Exodus 40:20

20 And he took the testimonies, and put them into the ark; and he put the staves by the sides of 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 And Moses set up the tabernacle, and put on the chapiters, and put the bars into their places, and set up the posts.

19 And he stretched out the curtains over the tabernacle, and put the veil of the tabernacle on it above as the Lord commanded Moses.

20 And he took the testimonies, and put them into the ark; and he put the staves by the sides of the ark.

21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and put on the covering of the veil, and covered the ark of the testimony, as the Lord commanded Moses.

22 And he put the table in the tabernacle of witness, on the north side without the veil of the tabernacle.

Footnotes

• [a]. under.
• [b]. harnessed again.
• [c]. preparations etc.