Make two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the mercy seat,
Parallel translations
- WEB You shall make two cherubim of hammered gold. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
- KJV And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
- NKJV And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
- NASB You shall make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the atoning cover.
- NLT Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Two cherubim of hammered gold were to be made at the ends of the mercy seat. These angelic figures guarded and adorned the place of God's presence.
Overview
The cherubim, fashioned from one piece with the mercy seat, represent the heavenly beings who attend God's throne. They recall the cherubim who guarded Eden, signifying the holiness surrounding God's presence. Their position over the place of atonement framed the spot where God met Israel. This rich imagery points to the heavenly worship of God and to the reconciliation made possible at the mercy seat, fulfilled in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ezek 10:20These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the River Kebar, and I knew that they were cherubim.
- Heb 9:5Above the ark were the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the mercy seat. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
- 1 Chr 28:18the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense; and the plans for the chariot of the gold cherubim that spread their wings and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
- Ezek 10:2And the LORD said to the man clothed in linen, “Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.
- 1 Kgs 8:6–7Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, beneath the wings of the cherubim.
- 1 Kgs 6:23–28In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim, each ten cubits high, out of olive wood.
- 1 Sam 4:4So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts, who sits enthroned between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
- Ezek 41:18–19were alternating carved cherubim and palm trees. Each cherub had two faces:
- Exod 37:7–9He made two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the mercy seat,
- Gen 3:24So He drove out the man and stationed cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden, along with a whirling sword of flame to guard the way to the tree of life.
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 25:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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