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Hebrew Bible · Genesis 3:24

Cherubim and a turning sword at the gate

EvidenceDocumentedThe text exists and is quoted from a published translation. What it describes is a separate question.What this means
ReferenceGenesis 3:24
Writtenc. 900–500 BCE
SetEden, the beginning
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Translation: KJV

Read it literally

An automated perimeter: guardians plus a weapon that rotates to cover every direction, protecting a restricted zone that holds the key to long life.

What scholars say

Cherubim are winged guardian figures like the Assyrian lamassu, human-headed bulls that guarded palace gates.

Looks like technology From the sky
People and places hereGarden of Eden

Quick answers about Genesis 3:24

Where is Genesis 3:24 found?

Genesis 3:24 (Hebrew Bible). Translation quoted: King James Version (1611; standard 1769 text), with Apocrypha.

When was Genesis 3:24 written?

c. 900–500 BCE.

What do scholars say about Genesis 3:24?

Cherubim are winged guardian figures like the Assyrian lamassu, human-headed bulls that guarded palace gates.

Rabbit holes in this passage

BeingCherubimForget the chubby babies. The first angelic beings in the Bible are armed security, posted at the gate of Eden with a flaming sword that turned every way, to guard the road to the tree of life. Later, God is said to ride one. What were the cherubim really supposed to be?

Sources

  1. King James Version (1611; standard 1769 text), with ApocryphaPrimary text
  2. Genesis 3:24; Exodus 25:18–22, King James VersionPrimary text

Scholarly dates are rounded. The wording follows the named public-domain translation.

Updated