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

18You are to make two cherubim of gold; you are to make them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid. 19Make one cherub on one end and one cherub on the other end; from the atonement lid you are to make the cherubim on the two ends. The cherubim are to be spreading their wings upward, overshadowing the atonement lid with their wings, and the cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the atonement lid. 21You are to put the atonement lid on top of the ark, and in the ark you are to put the testimony I am giving you. 22I will meet with you there, and from above the atonement lid, from between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will command you 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 25:18You are to make two cherubim of gold; you are to make them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid.
• 1 Kings 8:7The cherubs’ wings extended over the place where the ark sat; the cherubs overshadowed the ark and its poles.
• 1 Chronicles 28:18and for the refined gold of the incense altar. He gave him the blueprint for the seat of the gold cherubim that spread their wings and provide shelter for the ark of the Lord’s covenant.
• 2 Chronicles 3:10In the most holy place he made two images of cherubim and plated them with gold.
• Ezekiel 28:14I placed you there with an anointed guardian cherub; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked about amidst fiery stones.
• Genesis 28:12and had a dream. He saw a stairway erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it
• Isaiah 6:1In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the sovereign master seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple.
• Ezekiel 1:20Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise up beside them because the spirit of the living being was in the wheel.
• Matthew 24:31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
• John 1:51He continued, “I tell all of you the solemn truth – you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
• 1 Corinthians 4:9For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to die, because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people.
• 1 Corinthians 11:10For this reason a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
• Ephesians 3:10The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms.
• Colossians 2:10and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
• Hebrews 1:14Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation?
• 1 Peter 1:12They were shown that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things now announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things angels long to catch a glimpse of.

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