Exodus 40:20

Exodus 40:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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:
• New International Version (NIV)He took the tablets of the covenant law and placed them in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark.
• New King James Version (NKJV)He took the Testimony and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark.

Context of Exodus 40:20

18Moses erected the tabernacle, laid its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars and erected its support poles. 19He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, just as the Lord had commanded him. He took the Testimony [the stones inscribed with the Ten Commandments] and put it into the ark [of the covenant], and placed the poles [through the rings] on the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. 21Moses brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up a veil (partition) for the screen (curtain), and screened off the ark of the Testimony, just as the Lord had commanded him. 22Then he put the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil.

Exodus 40:20 word by word

וַיִּקַּ֞ח וַיִּתֵּ֤ן אֶת־הָעֵדֻת֙ אֶל־הָ֣אָרֹ֔ן וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־הַבַּדִּ֖ים עַל־הָאָרֹ֑ן וַיִּתֵּ֧ן אֶת־הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת עַל־הָאָרֹ֖ן מִלְמָֽעְלָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• and putנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• the testimonyעֵדוּת‛êdûth · testimonyH5715
• into the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
• and setשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• the stavesבַּדbad · alone: poleH905
• the mercy seatכַּפֹּרֶתkappôreth · mercy seatH3727
• aboveמַ֫עַלma‛al · aboveH4605

Cross-references for Exodus 40:20

• Exodus 16:34As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron [eventually] placed it in the presence of the Testimony, to be kept.
• Exodus 25:16You shall put into the ark the Testimony (Ten Commandments) which I will give you.
• Exodus 31:18When He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
• Psalms 40:8I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.”
• Matthew 3:15But Jesus replied to him, “Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John permitted [it and baptized] Him.
• Exodus 40:3You shall place the ark of the Testimony there, and you shall screen off the ark [from the Holy Place of God’s Presence] with the veil (partition curtain).
• Exodus 37:6Bezalel made the mercy seat of pure gold; it was two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide.
• Romans 3:25whom God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness [which demands punishment for sin], because in His forbearance [His deliberate restraint] He passed over the sins previously committed [before Jesus’ crucifixion].
• Romans 10:4For Christ is the end of the law [it leads to Him and its purpose is fulfilled in Him], for [granting] righteousness to everyone who believes [in Him as Savior].
• Hebrews 4:16Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].
• Hebrews 10:19Therefore, believers, since we have confidence and full freedom to enter the Holy Place [the place where God dwells] by [means of] the blood of Jesus,
• 1 John 2:2And He [that same Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers throughout] the whole world.

Commentaries on Exodus 40:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20And put the testimony into the ark - That is, the two tables on which the ten commandments had been written. See Exodus 25:16. The ark, the golden table with the shew-bread, the golden candlestick, and the golden altar of incense, were all in the tabernacle, within the veil or curtains, which served as a door, Exodus 40:22, Exodus 40:24, Exodus 40:26. And the altar of burnt-offering was by the door, Exodus 40:29. And the brazen laver, between the tent of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20The testimony - i. e. the tables of stone with the Ten Commandments engraved on them Exodus 25:16; Exodus 31:18. Nothing else is said to have been put into the ark. These were found there by themselves in the time of Solomon 1 Kings 8:9; 2 Chronicles 5:10. The pot of manna was “laid up before the testimony” Exodus 16:34; Aaron‘s rod was also placed “before the testimony” Numbers 17:10; and the book of the law was put at “the side of the ark” Deuteronomy…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-33Verses 16-33 When the tabernacle and the furniture of it were prepared, they did not put off rearing it till they came to Canaan; but, in obedience to the will of God, they set it up in the midst of their camp. Those who are unsettled in the world, must not think that this will excuse want of religion; as if it were enough to begin to serve God when they begin to be settled in the world. No; a tabernacle for God is very needful, even in a wilderness…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-33The report on setting up the Tent of Meeting starts with the Lord's commands (40:1–15). It continues with how Moses obeyed those commands (40:16–33). The repeated statement that "Moses did everything just as the LORD had commanded" (40:16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 32) strongly contrasts with Aaron’s self-serving statement in 32:22–24. God wants to share his presence with us, but his holiness requires us to give up our own efforts to secure his presence and…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-382. On the first day of the first month--From a careful consideration of the incidents recorded to have happened after the exodus (Ex 12:2; 13:4; 19:1; 20:18; 34:28, &c.), it has been computed that the work of the tabernacle was commenced within six months after that emigration; and consequently, that other six months had been occupied in building it. So long a period spent in preparing the materials of a movable pavilion, it would be difficult to…Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 40:20

• Ark
• Decalogue
• Law
• Mercy-Seat
• Tabernacle

In the dictionaries

• Tabernacle
• Ark of the Covenant
• Atonement, Day of
• Canon of the Old Testament
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis
• Leviticus
• Papyrus
• Prayer
• Ten Commandments, the

Commentaries on Exodus 40

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings