Psalms 17:11
And he ascended upon the cherubim, and he flew; he flew upon the wings of the winds.
Open Psalms 17:11 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Et ascendit super cherubim, et volavit ; volavit super pennas ventorum.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἐπέβη ἐπὶ χερουβεὶν καὶ ἐπετάσθη, ἐπετάσθη ἐπὶ πτερύγων ἀνέμων.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 18:11
- וַיִּרְכַּ֣ב עַל כְּ֭רוּב וַיָּעֹ֑ף וַ֝יֵּ֗דֶא עַל כַּנְפֵי רֽוּחַ
Haydock's commentary
Winds. God mounts his chariot, as it were, (Ezechiel i. 4., &c.) to come speedily to David's assistance. Æschylus, and other pagan authors, seem to have imitated this description. (Eusebius, præp. evan. xiii. 13.)
The Fathers explain the former verse of Christ's incarnation, or of his second coming; and this of his ascension. (St. Athanasius, &c.)
They may also (Haydock) intimate that God is ready to pardon as well as to punish. (Worthington)
Plato (Phædro) represents the Deity on "a winged chariot, directing and taking care of all things." (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm VII
7. It can be taken also in this sense: “Arise, O Lord, in Thine anger, and be exalted in the borders of mine enemies:” that is, arise in Thine anger, and let not mine enemies understand Thee; so that to “be exalted,” should be this, become high, that Thou mayest not be understood; which has reference to the silence spoken of above. For it is of this exaltation thus said in another Psalm, “And He ascended upon Cherubim, and flew:” and, “He made darkness His secret place.” In which exaltation, or concealment, when for their sins’ desert they shall not understand Thee, who shall crucify Thee, “the congregation” of believers “shall surround Thee.” For in His very humiliation He was exalted, that is, was not understood. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XVIII
11. “And He mounted above the cherubim, and did fly” ( ver. 10 ). And He was exalted above the fulness of knowledge, that no man should come to Him but by love: for “love is the fulfilling of the law.” And full soon He showed to His lovers that He is incomprehensible, lest they should suppose that He is comprehended by corporeal imaginations. “He flew above the wings of the winds.” But that swiftness, whereby He showed Himself to be incomprehensible, is above the powers of souls, whereon as upon wings they raise themselves from earthly fears into the air of liberty.
Rufinus A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed, Section 31. He Ascended into Heaven, and Sitteth on the Right Hand of the Father: from Thence He Shall Come to Judge the Quick and the Dead
31. He Ascended into Heaven, and Sitteth on the Right Hand of the Father: from Thence He Shall Come to Judge the Quick and the Dead . These clauses follow with suitable brevity at the end of this part of the Creed which treats of the Son. What is said is plain, but the question is how and in what sense it is to be understood. For to “ascend,” and to “sit,” and to “come,” unless you understand the words in accordance with the dignity of the divine nature, appear to point to something of human weakness. …