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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)The cherubim will face each other and look down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they will protect it.

Context of Exodus 25:20

18And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. 19Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. 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. 21And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. 22There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

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 25:18And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat.
• 1 Kings 8:7For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles.
• 1 Chronicles 28:18for the altar of incense made of refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
• 2 Chronicles 3:10In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim of wood and overlaid them with gold.
• Ezekiel 28:14You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.
• Genesis 28:12And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!
• Isaiah 6:1In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
• Ezekiel 1:20Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
• Matthew 24:31And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
• John 1:51And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
• 1 Corinthians 4:9For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.
• 1 Corinthians 11:10That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
• Ephesians 3:10so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
• Colossians 2:10and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
• Hebrews 1:14Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
• 1 Peter 1:12It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

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