Exodus 40:20

20 And he toke ad put the testimonye in the arke ad sett the staues to the arcke and put the merciseate an hye apon the arcke,

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 rered vp the tabernacle ad fastened his sokettes, ad set vp the bordes ad put in their barres, ad rered vp the pillers,

19 ad spred abrode the tet ouer the habitacio ad put the coueringe of the tent an hye aboue it: as the Lorde commaunded Moses.

20 And he toke ad put the testimonye in the arke ad sett the staues to the arcke and put the merciseate an hye apon the arcke,

21 and broughte the arcke in to the habitacio and hanged vp the vayle ad couered the arcke of witnesse, as the Lorde commaunded Moses.

22 And he put the table in the tabernacle off witnesse in the north syde of the habitacio without the vayle,