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

18And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars. 19And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as Yhwh commanded Moses. 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: 21And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as Yhwh commanded Moses. 22And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail.

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

• 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 Yhwh commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
• Exodus 25:16And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
• Exodus 31:18And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
• Psalms 40:8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
• Matthew 3:15And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
• Exodus 40:3And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.
• Exodus 37:6And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
• Romans 3:25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
• Romans 10:4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
• Hebrews 4:16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
• Hebrews 10:19Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
• 1 John 2:2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of 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