Commentaria in Exodum
I say secondly: These two Cherubim were not fastened to the propitiatory, but were produced out of the propitiatory itself by hammering; for this is what “of beaten work” signifies, and the Hebrew says more clearly, of the propitiatory thou shalt make them. Whence it follows that the Cherubim were made of solid gold: for of such gold the propitiatory was made.
But it is doubtful whether these Cherubim were hanging in the air, or standing on the border of the ark; whether above the propitiatory, or on the ground standing on their feet?
First, those who think that the propitiatory was raised high above the ark, and held in place by very long hinges attached to it, judge that the Cherubim, proceeding out of the propitiatory, hung in the air, in the manner of persons kneeling and adoring God sitting in the propitiatory. The reason is that this position befits angels in respect of God; and that, if with the propitiatory raised so high the Cherubim had stood on the ground, they would have been too long and tall: for they would have raised themselves from the ground above the propitiatory, and so would not have had due proportion with it and with the ark, which were small: add that it would have been hard to produce such huge figures by hammering out of the propitiatory.
This opinion, granting the foundation that the propitiatory was raised so high above the ark, is probable enough: but others reject this foundation, as I said above.
Secondly, others judge that the Cherubim stood with one or both feet on the border of the ark, and so, with the body somewhat bent, raised themselves a little and with their hands or wings alone, without hinges, held up the propitiatory. But this is little probable: first, because Scripture expressly says that the Cherubim came forth not from the ark but from the propitiatory; secondly, that bent posture of the Cherubim would have been unseemly, troublesome and inconvenient; thirdly, the small hands of Cherubim so bent would not have sufficed to hold up, without hinges or other props, so great a weight of the propitiatory (which was of solid gold, and was two cubits and a half in length and a cubit and a half in breadth). Thirdly, St. Thomas, 1–2, Quest. 102, art. 4, ad 6, Cajetan, Ribera and others think that the Cherubim stood on the pavement of the Holy of Holies: for thence they raised themselves up, so as to support the propitiatory with their wings. It is proved, because other positions would have been unseemly or inconvenient, as I have said; secondly, because so the Cherubim that were in the temple of Solomon stood on the pavement; thirdly, because the Cherubim of Ezechiel were standing, nay walking. Hence Villalpando in his plans of the temple depicts the Cherubim standing, both of the tabernacle and of the temple. It seems truer, therefore, that the Cherubim stood on the ground, and thence, raising themselves, held up the propitiatory, namely by holding it with their hands and veiling it with their wings. That these Cherubim had hands besides wings is plain from the fact that they had the appearance of a man, and that Ezechiel, chap. 10, verse 7, expressly ascribes hands to them. Where note that these Cherubim had the appearance not only of standing but of flying persons: for they had wings spread out, because by these they signified angels, who fly most swiftly, of whom the Psalmist and St. Paul say: “Who makest thy angels spirits, and thy ministers a burning fire.” Hence also God is said to fly upon the Cherubim, Psalm 17:11. Again, though these Cherubim were turned with faces toward each other, yet they lowered their faces out of reverence, not daring to look on the propitiatory, nor on God sitting in it; but with their wings as it were veiled Him. These Cherubim, then, were with their lower part, namely from the breast downward, under the propitiatory; but with head, shoulders and wings they were above the propitiatory, as Scripture says here, especially in the Hebrew, because with these they had, as I said, to veil God as it were. But in this opinion it is hard to explain how the ark, being immediately beneath the propitiatory and the Cherubim, could be the footstool of God sitting on them. Again, how God could sit in the propitiatory, supported by the lifted wings of the Cherubim; for these wings were higher than the propitiatory (for they veiled it), and therefore it was on these wings, not on the propitiatory, that God sat. Fourthly, I say then: It seems truer that the Cherubim neither stood on the ground nor held up the propitiatory, but stood upon it with their feet, so that with their wings spread out they partly covered the propitiatory, like a roof or shade, whence they are called by the Apostle “overshadowing the propitiatory,” Hebr. 9:5; partly that with the same wings they might furnish a seat for God, who is thence said to sit upon the Cherubim: so that the ark with its cover, namely the propitiatory, was the footstool of God’s feet.
That this is so is proved first from Josephus, who, being a Hebrew and a most learned priest, was most skilled in Hebrew matters: for he expressly asserts it, book 3 Antiq. chap. 6: “There were,” he says, “placed upon the cover (of the ark, that is, the propitiatory) two images, which the Hebrews call Cherubs;” secondly, from the fact that in Psalm 79:2, Daniel 3:55, and elsewhere, God is said to sit, not in the propitiatory, but upon the Cherubim; again, that the Cherubim covered and veiled the ark from above with their wings, and consequently the propitiatory itself, which was the cover of the ark. For this reason, verse 22 and elsewhere, the Cherubim are said to have been over the ark, and in turn the ark is said to have been beneath the wings of the Cherubim, 2 Paral. 5:7 and 8; for although the discourse there is of the Cherubim which Solomon made, not Moses, yet this very thing confirms the matter: for Solomon made his Cherubim after the pattern of the Mosaic ones; thirdly, from the fact that in Psalm 98:5 the ark is said to have been the footstool of the feet of God: so the ark, then, and the propitiatory (as the cover of the ark) was the footstool of God’s feet; fourthly, because this position seems most fitting, both because in this way the ark was like a covered chariot, and like a house having as it were its roof, namely the wings of the Cherubim; and because, as the propitiatory and the ark signified Christ as man, and His Saints: so the Cherubim signified the angels, on whom God sits and presides. As, then, the angelic nature, like the divine, is pre-eminent over the human nature of Christ and of the Saints: so the Cherubim with their wings stood eminent, standing upon the ark and the propitiatory, placed at its summit, as is said chap. 37, verse 8.
Thou wilt say: The propitiatory is called the oracle, Exod. 25:18 and chap. 37:6; therefore it was as the throne of God speaking, and giving oracles.
I answer: The propitiatory was the oracle, not by itself alone, precisely, but as it embraced the Cherubim with their wings. For these were wholly of gold, equally with the propitiatory, and were produced from it by hammering: whence with it they seemed one thing in the order of art, namely one throne of God. For the whole throne of God, perfect on every side, both beneath and above, was the Cherubim with the propitiatory. For the wings of the Cherubim standing upon the propitiatory were as the seat of God, but the propitiatory was as His footstool. Hence God is properly and precisely said to sit upon the Cherubim, as upon His throne, and thence to speak and give oracles. For this is what is said in verse 22: “Thence will I give orders, and will speak to thee over the propitiatory, and from the midst of the two cherubims, which shall be upon the ark.” And Num. 7, last verse: “He (Moses) heard the voice of one speaking to him from the propitiatory, that was over the ark between the two cherubims, whence also he spoke to him.” God spoke, therefore, properly from the wings of the Cherubim on which He sat, and consequently was said to speak from the propitiatory, as from the oracle, because this was the base and support of the Cherubim, and consequently of the throne of God, and was the footstool of God’s feet. So Abulensis, Alcazar and others.
It is asked thirdly, to what end were the Cherubim placed with the ark and the propitiatory, and what did they signify?
I answer, all these things were placed to this end, that they might be the chariot of glory, that is, of war, of victor and of triumph, which God celebrated over Amalec and other enemies, and most of all over Pharao and the Egyptians. For in this His divine and angelic chariot God went forth as it were to battle against Pharao, Habacuc 3:8; and Psalm 67:18: “The chariot of God is attended by ten thousands; thousands of them that rejoice,” and in it He overthrew the chariots of Pharao in the Red Sea, Exodus 14:25. Hence after this victory over Pharao, God soon showed Moses this chariot of Cherubim on Sinai, and commanded it to be made, and to be set in the tabernacle as a trophy, that it might be an eternal memorial both of the victory and the liberation of the Hebrews from Egypt, and through it of the kingdom and people thus won, that is, of the old Church established, since God on Sinai had adopted the Hebrews, redeemed by Himself from Egypt, as His people, Church and kingdom; whence consequently this chariot signified the Synagogue itself, or the Hebrews, who were this kingdom. The ark, then, was as a chariot, for it had four globes or little balls, like four wheels, as I said on verse 12. The propitiatory was as the throne, or rather the footstool, of God triumphing. The Angels, namely the Cherubim, attend Him and bear the emblems of the victory of God; first, the appearance of a calf: for the calf represents symbolically the sacrifice of the lamb, by whose immolation the Hebrews were delivered from Egypt, Exodus 12; secondly, the appearance of a man in the Cherubim signifies the Hebrews themselves immolating the lamb; thirdly, the appearance of an eagle is the symbol of agility, of eternity (for the eagle lives very long) and of lofty spirit, namely of the angel smiting Egypt; fourthly, the appearance of a lion signifies God as King, raging by His strength against the Egyptians: for the lion is king of beasts, and prince of all animals.