Exodus 37 6

Exodus 37:6 kjv

And 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.

Exodus 37:6 nkjv

He also made the mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits was its length and a cubit and a half its width.

Exodus 37:6 niv

He made the atonement cover of pure gold?two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.

Exodus 37:6 esv

And he made a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half was its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth.

Exodus 37:6 nlt

Then he made the Ark's cover ? the place of atonement ? from pure gold. It was 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.

Exodus 37 verses

Exodus 37 6 Meaning

Exodus 37:6 describes the craftsmanship of the mercy seat (kapporet), the solid gold lid that covered the Ark of the Covenant. Bezalel, under divine instruction, constructed this vital element from pure gold with precise dimensions: two and a half cubits in length and one and a half cubits in breadth. This mercy seat served as the meeting place between God and His people, specifically the place where atonement for sins was made on the Day of Atonement. Its composition of pure gold emphasized God's holiness, perfection, and the incalculable value of the reconciliation it represented.

Exodus 37 6 Context

Exodus chapter 37 focuses on the skilled artisan Bezalel fulfilling the divine blueprint for the tabernacle furnishings, particularly the Ark of the Covenant, the mercy seat, the table for the Bread of the Presence, the lampstand, and the altars. This verse is part of the section detailing the construction of the mercy seat, immediately following the description of the Ark of the Covenant itself. It demonstrates faithful obedience to the intricate instructions given by God to Moses in Exodus chapters 25-31. Historically, this construction represents the physical establishment of God's presence among the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness, providing a tangible place for worship, atonement, and communion. The meticulously precise instructions and the use of the purest materials serve as a polemic against the often crude and pagan idols of contemporary cultures, emphasizing the absolute purity, holiness, and distinctiveness of the God of Israel and His sanctuary.

Exodus 37 6 Word analysis

• And he made: Wayya'as (וַיַּעַשׂ). This is a waw-consecutive imperfect verb, showing sequential action. The subject is implied as Bezalel, the chief craftsman (Ex 31:2, 35:30). This emphasizes that the work was carried out as commanded, highlighting obedience and the fulfillment of God's instructions.
• the mercy seat: Ha-kapporet (הַכַּפֹּרֶת). A key term derived from the root kaphar (כָּפַר), meaning "to cover" or "to make atonement." Thus, it is the "atonement cover" or "propitiatory cover." This object was not merely a lid but the crucial point where God met His people for the purpose of expiating sins, signifying its profound theological role.
• of pure gold: Zahav tahor (זָהָב טָהוֹר). Zahav is gold, and tahor means pure, clean, undefiled. This emphasizes the supreme quality and absence of alloy. Gold in the Bible often symbolizes divinity, royalty, preciousness, and holiness. The purity highlights God's demand for perfection and holiness in His presence and in the means of approaching Him. It stands in contrast to idols made of common materials.
• two cubits and a half: Amahtayim wa-hetzi (אַמָּתַיִם וָחֵצִי). A cubit (ammah) was an ancient unit of measure, roughly the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger (approx. 18-21 inches or 45-52 cm). The specific dimensions (2.5 cubits length) align perfectly with the dimensions of the Ark itself, showing it was precisely fitted as a lid.
• was the length thereof: Implies the specified dimension is for the longest side. Precision in measurement signifies the divine order, accuracy, and intentionality of God's design, leaving no room for human arbitrariness in divine worship.
• and one cubit and a half: Ammah va-hetzi (אַמָּה וָחֵצִי). (1.5 cubits breadth). This smaller dimension indicates the width of the mercy seat, which corresponds to the width of the Ark of the Covenant. This consistent and precise measurement across all tabernacle elements underscores a deliberate, unified, and divine design, intended to contain the law and serve as the place of encounter.
• Words-group Analysis:
  • "He made the mercy seat": Bezalel's action of "making" is crucial. It underscores that this sacred object, though divinely designed, was constructed by human hands guided by God's Spirit. This highlights both human agency and divine inspiration in creating the holy sanctuary. The mercy seat was not a natural phenomenon, but a deliberate construction for a specific purpose by a divinely empowered craftsman.
  • "pure gold": This specification isn't merely for aesthetic value but speaks to the intrinsic holiness of God and the absolute purity required to approach Him. It also signals the immense value God places on atonement and communion, sparing no expense in the materials for the place where His glory would reside and where His covenant would be met. The purity prefigures the spotlessness of Christ's sacrifice.
  • "dimensions": The exact, fixed measurements reinforce the unchangeable nature of God's commands and the orderly precision of His design. Unlike pagan altars that varied, the dimensions here reflect God's meticulous blueprint for redemption, later paralleled by the perfection of Christ, who perfectly fulfills every divine requirement. These specific numbers are not random; they are part of a perfect, God-given plan for sacred space and redemptive history.

Exodus 37 6 Bonus section

The concept of the kapporet has profound theological depth. Some scholars argue the term emphasizes "covering" (of sin) more than "propitiation," while others view "propitiation" as the result of the covering. In either case, it's the point where divine holiness met human sinfulness through a prescribed blood ritual, leading to reconciliation. The fact that the Ark of the Covenant, representing God's throne, contained the Tablets of the Law that humanity constantly broke, made the mercy seat, the place of atonement, indispensable. God chose to reveal Himself and extend mercy from above this covering, rather than simply enforcing the demands of the Law, signifying His gracious nature. This foreshadowed the reality that redemption would come through an atoning sacrifice that would 'cover' our sin, allowing a Holy God to dwell among and commune with unholy humanity. The pure gold used across the Ark and Mercy Seat also symbolizes divine authority and the preciousness of salvation, an unchanging reality rooted in God's eternal nature.

Exodus 37 6 Commentary

Exodus 37:6 highlights the exact and holy construction of the mercy seat, an essential component of the Ark of the Covenant. It wasn't just a golden slab but the symbolic heart of Israel's relationship with God, functioning as the kapporet – the place of covering and atonement for sins. Crafted from pure gold, its material underscores the absolute holiness and perfection of God and the preciousness of His atoning provision. Its precise dimensions demonstrate God's meticulous nature, signifying that approach to Him is on His terms, through His divinely ordained means, not by human preference. The entire structure of the tabernacle, with the mercy seat at its center, pointed forward to Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodies the reality foreshadowed by the kapporet. He is our ultimate Propitiation (Rom 3:25), the true Atonement Cover, whose sacrifice enables access to God's grace and presence, far beyond what any material object could provide.