If you delve into early versions of the Bible, you’ll find that the term cherub was often written as cherubin, with the plural forms being cherubim or cherubin; it wasn’t until the early seventeenth century that it was Anglicized to cherub and cherubs. The original forms were rooted in Hebrew grammar rules, which were maintained until that time. Through Latin cherubin and Ancient Greek kheroubin, the word is derived from the Hebrew noun k’ruvim, which referred to celestial beings with a combination of human and animal attributes who served as the throne bearers of God (believed to have originated from Akkadian karabu, meaning “to bless”). These beings did not possess the cherubic features we commonly associate with them today; rather, the misconception arose from confusion with the unrelated Aramaic term ke-rabya, which means “like a child”.
