And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;

EXODUS 37:7KJV
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Exodus 37:7 (KJV)

What does Exodus 37:7 mean?

Exodus 37:7 describes how two cherubim figures were made out of gold and placed on the two ends of the mercy seat, all crafted from a single piece of metal. This verse is part of the instructions for constructing the Ark of the Covenant, focusing on the detailed craftsmanship of its covering.

In the context of Exodus, Bezalel is the skilled craftsman carrying out God’s instructions given to Moses for building the tabernacle’s sacred objects. The cherubim are angelic figures, and the mercy seat is the lid of the Ark, which symbolized God’s presence with Israel. The verse highlights both the artistry involved and the importance of following God’s precise directions for worship.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 37:7

  • כְּרוּבִים (keruvim, “cherubims”): This word refers to special angelic beings often associated with guarding or representing the presence of God. Their placement on the mercy seat emphasizes the sacredness of the Ark.
  • זָהָב (zahav, “gold”): The use of pure gold underlines the value and holiness of the objects in the most sacred part of the tabernacle.
  • מִקְשָׁה (miqshah, “piece”): This word means something hammered or beaten out of a single piece of metal. It stresses that the cherubim and the mercy seat were not separate parts attached together, but skillfully formed as one unit, showing unity and careful workmanship.
  • כַּפֹּרֶת (kapporet, “seat”): This is the Hebrew word for the “mercy seat,” the cover of the Ark where God’s presence was believed to dwell and where atonement was made.

Why Exodus 37:7 matters

  • The verse clarifies that the cherubim and the mercy seat were not assembled from separate pieces, but carefully crafted from one piece of gold, showing the level of skill required and the unity of the design.
  • By describing the cherubim on the mercy seat, Exodus 37:7 connects to the broader theme of God’s presence and holiness dwelling among His people in the tabernacle.
  • This detail helps readers understand the reverence and precision involved in ancient Israelite worship, emphasizing that every aspect of the tabernacle was made exactly as God commanded.

Where else these words appear

“piece” Hebrew H4749 · used in 9 verses

  • Exodus 25:18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
  • Exodus 25:36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
  • 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 30:6 And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
  • 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 25:18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
  • Exodus 36:11 And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
  • 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;