Esodo 25:20

20 E spandano i Cherubini l’ale in su, facendo con le loro ale una coverta al disopra del Coperchio, e abbiano le lor facce volte l’un verso l’altro; sieno le facce de’ Cherubini volte verso il Coperchio.

Esodo 25:20 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 25:20

And the cherubim shall stretch forth their wings on high
From whence it appears they were in the form of winged creatures, as the seraphim in Isaiah's vision, and the living creatures in those of Ezekiel and John; and their wings did not hang down by them, or on the side of them, but were stretched out upwards towards the heaven above their heads; denoting the readiness, agility, and swiftness of the ministers of the word to do the work and will of Christ, as well as their expectation of all the supplies of gifts and grace from him to enable them to do it:

covering the mercy seat with their wings;
which reached each other; though, as Jarchi F17 says, between them and the mercy seat there was a hollow of ten hands' breadth; so high were they stretched upwards, though they met each other:

and their faces shall look one to another;
and which is expressive of the harmony, concord, and agreement of the true and faithful ministers of Christ one with another; who all agree in preaching Christ, and him crucified, and in the several momentous and important doctrines of the Gospel:

towards the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be;
as before observed, it may denote their directing souls to Christ as the only way of salvation, keeping always in all their ministrations this great truth in view, atonement and satisfaction by the blood and sacrifice of Christ, and salvation alone by him; which they make the rule of their ministry, and from which they never swerve, taking care not to deliver anything contrary to it, or which may serve to cast a veil over it.


FOOTNOTES:

F17 T. Bab. Succah, fol. 5. 2. Vid. Gloss. in ib.

Esodo 25:20 In-Context

18 E fa’ due Cherubini d’oro; falli di lavoro tirato al martello, a’ due capi del Coperchio.
19 Fai adunque un Cherubino da un de’ capi di qua, e un altro dall’altro di là; fate questi Cherubini tirati dal Coperchio stesso, sopra i due capi d’esso.
20 E spandano i Cherubini l’ale in su, facendo con le loro ale una coverta al disopra del Coperchio, e abbiano le lor facce volte l’un verso l’altro; sieno le facce de’ Cherubini volte verso il Coperchio.
21 E metti il Coperchio in su l’Arca disopra, e nell’Arca metti la Testimonianza che io ti darò.
22 Ed io mi troverò quivi presente teco, e parlerò teco d’in sul Coperchio, di mezzo i due Cherubini che saranno sopra l’Arca della Testimonianza; e ti dirò tutte le cose che ti comanderò di proporre a’ figliuoli di Israele.
The Giovanni Diodati Bible is in the public domain.