Exodus 25:10-22

The Ark of the Covenant

10 ¹"They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits^[a] and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.

11 You shall overlay it with ²pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it.

12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its ³four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.

13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them.

15 The ⁴poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.

16 ⁵And you shall put into the ark the ⁶testimony that I shall give you.

17 ⁷"You shall make a mercy seat^[b] of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth.

18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of ⁸hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat.

19 Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. ⁹Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends.

20 ¹⁰The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.

21 And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you.

22 ¹¹There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from ¹²between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

Exodus 25:10-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 25

In this chapter an order is given for a freewill offering towards various things for the worship and service of God, and the materials to be offered, which would be useful and acceptable, are mentioned particularly, Ex 25:1-7, as also another order to build a sanctuary for God, after a model that he would give, Ex 25:8,9, and, an ark to put in the law on tables of stone, the fashion of which, and the various things belonging to it, are described, Ex 25:10-16, and a mercy seat with cherubim on it to be set over the ark, where the Lord promises to meet Moses and commune with him, Ex 25:17-22 and a table with various appurtenances to it to place the shewbread on, Ex 25:23-30 and a candlestick of gold, whose parts are described, and all the instruments relative to it, Ex 25:31-40.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 37:1-3; Deuteronomy 10:3; Hebrews 9:4
• 2. ver. 24, 25; Exodus 30:3, 4; Exodus 37:2
• 3. Exodus 37:3
• 4. 1 Kings 8:8
• 5. [Deuteronomy 31:26; 1 Kings 8:9]
• 6. See Exodus 16:34
• 7. Exodus 37:6; Hebrews 9:5
• 8. ver. 31; Exodus 37:7, 17, 22; Numbers 8:4; Numbers 10:2
• 9. Exodus 37:8
• 10. 1 Kings 8:7; 1 Chronicles 28:18; Hebrews 9:5
• 11. Exodus 29:42, 43; Exodus 30:6, 36; Leviticus 16:2; Numbers 17:4
• 12. Numbers 7:89

Footnotes

• [a]. A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
• [b]. Or cover