Psalms 18:10
He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Psalms 18:10
He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse isn't just about God's mighty power; it's a poetic picture of His incredible swiftness in coming to rescue. The image of riding on a "cherub" and flying on "wings of the wind" highlights how God uses even the grandest, most powerful elements of creation – angelic beings and the forces of nature – to race to His people's aid with unimaginable speed.
David is describing a powerful theophany – a manifestation of God’s presence – that brought him deliverance. This dramatic imagery follows his description of earth-shattering tremors and fiery divine judgment, setting the stage for God's swift and awe-inspiring arrival to rescue him.
When David describes God descending in power, he doesn't just mention clouds and wind. He speaks of a 'cherub.' What is this, and why is it linked to God's arrival?
The imagery of God 'riding upon a cherub' is incredibly powerful.
Divine Majesty and Presence
The cherubim were not just decorative figures. In ancient Israelite thought, they were understood as the living throne or chariot upon which God's majestic presence (the Shekinah glory) would manifest. Think of the Ark of the Covenant, where two cherubim figures faced each other over the mercy seat. This was where God's presence was understood to dwell among His people.
Messengers of Power
So, when David says God 'rode upon a cherub,' he's picturing God arriving in supreme power and glory, using the cherub as the symbolic vehicle of His presence. It's like a king arriving in a magnificent royal chariot, but on a cosmic scale. This imagery also connects to the idea of angels as God's swift messengers, capable of moving with incredible speed, as suggested by the second part of the verse.
This isn't about God being physically carried, but about expressing His awesome power and authority as He intervenes in the world.
The verse doesn't just say God came; it says He 'flew swiftly on the wings of the wind.' What does this vivid language tell us about the way God acts?
The phrase 'wings of the wind' is a poetic way to describe God's incredible speed and power.
Undeniable Urgency
When God intervenes, it's not a slow, hesitant process. He comes with the suddenness and force of a gale. This imagery emphasizes that God is not distant or unconcerned when His people are in distress. He acts with decisive speed.
Natural Forces as Servants
This verse highlights that even the most powerful forces of nature, like the wind, are under God's command. He doesn't just ride the wind; He rides of the wind, implying He directs and uses its immense power for His purposes. It's a picture of ultimate control over the created order.
Understand the original words
kerub · Hebrew Noun
An angelic being associated with the throne and presence of God; they serve as a vehicle or guard for the manifestation of His divine glory and movement.
This passage describes the cherubim placed on the Ark of the Covenant, which symbolized God's presence, directly linking the imagery of God riding on a cherub to His dwelling place among His people.
Psalm 104:3This verse uses similar imagery, stating God makes 'the clouds his chariot' and 'walks on the wings of the wind,' reinforcing the idea of God's majestic and swift movement through the elements.
Isaiah 19:1This prophecy speaks of the Lord 'riding on a swift cloud' to Egypt, echoing the theme of God's rapid, powerful intervention in judgment and deliverance, much like the storm imagery in Psalm 18.
Ezekiel 1:4-28The vision of the living creatures in Ezekiel provides a detailed, albeit different, depiction of divine beings with wings that move with great speed and power, connected to God's throne and movement.
2 Samuel 22:11This is the parallel account of the same event in Samuel's history, offering a slight variation ('He was seen on the wings of the wind') that sheds light on the figurative language used to describe God's powerful appearance.
ellicottPsalms 18:10: "And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind."
(10) Cherub. —See Exodus 25:19 . This passage alone would show how naturally the idea of winged attendants on the Divine Being grew out of the phenomena of cloud and storm. No doubt many features of the developed conception were derived from contact with Assyrian art, but for the poetry of this passage we have only to think of those giant pinions into which cloud so often shapes itself, this clau…
clarkePsalms 18:10: "And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind."
He rode upon a cherub, and did fly - That is, as it is immediately explained, Yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. God was in the storm, and by the ministry of angels guided the course of it, and drove it on with such an impetuous force as nothing could withstand. He 'rides in the whirlwind and directs the storm.' Angels are in a peculiar sense the attendants and messengers of the Almighty…
This verse isn't just about God's mighty power; it's a poetic picture of His incredible swiftness in coming to rescue. The image of riding on a "cherub" and flying on "wings of the wind" highlights how God uses even the grandest, most powerful elements of creation – angelic beings and the forces of nature – to race to His people's aid with unimaginable speed.
David is describing a powerful theophany – a manifestation of God’s presence – that brought him deliverance. This dramatic imagery follows his description of earth-shattering tremors and fiery divine judgment, setting the stage for God's swift and awe-inspiring arrival to rescue him.
David is describing a powerful theophany – a manifestation of God’s presence – that brought him deliverance. This dramatic imagery follows his description of earth-shattering tremors and fiery divine judgment, setting the stage for God's swift and awe-inspiring arrival to rescue him.
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This is God demonstrating His sovereign power, making a dramatic entrance on the scene to bring deliverance.
"He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind." — This verse isn't just about God's mighty power; it's a poetic picture of His incredible swiftness in coming to rescue. The image of riding on a "cherub" and flying on "wings of the wind" highlights h…