2 Chronicles 3:11
in 2 Chronicles 3The total wingspan of the cherubim was twenty cubits. One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long and touched the wall of the temple, and its other wing was five cubits long and touched the wing of the other cherub.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: the wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
KJV
And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 3
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
two cherubim of sculptured work
on 2 Chronicles 3:10-13
The Hebrew phrase behind “sculptured work” in verse 10 occurs nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible. Its sense is worked out from an Arabic cognate. These cherubim “stood on their feet, facing the main room,” where the cherubim of Exodus 37:9 faced each other over the mercy seat.
This site's exposition
total wingspan of the cherubim
Each cherub spread two wings of five cubits, so the pair together spanned twenty cubits. Verse 8 gives the room the same width. The outer wingtips touched both side walls of the Most Holy Place, and Barnes places the ark between the two figures.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
two cherubims--These figures in the tabernacle were of pure gold (Ex 25:1-40) and overshadowed the mercy seat. The two placed in the temple were made of olive wood, overlaid with gold.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The wings of the cherubims - Compare 1Ki 6:24-27.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And the wings of the cherubim - their length was twenty cubits How so?
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכַנְפֵי֙ | vekhanfei | and [the] wings of | H3671 → | 109 times |
| הַכְּרוּבִ֔ים | hakeruvim | the cherubim | H3742 → | 91 times |
| אָרְכָּ֖ם | ʾarekam | length their | H753 → | 95 times |
| אַמּ֣וֹת | ʾamot | [was] cubits | H520 → | 247 times |
| עֶשְׂרִ֑ים | ʾesrim | twenty | H6242 → | 315 times |
| כְּנַ֨ף | kenaf | [the] wing of | H3671 → | 109 times |
| הָאֶחָ֜ד | haechad | the one [cherub] | H259 → | 971 times |
| לְאַמּ֣וֹת | leamot | to cubits | H520 → | 247 times |
| חָמֵ֗שׁ | chamesh | five | H2568 → | 343 times |
| מַגַּ֙עַת֙ | magaat | [was] touching | H5060 → | 150 times |
| לְקִ֣יר | lekir | <to> [the] wall of | H7023 → | 75 times |
| הַבַּ֔יִת | habayit | the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וְהַכָּנָ֤ף | vehakanaf | and the wing | H3671 → | 109 times |
| הָאַחֶ֙רֶת֙ | haacheret | <the> other | H312 → | 166 times |
| אַמּ֣וֹת | ʾamot | cubits | H520 → | 247 times |
| חָמֵ֔שׁ | chamesh | five | H2568 → | 343 times |
| מַגִּ֕יעַ | magia' | [was] touching | H5060 → | 150 times |
| לִכְנַ֖ף | likhnaf | <to> [the] wing of | H3671 → | 109 times |
| הַכְּר֥וּב | hakeruv | the cherub | H3742 → | 91 times |
| הָאַחֵֽר׃ | haacher | <the> other | H312 → | 166 times |
וְכַנְפֵי֙and [the] wings of
vekhanfeiH3671 →109 times
הַכְּרוּבִ֔יםthe cherubim
hakeruvimH3742 →91 times
אָרְכָּ֖םlength their
ʾarekamH753 →95 times
אַמּ֣וֹת[was] cubits
ʾamotH520 →247 times
עֶשְׂרִ֑יםtwenty
ʾesrimH6242 →315 times
כְּנַ֨ף[the] wing of
kenafH3671 →109 times
הָאֶחָ֜דthe one [cherub]
haechadH259 →971 times
לְאַמּ֣וֹתto cubits
leamotH520 →247 times
חָמֵ֗שׁfive
chameshH2568 →343 times
מַגַּ֙עַת֙[was] touching
magaatH5060 →150 times
לְקִ֣יר<to> [the] wall of
lekirH7023 →75 times
הַבַּ֔יִתthe house
habayitH1004 →2046 times
וְהַכָּנָ֤ףand the wing
vehakanafH3671 →109 times
הָאַחֶ֙רֶת֙<the> other
haacheretH312 →166 times
אַמּ֣וֹתcubits
ʾamotH520 →247 times
חָמֵ֔שׁfive
chameshH2568 →343 times
מַגִּ֕יעַ[was] touching
magia'H5060 →150 times
לִכְנַ֖ף<to> [the] wing of
likhnafH3671 →109 times
הַכְּר֥וּבthe cherub
hakeruvH3742 →91 times
הָאַחֵֽר׃<the> other
haacherH312 →166 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies8
On this verse
On this chapter
About 2 Chronicles
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.