Exodus 25:13-23

13 And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.

14 You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them.

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

16 And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.

17 You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width.

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

19 Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat.

20 And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.

21 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.

22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

23 "You shall also make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

Exodus 25:13-23 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.