And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

EXODUS 25:10KJV
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Exodus 25:10 (KJV)

What does Exodus 25:10 mean?

Exodus 25:10 gives specific instructions for making the Ark of the Covenant, saying it should be built from shittim wood and giving its exact measurements: two and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. This verse is about the detailed construction of a sacred object for Israel’s worship.

God is speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, giving him directions for building the tabernacle and its furnishings. The Ark described here would become the central and most holy object in Israel’s worship, placed in the innermost room of the tabernacle. The careful measurements and choice of materials show the importance and set-apart nature of this object.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 25:10

  • שִׁטִּים (shittim): This word refers to acacia wood, a durable and common wood in the Sinai region. Its use highlights both the practical and symbolic value, as it was strong and resistant to decay.
  • אֲרוֹן (aron): The word means "ark" or "chest." In this context, it is not a boat but a box or container meant to hold the tablets of the covenant, emphasizing its role as a container for something precious.
  • אַמָּה (amah): Translated as "cubit," this is an ancient unit of measurement, roughly the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger (about 18 inches or 45 centimeters). The use of cubits gives a sense of the Ark’s size in terms familiar to the people of that time.

Why Exodus 25:10 matters

  • This verse clears up that the Ark was not a large or elaborate structure, but a modestly sized chest, emphasizing its function over grandeur.
  • The focus on exact measurements and materials shows that worship in Israel was to be done according to God’s specific instructions, not human invention.
  • Understanding these details helps readers see how the Ark fits into the larger story of the tabernacle, where every object had a purpose and meaning in Israel’s relationship with God.

Where else these words appear

“shittim” Hebrew H7848 · used in 28 verses

  • Exodus 25:5 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
  • Exodus 27:6 And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.
  • Exodus 37:4 And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.

“height” Hebrew H6967 · used in 43 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • 1 Kings 6:20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
  • 2 Chronicles 6:13 For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven,

“breadth” Hebrew H7341 · used in 89 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • 1 Kings 7:2 He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.
  • Ezekiel 41:3 Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits.

“length” Hebrew H753 · used in 90 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • 1 Kings 6:20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
  • Ezekiel 40:36 The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.