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.
• 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.
• 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 make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. 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. 21Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. 22There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and 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 25:18And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover.
• 1 Kings 8:7The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles.
• 1 Chronicles 28:18and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and overshadow the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
• 2 Chronicles 3:10For the Most Holy Place he made a pair of sculptured cherubim and overlaid them with gold.
• Ezekiel 28:14You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.
• Genesis 28:12He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
• Isaiah 6:1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
• Ezekiel 1:20Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
• Matthew 24:31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
• John 1:51He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
• 1 Corinthians 4:9For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.
• 1 Corinthians 11:10It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels.
• Ephesians 3:10His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
• Colossians 2:10and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
• Hebrews 1:14Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
• 1 Peter 1:12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into 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