Genesis 3:23-24 - Exposition

Therefore (literally, and) the Lord God sent (or cast , shalach in the Piel conveying the ideas of force and displeasure; cf. Deuteronomy 21:14 ; 1 Kings 9:7 ) him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground ( i.e. the soil outside of paradise, which had been cursed for his sake) whence he was taken . Vide Genesis 3:19 . So (and) he drove out the man (along with his guilty partner); and he placed (literally, caused to dwell) at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim.

1. Griffins , like those of Persian and Egyptian mythology, which protected gold-producing countries like Eden; from carav , to tear in pieces; Sanscrit, grivh ; Persian, giriften ; Greek, γρυπ , γρυφ ; German, grip , krip , greif (Eichhorn, Fib.st).

2. Divine steeds ; by metathesis for rechubim , from rachab , to ride ( Psalms 18:11 ; Gesenius, Lange).

3. "Beings who approach to God and minister to him," taking cerub—karov , to come near, to serve (Hyde).

4. The engravings or carved figures; from carav (Syriac), to engrave (Taylor Lewis); from an Egyptian root (Cook, vide Speaker's Commentary). Biblical notices describe them as living creatures ( Ezekiel 1:5 ; Revelation 4:6 ) in the form of a man ( Ezekiel 1:5 ), with four ( Ezekiel 1:8 ; Ezekiel 2:1-10 :23; Ezekiel 10:7 , Ezekiel 10:8-21 ) or with six wings ( Revelation 4:8 ), and full of eyes ( Ezekiel 1:18 ; Ezekiel 10:12 ; Revelation 4:8 ); having each four faces, viz; of a man, of a lion, of an ox, of an eagle ( Ezekiel 1:10 ; Ezekiel 10:16 ); or with one face each—of a man, of a lion, of a calf, and of an eagle respectively trey. Genesis 4:7 ). Representations of these chayath— LXX ; ζωα ì — were by Divine directions placed upon the Capporeth ( Exodus 25:17 ) and curtains of the tabernacle ( Exodus 26:1 , Exodus 26:31 ; Exodus 36:8 , Exodus 36:35 ), and afterwards engraved upon the walls and doors of the temple ( 1 Kings 6:29 , 1 Kings 6:32 , 1 Kings 6:35 ). In the Apocalypse they are depicted as standing in the immediate neighborhood of the throne trey. Genesis 4:6 ; Genesis 5:6 ; Genesis 7:11 ), and as taking part in the acts of adoration and praise m which the heavenly hosts engage ( 1 Kings 5:11 ), and that on the express ground of their redemption ( 1 Kings 5:8 , 1 Kings 5:9 ). Whence the opinion that most exactly answers all the facts of the case is, that these mysterious creatures were symbolic not of the fullness of the Deity (Bahr), nor of the sum of earthly life (Hengstenberg), nor of the angelic nature (Calvin), nor of the Divine manhood of Jesus Christ (Wordsworth), but of redeemed and glorified humanity (Jamieson, Fairbairn, Macdonald, Candlish). Combining with the intelligence of human nature the highest qualities of the animal world, as exhibited in the lion, the ox, and the eagle, they were emblematic of creature life in its most absolutely perfect form. As such they were caused to dwell at the gate of Eden to intimate that only when perfected and purified could fallen human nature return to paradise. Meantime man was utterly unfit to dwell within its fair abode. And a flaming sword, which turned every way . Literally, the flame of a sword turning itself ; not brandished by the cherubim, but existing separately, and flashing out from among them (cf. Ezekiel 1:4 ). An emblem of the Divine glory in its attitude towards sin (Macdonald). To keep (to watch over or guard; cf. Genesis 2:15 ) the way of the tree of life . " To keep the tree of life might imply that all access to it was to be precluded; but to keep the way signifies to keep the way open as well as to keep it shut " (Macdonald).