Exodus 25:20

Exodus 25:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
• New International Version (NIV)The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of Exodus 25:20

18Use gold to make images of two cherubs. Use a hammer to make them the right shape. They will stand at the two ends of the lid. 19One cherub will stand at one end of the lid, and one cherub will stand at the other end. The two cherubs and the lid must be one piece of gold. The cherubs must look towards each other and watch over the lid. Their wings must touch each other over the top of the lid. 21Then put the lid on the top of the box. Put the flat stones with the words of the covenant into the box. I will give those to you. 22I will meet with you there, between the two cherubs that are above the lid. They watch over the Covenant Box. In that place I will give you all my commands for the Israelites.

Exodus 25:20 word by word

וְהָי֣וּ הַכְּרֻבִים֩ פֹּרְשֵׂ֨י כְנָפַ֜יִם לְמַ֗עְלָה סֹכְכִ֤ים בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם֙ עַל־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת וּפְנֵיהֶ֖ם אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֑יו אֶל־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת יִהְי֖וּ פְּנֵ֥י הַכְּרֻבִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the cherubimsכְּרוּבkerûb · cherubH3742
• shall stretchפָּרַשׂpâraώ · to spreadH6566
• wingsכָּנָףkânâph · wingH3671
• on highמַ֫עַלma‛al · aboveH4605
• coveringסָכַךְsâkak ώâkak · to coverH5526
• the mercy seatכַּפֹּרֶתkappôreth · mercy seatH3727
• and their facesפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• to anotherאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251

Cross-references for Exodus 25:20

• Exodus 25:18Use gold to make images of two cherubs. Use a hammer to make them the right shape. They will stand at the two ends of the lid.
• 1 Kings 8:7The wings of the cherubs touched each other above the place where the Covenant Box was. The cherubs covered the Covenant Box and the poles that the Levites used to carry it.
• 1 Chronicles 28:18And there was the weight of pure gold for the altar to burn incense. David also gave Solomon the plan for the gold images of cherubs for the Lord's Covenant Box. They would have wings that touched each other above the lid of the Covenant Box. They would be like a chariot for the Lord.
• 2 Chronicles 3:10In the Most Holy Place, they made models of two cherubs. They covered them with gold.
• Ezekiel 28:14I put you there with a cherub to be your guard. You lived on my holy mountain. You walked among the stones that burned with fire.
• Genesis 28:12He had a dream. In the dream, he saw some steps. The steps went up from the earth into heaven. God's angels were going up and down the steps.
• Isaiah 6:1In the year when King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord God. He was sitting high up, on a throne. The ends of his long coat filled the temple.
• Ezekiel 1:20The living things went wherever the spirit wanted them to go. The wheels would also go with them. That was because the spirit of the living things was in each wheel.
• Matthew 24:31People will hear the sound of a loud trumpet. The Son of Man will send out his angels. They will go in every direction. They will bring together all the people that God has chosen from every part of the earth and from every part of the sky.’
• John 1:51And Jesus said to him, ‘I tell you this: You will see heaven open. You will see God's angels. They will be going up and they will be coming down on the Son of Man.’
• 1 Corinthians 4:9This is what I think: as apostles, God has put us last of everyone. People see us like we are prisoners at the end of the line. They are taking us to die in a public place. Everybody in the world has come to look at us, both people and angels.
• 1 Corinthians 11:10That is why a woman should cover her head. It shows that she has authority on her head. That makes the angels happy.
• Ephesians 3:10But now God wants the people of his church to show everyone how wise he is in every way. He wants the spiritual rulers and everything that has authority in the heavens to know this.
• Colossians 2:10And because you are united with Christ, you are now complete. He is the one who rules over everything that has power or authority.
• Hebrews 1:14So we see that all the angels are spirits who serve God. God sends them as his servants to help the people that he will save.
• 1 Peter 1:12God showed his prophets that his messages about these things were not really to help them. Instead, God sent his message to the prophets to help you. That message is the good news about Jesus Christ which you have now heard. God sent his Holy Spirit from heaven to help people to tell the good news to you. Even the angels would like to understand more about these things.

Commentaries on Exodus 25:20

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17-22Verses 17-22 A mercy seat of pure gold - (Compare Exodus 37:6-9.) In external form, the mercy-seat was a plate of gold with the cherubim standing on it, the whole beaten out of one solid piece of metal Exodus 37:7; it was placed upon the ark and so took the place of a cover. “mercy” seat expresses well the distinct significance and recognized designation of the Hebrew name. Exodus 25:18-20 The cherubim of the mercy-seat were human figures, each having two…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-22Verses 10-22 The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled, and the incense burned, before it, by the high priest; and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-22an ark of acacia wood: Ark is an old English word meaning "box." The ark was Israel's "covenant box." It was the most important item in the entire Tent of Meeting (the tabernacle) because God made his presence available there (25:22). The stone tablets of the covenant were inside the box (25:16, 21). This emphasized that God reveals himself through a mutual commitment between himself and his people.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-401. the Lord spake unto Moses, &c.--The business that chiefly occupied Moses on the mount, whatever other disclosures were made to him there, was in receiving directions about the tabernacle, and they are here recorded as given to him.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 25:20

• Cherubim
• Gold
• Mercy-Seat
• Tabernacle
• Types

In the dictionaries

• Ark
• Cast
• Cherub
• Commune
• Handbreadth
• Ring
• Testimony
• Angel
• Badger
• Beauty

Commentaries on Exodus 25

• 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