Exodus 40:20

20 And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon 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 reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof and reared up his pillars.

19 And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it, as the LORD commanded Moses.

20 And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark.

21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the covering and covered the ark of the Testimony, as the LORD commanded Moses.

22 And he put the table in the tent of the congregation upon the side of the tabernacle northward, outside the veil.