Exodus 25:18 kjv
And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
Exodus 25:18 nkjv
And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
Exodus 25:18 niv
And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover.
Exodus 25:18 esv
And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat.
Exodus 25:18 nlt
Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover.
Exodus 25 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 3:24 | After He drove the man out... cherubim and a flaming sword... to guard... | Cherubim guarding God's sacred presence. |
| Exo 25:22 | There I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy | God meets Moses at the mercy seat. |
| Exo 26:1 | Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined | Cherubim woven into Tabernacle curtains. |
| Exo 37:7-9 | And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, | Fulfilment of the command in the making. |
| Num 7:89 | Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the LORD... from above | God speaking from between the cherubim. |
| Psa 18:10 | And He rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, He did fly upon the wings | God's divine chariot, enthroned on cherubim. |
| Psa 80:1 | Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, | God's dwelling place and enthronement. |
| Psa 99:1 | The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: He sitteth between the cherubims; | God enthroned in sovereignty and holiness. |
| Lev 16:14-16 | And he shall sprinkle of the blood with his finger... before the mercy seat | Atonement blood sprinkled on the mercy seat. |
| 1 Kgs 6:23-28 | And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree... covered with gold. | Large cherubim in Solomon's Temple. |
| 1 Kgs 8:6-7 | The priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD... and the | Cherubim overshadowed the Ark in the Temple. |
| 2 Chr 3:10-13 | And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work... upright. | Temple cherubim made by Solomon. |
| Eze 1:4-28 | As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the | Vision of Cherubim (living creatures) as part |
| Eze 10:1-22 | And I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of | Vision of the divine chariot-throne with cherubim. |
| Heb 9:1-5 | Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a | Cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. |
| Heb 9:24 | For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are | Christ enters the true heavenly sanctuary. |
| Heb 10:19-22 | Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood | Access to God's presence through Christ. |
| Rom 3:25 | Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, | Christ as the ultimate 'mercy seat' (propitiation). |
| 1 Jn 2:2 | And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also | Christ's atoning work as ultimate propitiation. |
| Rev 4:6-9 | And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in | Cherubim (living creatures) worship around God's throne. |
| Exo 30:6 | And thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, | Incense altar before the veil, near the cherubim. |
Exodus 25 verses
Exodus 25 18 Meaning
Exodus 25:18 commands the crafting of two cherubim from a single piece of pure gold, made through a beaten process, to be positioned symmetrically on the ends of the mercy seat (the atonement cover) which rested on the Ark of the Covenant. This instruction emphasizes the divine glory and holiness associated with the Ark, signifying the heavenly court that surrounds God's presence, particularly at the place where atonement was made for sins. The precise divine design highlights the sacred nature of God's dwelling place among His people.
Exodus 25 18 Context
Exodus 25 details God's precise instructions to Moses for the construction of the Tabernacle and its furnishings, beginning with the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat (verses 10-22). This specific command for the cherubim directly follows the description of the mercy seat, underscoring their integral role in the dwelling place of God's presence. Historically, these instructions were given to Israel at Mount Sinai shortly after their deliverance from Egypt, providing a means for a holy God to dwell among His unholy people through prescribed worship and atonement. Culturally, while other Near Eastern cultures used animalistic figures to guard temples, Israel's cherubim were divinely commanded, non-worshipped figures, symbolic of God's heavenly attendants, and designed solely to point to the holy YHWH and His sovereign rule, distinguishing Israel's worship from surrounding pagan idolatry.
Exodus 25 18 Word Analysis
- And thou shalt make (וְעָשִׂ֖יתָ - vĕ·‘ā·śî·ṯā): An imperative command from God to Moses, emphasizing divine authority and precise instruction for construction. This is not optional but foundational to creating the space where God would meet with His people.
- two (שְׁנַ֣יִם - shə·na·yim): Specifies exact quantity. The pair signifies symmetry and completeness, indicating their equal and balanced role in relation to the mercy seat.
- cherubims (כְּרֻבִ֤ים - kə·ru·ḇîm): (plural of cherub, from Hebrew "keruv"). Celestial beings depicted as guardians of sacred space and often associated with God's throne or glory. In ancient Near Eastern art, such figures sometimes served as guardians, but Israel's cherubim are not objects of worship themselves, rather they indicate the sanctity of God's immediate presence. They represent heavenly reality manifesting in an earthly sanctuary.
- of gold (זָהָב֙ - zā·hāv): Pure gold, the most precious and enduring metal, signifies divine purity, holiness, glory, value, and permanence. It speaks to the incomparable nature of the God being worshipped and the sanctity of His presence.
- of beaten work (מִקְשָׁה֙ - miq·shāh): (from "miqshah" meaning "something hammered"). Refers to a manufacturing process where the figures are formed by hammering from a single solid block or sheet of gold. This implies a seamless, continuous, and unified construction, denoting integrity, solidity, and an exceptional degree of craftsmanship, mirroring the perfect unity and intricate nature of God's own design.
- shalt thou make them: Reiteration of the divine directive, underscoring the exactness required and Moses's responsibility in executing the divine blueprint.
- in the two ends (מִשְּׁנֵ֥י קְצֹת - miš·shə·nê qə·tsōṯ): At the opposing extremities. This symmetrical placement reinforces the balance and order within God's divine arrangement, flanking the central point of atonement.
- of the mercy seat (הַכַּפֹּ֖רֶת - hak·kap·pō·reṯ): (from "kapporet"). The atonement cover or propitiatory. This is the lid of the Ark of the Covenant, and it's here that the blood of atonement was sprinkled on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). The cherubim's position here signifies them as witnesses to the act of atonement, overseeing the divine transactions between God and His people, as well as signifying the awesome, guarded access to God's presence that is only achieved through divine provision.
Exodus 25 18 Bonus section
The cherubim served not only as symbolic guardians but also visually emphasized that God's presence, though among His people, remained supremely holy and transcendent. Their presence created a powerful visual reminder of the separation between the holy God and sinful humanity, bridged only by the blood of atonement. In subsequent biblical narrative, the idea of God "dwelling between the cherubim" (1 Sam 4:4, 2 Sam 6:2, 2 Kgs 19:15, 1 Chr 13:6) became a potent metaphor for His sovereign presence and His accessibility to His people according to His terms. The large cherubim crafted for Solomon's Temple, towering over the Ark, provided a greater visual spectacle of this heavenly guardianship. These earthly cherubim served as tangible teaching tools, directing the Israelite's attention beyond the physical sanctuary to the true spiritual reality of God's throne room in heaven, which the Tabernacle merely foreshadowed.
Exodus 25 18 Commentary
Exodus 25:18 establishes a crucial component of the holiest place in the Tabernacle: two gold cherubim integrally fashioned from the mercy seat. These aren't decorative elements but profoundly symbolic figures pointing to heavenly realities. Their specific formation "of beaten work" from a single piece of pure gold signifies purity, unity, and the enduring nature of God's divine presence. Positioned on either end of the kapporet, the place of atonement, they indicate God's throne and heavenly court, constantly attending and acknowledging His sovereign reign and the atoning work central to His covenant relationship with Israel. They symbolize the divine majesty that human beings can only approach through the specific means God has prescribed—ultimately fulfilled in Christ, the ultimate Propitiation (Rom 3:25).