Exodus 25 Footnotes

25:15 Though God here instructs the Israelites not to remove the poles from the ark of the covenant, many English translations of Nm 4:6 suggest that they had been removed and had to be reinserted in the rings with no indication that their removal had been an act of disobedience. But the Hebrew text of the relevant portion of Nm 4:6 simply states, “and they [the high priest Aaron and his sons] set its poles.” For centuries, many interpreters have suggested that this phrase means “and they adjusted its poles.” This translational tradition removes any conflict between the Exodus and Numbers passages.

25:18 If God prohibited the Israelites from making images of any earthly or heavenly beings, why did he command them to make the golden cherubim? In five separate passages within the Torah God commanded the Israelites not to make carved or molded images (20:4-6; Lv 26:1; Dt 4:15-19; 5:8; 27:15). The first three of these passages (20:4-6; Lv 26:1; Dt 4:15-19) add that these objects must not be worshiped; only the final two omit the additional statement, suggesting that these were just shortened forms of the fuller commands expressed earlier.

It seems clear that God never intended to prohibit people from making things of carved wood or molded metal. If so, how could people build houses or make tools? What was prohibited was the fashioning of items intended as objects of worship. The ornately decorated ark of the covenant was not an idol; it was a throne or footstool for the living God (Nm 7:89; 1Sm 4:4; Ps 80:1). Thus, it was permissible to adorn the ark with the golden cherubim. Similar figures were used in other ancient Near Eastern cultures to signify the presence and authority of a ruler.