What does כְּרוּב (kərûḇ) mean in the Bible?
כְּרוּב (kərûḇ): Celestial guardian figure with wings, positioned at God's throne and guarding sacred spaces in temple imagery
Hebrew · H3742
כְּרוּב
A cherub or imaginary figure
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כְּרוּבH3742
Pronunciationkərûḇ
What does כְּרוּב (kərûḇ) mean in the Bible?
כְּרוּב (kərûḇ): Celestial guardian figure with wings, positioned at God's throne and guarding sacred spaces in temple imagery
Full entry for כְּרוּב (H3742) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3742?
The BSB source-word alignment has 91 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include cherubim (17), the cherubim (15), cherub (12), - (8), of the cherubim (5).
Where does כְּרוּב (kərûḇ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 3:24. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (31), 1 Kings (20), Exodus (17), 2 Chronicles (11).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itcherubim17×Genesis 3:24, Exodus 25:18, Exodus 25:22, Exodus 37:7
the cherubim15×1 Kings 6:27, 1 Kings 6:28, 1 Kings 6:32, 1 Kings 8:7
cherub12×Exodus 25:19, Exodus 37:8, 1 Kings 6:24, 1 Kings 6:25
-8×Exodus 25:19, Exodus 25:20, Exodus 37:8, Exodus 37:9
of the cherubim5×1 Kings 8:6, 2 Chronicles 3:11, 2 Chronicles 5:7, Ezekiel 10:1
. . .4×1 Kings 6:26, Ezekiel 10:9, Ezekiel 41:18
between the cherubim3×1 Samuel 4:4, 2 Samuel 6:2, 2 Kings 19:15
with cherubim3×Exodus 26:31, Exodus 36:8, 2 Chronicles 3:14
[between] the cherubim2×1 Chronicles 13:6, Psalms 80:1
a cherub2×2 Samuel 22:11, Psalms 18:10
above the cherubim2×Psalms 99:1, Isaiah 37:16
And the cherubim2×Exodus 25:20, Exodus 37:9
Then the cherubim2×Ezekiel 10:15, Ezekiel 11:22
[and even when they]1×Ezekiel 10:16
[and] cherubim1×Exodus 26:1
[them]1×Ezekiel 10:7
[with] cherubim1×Exodus 36:35
and cherubim1×1 Kings 7:29
Each cherub1×Ezekiel 41:18
of a cherub1×Ezekiel 10:14
of cherubim1×1 Kings 6:29
Since their1×1 Kings 6:27
Then one of the cherubim1×Ezekiel 10:7
were cherubim1×Ezekiel 10:20
When the cherubim1×Ezekiel 10:16
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 3:24הַכְּרֻבִ֗יםtocherubimArticle | Noun - masculine pluralExodus 25:18כְּרֻבִ֖יםtocherubimNoun - masculine pluralExodus 25:19כְּר֨וּבtocherubNoun - masculine singularExodus 25:19וּכְרוּב־to-Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularExodus 25:19הַכְּרֻבִ֖יםtoArticle | Noun - masculine pluralExodus 25:20הַכְּרֻבִים֩toAnd the cherubimArticle | Noun - masculine pluralExodus 25:20הַכְּרֻבִֽים׃to-Article | Noun - masculine pluralExodus 25:22הַכְּרֻבִ֔יםtocherubimArticle | Noun - masculine pluralExodus 26:1כְּרֻבִ֛יםto[and] cherubimNoun - masculine pluralExodus 26:31כְּרֻבִֽים׃towith cherubimNoun - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 3:24
Aligned rows91
Books represented12
Genesis1Exodus17Numbers11 Samuel12 Samuel21 Kings202 Kings11 Chronicles22 Chronicles11Psalms3Isaiah1Ezekiel31
Source forms
הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים5xhak·kə·ru·ḇîmExodus 25:22, 2 Kings 19:15, Isaiah 37:16, Ezekiel 10:1
הַכְּר֣וּב4xhak·kə·rūḇ1 Kings 6:26, 1 Kings 6:27, Ezekiel 10:9
הַכְּרֻבִ֖ים3xhak·kə·ru·ḇîmExodus 25:19, Exodus 37:8, 2 Samuel 6:2
הַכְּר֥וּב3xhak·kə·rūḇ1 Kings 6:26, 2 Chronicles 3:11, 2 Chronicles 3:12
הַכְּרוּבִים֙3xhak·kə·rū·ḇîm1 Kings 8:7, 2 Chronicles 5:8, Ezekiel 11:22
הַכְּרוּבִ֔ים3xhak·kə·rū·ḇîm2 Chronicles 3:11, Ezekiel 10:5, Ezekiel 10:16
הַכְּרוּבִ֣ים3xhak·kə·rū·ḇîm2 Chronicles 3:13, Psalms 80:1, Ezekiel 10:19
הַכְּרוּבִֽים׃3xhak·kə·rū·ḇîm1 Kings 8:6, 2 Chronicles 5:7, Ezekiel 10:18
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine plural40xGenesis 3:24, Exodus 25:19, Exodus 25:20, Exodus 25:22
Noun - masculine plural18xExodus 25:18, Exodus 26:1, Exodus 26:31, Exodus 36:8
Article | Noun - masculine singular15x1 Kings 6:24, 1 Kings 6:25, 1 Kings 6:26, 1 Kings 6:27
Noun - masculine singular6xExodus 25:19, Exodus 37:8, 2 Samuel 22:11, Psalms 18:10
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural4xEzekiel 10:2, Ezekiel 10:6, Ezekiel 10:7, Ezekiel 10:8
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular2xExodus 25:19, Exodus 37:8
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular2xEzekiel 10:2, Ezekiel 41:18
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural1x1 Kings 7:29
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Celestial guardian figure with wings, positioned at God's throne and guarding sacred spaces in temple imagery
Source Gloss
a cherub or imaginary figure
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Celestial guardian figure with wings, positioned at God's throne and guarding sacred spaces in temple imagery
a cherub or imaginary figure BDB: cherub Usage: cherub, (plural) cherubims.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Cherub; a composite celestial being associated with God's throne and royal transport
Showing 1 selected witness from 91 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
כְּרוּב is of uncertain origin - no further derivation.
Canonical Themes
Cross-Language Connections
Greek words that correspond to or develop the meaning of this Hebrew word in the New Testament.
G5502LXX equivalentGreek
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.