores his sovereign rule, exercised for the good of his people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Ps 104:3He lays the beams of his rooms in the waters. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind.
- 2 Sam 22:11–12He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind.
- Ps 99:1Yahweh reigns! Let the peoples tremble. He sits enthroned among the cherubim. Let the earth be moved.
- Ps 80:1For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm by Asaph. Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock, you who sit above the cherubim, shine out.
- Ezek 10:20–22This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim.
- Ezek 1:5–14Out of its center came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 18:10 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.