And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

EXODUS 25:18KJV
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Exodus 25:18 (KJV)

What does Exodus 25:18 mean?

Exodus 25:18 instructs that two cherubim made of gold should be crafted from hammered work and placed at the two ends of the mercy seat. This verse describes a specific part of the instructions God gives Moses for building the Ark of the Covenant and its covering.

God is speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, giving detailed directions for constructing the sacred objects for the tabernacle. The "cherubim" are special angelic figures, and the "mercy seat" is the lid for the Ark, which represents God's presence among the Israelites. The command to make them of "beaten work" means they are to be shaped by hammering gold, not cast in a mold, showing the care and skill required for this holy object.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 25:18

  • "cherubims" (כְּרוּבִים, k'ruvim): This word refers to angelic beings often associated with guarding sacred spaces. Their inclusion on the mercy seat highlights the holiness and significance of the Ark.
  • "mercy seat" (כַּפֹּרֶת, kapporet): This term means the cover or lid of the Ark, understood as the place where God would meet with His people. The presence of the cherubim on the mercy seat emphasizes its role as a meeting point between God and Israel.
  • "work" (מִקְשָׁה, miqshah): This refers to something hammered or beaten out, not cast. The instruction to use "beaten work" underlines the craftsmanship and the effort required, suggesting the importance and uniqueness of the mercy seat and its decorations.

Why Exodus 25:18 matters

  • Exodus 25:18 clarifies that the cherubim are not separate statues but are part of the mercy seat itself, made from the same piece of gold, which shows their unity with this central object.
  • The verse emphasizes the care and artistry involved in making objects for worship, highlighting that sacred things were to be made with great skill and attention.
  • This instruction connects to the larger theme of God's presence dwelling with His people, as the mercy seat and cherubim become the focal point of God's communication with Israel in the tabernacle.

Where else these words appear

“work” Hebrew H4749 · used in 9 verses

  • Exodus 25:31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
  • Exodus 37:7 And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;
  • Numbers 8:4 And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

“seat” Hebrew H3727 · used in 22 verses

  • Exodus 25:17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
  • Exodus 31:7 The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,
  • Exodus 40:20 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:

“ends” Hebrew H7098 · used in 30 verses

  • Exodus 25:19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
  • Exodus 37:7 And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;
  • 1 Kings 13:33 After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.

“cherubims” Hebrew H3742 · used in 66 verses

  • Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
  • 1 Kings 6:29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.
  • Ezekiel 9:3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side;