Teks -- Psalms 18:10 (NET)

18:10 He mounted a winged angel and flew; he glided on the wings of the wind.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Wesley: Psa 18:10 - Cherub

Or, upon the cherubim, upon the angels, who are also called God's chariots, Psa 68:17, upon which he is said to sit and ride. All which is not to be understood grossly, but only to denote God's using the ministry of angels, in raising such storms and tempests.

Wesley: Psa 18:10 - Fly

As swiftly as the wind.

JFB: Psa 18:10 - cherub

Angelic agents (compare Gen 3:24), the figures of which were placed over the ark (1Sa 4:4), representing God's dwelling; used here to enhance the majesty of the divine advent. Angels and winds may represent all rational and irrational agencies of God's providence (compare Psa 104:3-4).

JFB: Psa 18:10 - did fly

Rapidity of motion adds to the grandeur of the scene.

Clarke: Psa 18:10 - He rode upon a cherub, and did fly

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, whom he employs as his ministers in effecting many of those great events which take place in the administration of his providence; and particularly such as manifest his immediate interposition in the extraordinary judgments which he inflicts for the punishment of sinful nations. See Psa 103:20; Psa 104:4. The cherub is particularly mentioned as an emblem of the Divine presence, and especially as employed in supporting and conveying the chariot of the Almighty, when he is represented as riding in his majesty through the firmament of heaven: -

- Forth rush’ d with whirlwind soun

The chariot of paternal Deity

Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel undrawn

Itself instinct with spirit, but convey’

By four cherubic shapes

Par. Lost, lib. vi

This seems to be the image intended to be conveyed in the place before us. "He rode upon a cherub, and did fly; he flew on the wings of the wind,"i.e., the cherub supported and led on the tempest, in which the Almighty rode as in his chariot. This is agreeable to the office elsewhere ascribed to the cherubim. Thus they supported the mercy-seat, which was peculiarly the throne of God under the Jewish economy. God is expressly said to "make the clouds his chariot,"Psa 104:3; and to "ride upon a swift cloud,"Isa 19:1 : so that "riding upon a cherub,"and "riding upon a swift cloud,"is riding in the cloud as his chariot, supported and guided by the ministry of the cherubim. The next clause in the parallel place of Samuel is, "He was seen on the wings of the wind;" ירא yera , he was seen, being used for ידא yede , he flew, ד daleth being changed into ר resh . Either of them may be the true reading, for the MSS. are greatly divided on these places; but on the whole וירא vaiyera appears to be the better reading: "And he was seen on the wings of the wind.

As the original has been supposed by adequate judges to exhibit a fine specimen of that poetry which, in the choice of its terms, conveys both sense and sound, I will again lay it before the reader, as I have done in the parallel place, 2Sa 22:2. The words in italic to be read from right to left

ויעף	כרוב	על	וירכב
vaiyaoph	kerub	al	vayirkab
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly!
רוח	כנפי	על	וידא
ruach	canphey	al	waiyede
Yea, he flew on the wings of the wind!

The word רוח ruach , in the last line, should be pronounced, not ruak, which is no Hebrew word: but as a Scottish man would pronounce it, were it written ruagh. With this observation, how astonishingly is the rushing of the wind heard in the last word of each hemistich! Sternhold and Hopkins have succeeded in their version of this place, not only beyond all they ever did, but beyond every ancient and modern poet on a similar subject: -

"On cherub and on cherubin
Full royally he rode

And on the wings of mighty winds
Came flying all abroad.

Even the old Anglo-Scottish Psalter has not done amiss: -

And he steygh aboven cherubyn and he flow

He flow aboven the fethers of wyndes.

Calvin: Psa 18:10 - He rode also upon a cherub

10.He rode also upon a cherub The Psalmist having exhibited to us a sign of the wrath of God in the clouds, and in the darkening of the air, representing him as if he breathed out smoke, ⁴⁰¹ from his nostrils, and descended with a threatening countenance, to afflict men by the dreadful weight of his power; and having also represented lightnings and thunderbolts as flaming fire proceeding from his mouths — he now introduces him as riding upon the winds and tempests, to take a survey of the whole world with rapid speed, or rather with the swiftness of flying. We meet with a similar description in Psa 104:3, where God is said to “walk upon the wings of the winds,” and to send them forth in every direction as his swift messengers. David does not, however, simply represent God as the governor of the winds, who drives them by his power whithersoever he pleases; he at the same time tells us that he rides upon a cherub, to teach us that the very violence of the winds is governed by angels as God has ordained. We know that the angels were represented under the figure of the cherubim. David, therefore, I have no doubt, here intended to make an allusion to the ark of the covenant. In proposing for our consideration the power of God as manifested in the wonders of nature, he does it in such a manner as all the time to have an eye to the temple, where he knew God had made himself known in a peculiar manner to the children of Abraham. He therefore celebrates God not only as creator of the world, but as He who entered into covenant with Israel, and chose for himself a holy dwelling-place in the midst of that people. David might have called the angels by their common name, but he has expressly made use of a term which has a reference to the visible symbol of the ark, that true believers, in singing this psalm, might always have their minds directed to the service of God which was performed in the temple. What follows with respect, to God’s dark pavilion or tent, is a repetition of the preceding sentence in different words, namely, that when God covers the air with dark clouds, it is as if he spread a thick veil between him and men, to deprive them of the sight of his countenance, ⁴⁰² just as if a king, incensed against his subjects, should retire into his secret chamber and hide himself from them. Those take a mistaken view of this verse who bring it forward to prove, in general, the hidden and mysterious character of the glory of God, as if David, with the view of restraining the presumption of human curiosity, had said that God is hidden in darkness in regard to men. God, it is true, is said to dwell in the light which no man can approach unto” (1Ti 6:16;) but the form of expression which David here employs, I have no doubt, ought to be restricted, according to the scope of the passage, to the sense which I have given.

TSK: Psa 18:10 - rode // he did fly

rode : Psa 99:1; 2Sa 22:11, 2Sa 22:12; Eze 1:5-14, Eze 10:20-22

he did fly : Psa 104:3

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Psa 18:10 - Upon a cherub // Upon the wings of the wind

Upon a cherub or, upon the cherubims , by an enallage of number; that is, upon the angels, who are so called, Gen 3:24 Heb 9:5 , who are also called God’ s chariots , Psa 68:17 , upon which he is said to sit and ride; all which is not to be understood grossly, but only to note God’ s using of the ministry of angels in raising such storms and tempests as are here described.

Upon the wings of the wind as swiftly as the wind. He came to my rescue with all speed.

Haydock: Psa 18:10 - Fear // Themselves

Fear; or "the law accompanied with fear;" of which he is speaking. This fear is filial and pure, such as a child must have of displeasing his father. (Berthier) ---

Yet even servile fear, which restrains us from committing sin, lest we incur punishment, is a gift of God, and prepares the way for charity. (Council of Trent, Session xiv. 4.) But we must not stop here, like Achab and Antiochus. If we understand by fear, the moral law, it will subsist as long as there shall be men. ---

Themselves. Septuagint, Greek: epi to oto, "by that very thing," that they are the judgments of the Lord, (Haydock) who cannot do wrong, Daniel ii. 27. (Calmet) ---

Hebrew, "truth itself, is justified altogether." (Haydock) ---

Infidels acknowledge that the morality of the Gospel is excellent, but they reject the dogmatical part. Would He, who has prescribed such noble rules of conduct, lead our understanding astray, by requiring us to believe what is false? (Berthier)

Gill: Psa 18:10 - And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly // yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind

And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly,.... The Targum renders it in the plural number, "cherubim"; and so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions; and by whom may be meant, either the angels, who are as horses and chariots, on whom Jehovah rides, and who art he makes use of as executioners of his wrath and vengeance, Zec 6:5; and to whom wings are assigned as a token of swiftness, Isa 6:2; or rather the ministers of the Gospel, who are the living creatures in Rev 4:7; and answer to the "cherubim" in Ezekiel's visions; and whom God made use of, especially after the death of Christ, and when the Gospel was rejected by the Jews, to carry it into the Gentile world, which was done by them with great speed and swiftness; and Maimonides ^u gives a caution, not to understand the phrase, "he did fly", as of God, but of the cherub;

yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind; which may design the speedy help and assistance God gave to his Son, and gives to his people; and the swift destruction of their enemies; see Psa 104:3; the words in 2Sa 22:11, with only the variation of a letter in one word, are, "and he was seen upon the wings of the wind"; which were both true; nor need a various reading be supposed, the psalmist using both words at different times, suitable to his purpose, and which both express his sense. Wings are ascribed to the winds by the Heathen poets, and they are represented as winged on ancient monuments ^w.