Exodus 40:20

20 He took and put the testimony into the teivah, and set the poles on the ark, and put the mercy seat above on the ark.

Exodus 40:20 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 40:20

And he took and put the testimony into the ark
The ten commands, called the "testimony", because they testified and declared what was the will of God with respect to things to be done, or not done. The Targum of Jonathan says, he put the broken pieces of the tables into it; but what became of them, or were done with them, we nowhere read; and it does not appear that any other, but those that Moses hewed by the order of God, were put into the ark; see ( Deuteronomy 10:1-5 )

and set the staves on the ark;
that it might be ready to be carried whenever a remove was necessary:

and put the mercy seat above upon the ark;
together with the cherubim.

Exodus 40:20 In-Context

18 Moshe raised up the tent, and laid its sockets, and set up the boards of it, and put in the bars of it, and raised up its pillars.

19 He spread the covering over the tent, and put the roof of the tent above on it, as the LORD commanded Moshe.

20 He took and put the testimony into the teivah, and set the poles on the ark, and put the mercy seat above on the ark.

21 He brought the ark into the tent, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the LORD commanded Moshe.

22 He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the side of the tent northward, outside of the veil.