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QUESTION V. What the word Cherubim signifies, according to Theodoret.1
QUAESTIO V. Quid significet vox Cherubim secundum Theodoretum.
Theodoretus in quaestionibus super Genesim, in q. 40. putat Cherubinos ad Paradisi custodiam positos, non fuisse incorporeas & invisibiles Angelorum virtutes, ut plerique opinantur, sed potentes quasdam, & terribiles visiones, ac figuras animalium horrificas, quae Adamum territando, ab ingressu Paradisi arcerent. Quotiescumque autem Scriptura vocat Cherubim, non significat vel animalia, vel naturas aliquas invisibiles, sed illud omne, quod magna pollet vi & potentia, quemadmodum dixit David, Qui sedes super Cherubim, hoc est, Qui potenter regnas: & alibi, Ascendit super Cherubim: & volavit, volans super pennas ventorum. Hoc est, cum magna venit potentia & virtute. Theodoreti haec ipsa sunt verba: Non est credendum, Cherubim dicere virtutes quasdam...
Theodoret, in the Questions on Genesis, question 40, thinks that the Cherubim placed for the guard of Paradise were not incorporeal and invisible virtues of Angels, as most think, but certain powerful and terrible visions, and horrific figures of animals, which by terrifying might keep Adam off from the entrance of Paradise. But whenever Scripture calls [something] 'Cherubim,' it signifies not either animals or any invisible natures, but everything which is strong with great force and power — as David said, 'You who sit upon the Cherubim,' that is, 'You who reign powerfully'; and elsewhere, 'He ascended upon the Cherubim, and he flew, flying upon the wings of the winds.' This is, 'he came with great power and virtue.' These are the very words of Theodoret: 'It is not to be believed that Cherubim means certain virtues...'
2'...certain invisible [virtues], as some think, since an invisible nature would have contributed nothing there — whereas it ought to have been a sensible vision, by which it might terrify Adam himself. Therefore that flaming sword was not naturally fiery, but such in appearance; nor were the Cherubim animals, but seemed such. Since Ezekiel too saw Cherubim having four faces — although an invisible nature does not have a fourfold face; but he calls "Cherubim" everything which is endowed with power. So he says, He who sits upon the Cherubim, that is, who reigns powerfully; and He ascended upon the Cherubim, that is, he came with much power. That, therefore, And he set Cherubim, he said, that you might understand a certain powerful and terrible vision and form, just as if he had placed certain animals at the entrance of Paradise, by which Adam might thence be kept off.' Thus Theodoret.3
quasdam invisibiles, ut quidam existimant, quoniam invisibilis natura nihil illic contulisset: cum visio sensibilis esse deberet, qua ipsum Adam exterreret. Non igitur gladius ille flammeus naturaliter igneus erat, sed visu talis: neque Cherubim erant animalia, sed talia videbantur. Siquidem & Ezechiel Cherubim vidit habentes quatuor facies: cum tamen invisibilis natura quadruplicem faciem non habeat: sed Cherubim vocat illud omne, quod potentia praeditum est. Sic dicit, Qui sedet super Cherubim, hoc est, qui potenter regnat: & Ascendit super Cherubim, hoc est, advenit cum multa virtute. Illud igitur, Et statuit Cherubim, dixit, ut indices potentem quandam, & terribilem visionem, & formam, perinde ac si quaedam animalia in ingressu Paradisi collocasset, quibus inde Adam arceretur. Sic Theodoretus.
Eadem fuit opinio Theodori Heracleae Episcopi, & Procopii Gazaei hunc Mosis locum in Comment. suis, quos scripserunt in Genesim, explanantium. Ergo isti arbitrantur, Cherubim qui ante Paradisum erant, non fuisse aliud, quam spectra quaedam, & simulachra terribili forma ad incutiendum horrorem, metumque primis hominibus in vestibulo paradisi collocata, more agricolarum, qui in hortis & satis ligneos defigunt palos laceris humanarum vestium pannis obvolutos, ut eo terriculamenti genere aves a seminum & frugum pastu deterritas arceant. Verum, si negare isti volunt nomen Cherubim significare aliquando in sacris litteris ordinem quendam coelestium spirituum, nequaquam sunt audiendi, id quippe adversatur probatissimae Theologorum doctrinae a B. Dionysio in coelesti illo de coelesti hierarchia libello traditae, ideoque videre licet apud Athanasium in sermone super illis verbis, Omnia mihi tradita sunt a Patre meo, Chrysostomum sermone 3. de incomprehensibili Dei natura, & in Liturgia: quinetiam apud ipsummet Theodoretum in libro divinorum decretorum, cap. 7. Hebraei tradunt, vocabulum hoc Cherubim proprie picturam seu figuram significare, semper fere hominum, praeterquam apud Ezech. cap. 9. & 10. ubi significat figuras animalium. B. Dionysius & Hieronymus vocem Cherubim interpretantur multitudinem seu plenitudinem scientiae.
The same was the opinion of Theodore, Bishop of Heraclea, and of Procopius of Gaza, explaining this passage of Moses in their Commentaries which they wrote on Genesis. Therefore these think that the Cherubim which were before Paradise were nothing else than certain specters, and images of terrible form, placed to strike horror and fear into the first men in the vestibule of paradise — after the manner of farmers, who in gardens and sown fields fix wooden stakes wrapped in torn rags of human garments, that by that kind of scarecrow they may keep off the birds, frightened from feeding on the seeds and crops. But if these wish to deny that the name Cherubim sometimes signifies in the sacred writings a certain order of celestial spirits, they are by no means to be heard, for that is contrary to the most approved doctrine of the Theologians, handed down by blessed Dionysius in that little book on the Celestial Hierarchy; and therefore one may see it in Athanasius, in the sermon upon those words, 'All things are delivered to me by my Father'; in Chrysostom, sermon 3 on the incomprehensible nature of God, and in the Liturgy; nay, in Theodoret himself, in the book of the Divine Decrees, chapter 7. The Hebrews hand down that this word Cherubim properly signifies a picture or figure, almost always of men, except in Ezekiel chapters 9 and 10, where it signifies figures of animals. Blessed Dionysius and Jerome interpret the word Cherubim as a multitude or fullness of knowledge.
4Translator’s notes
- Heading of Question V of the disputation. ↩
- Question V: Theodoret's view (Quaestiones in Genesim 40) — the Cherubim guarding Paradise were not incorporeal invisible Angelic virtues but powerful, terrible visions and horrific animal-figures to frighten Adam off; 'Cherubim' signifies whatever has great power (Ps 79/80:2 'Qui sedes super Cherubim' = 'who reign powerfully'; Ps 17/18:11 'Ascendit super Cherubim... super pennas ventorum'). Pererius then begins to quote Theodoret's own words. Marginal glosses: 'Psalm 79.'; 'Psalm. 17.' Catchword: 'quasdam' (continues on the next page). ↩
- The quoted words of Theodoret: the Cherubim were not invisible virtues (which would not have frightened Adam), but a sensible terrifying vision; the flaming sword only appeared fiery, and the Cherubim only seemed to be animals (as Ezekiel's four-faced Cherubim); 'Cherubim' names whatever is endowed with power ('Qui sedet super Cherubim' = reigns powerfully). 'And he set Cherubim' = a powerful and terrible apparition, as if animals were placed to keep Adam off. Marginal gloss: 'Ezechiel. 1.' Running head '709'; true printed page 719. ↩
- The same view held by Theodore of Heraclea and Procopius of Gaza (the Cherubim = specters/scarecrow-like images to frighten the first men). But Pererius: if they deny that 'Cherubim' ever signifies an order of celestial spirits, they are not to be heard — contrary to Dionysius (De Coelesti Hierarchia), Athanasius, Chrysostom, and Theodoret himself (De divinis decretis 7). The Hebrews take 'Cherubim' as a picture/figure (usually of men, except the animal-figures of Ezek 9-10); Dionysius and Jerome as 'fullness of knowledge.' Marginal glosses: 'Cherubim unus est coelestium spirituum ordo'; 'Cherubim quid proprie significet.' ↩