Exodus 25 · Verse 10

Exodus 25:10

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 25:10, King James Version

Exodus 25:10 in other translations

BSB	And they are to construct an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
WEB	“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Its length shall be two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height.
ASV	And they shall make an ark of acacia 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.
YLT	‘And they have made an ark of shittim wood; two cubits and a half its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height;
DARBY	And they shall make an ark of acacia-wood; two cubits and a half the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
BBE	And they are to make an ark of hard wood; two and a half cubits long, and a cubit and a half wide and high.
Webster	And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its hight.

What does Exodus 25:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

10. an ark--a coffer or chest, overlaid with gold, the dimensions of which, taking the cubit at eighteen inches, are computed to be three feet nine inches in length, two feet three inches in breadth.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 10 They shall make an ark - ארון aron signifies an ark, chest, coffer, or coffin. It is used particularly to designate that chest or coffer in which the testimony or two tables of the covenant was laid up, on the top of which was the propitiatory or mercy-seat, (see on Exo 25:17), and at the end of which were the cherubim of gold, (Exo 25:18-20), between whom the visible sign of the presence of the supreme God appeared as seated upon his throne. The ark was the most excellent of all the holy things which belonged to the Mosaic economy, and for its sake the tabernacle and the temple were built, Exo 26:33; Exo 40:18, Exo 40:21. It was considered as conferring a sanctity wherever it was fixed, 2 Chronicles 8;11; 2Sam 6:12. Two cubits and a half shall be the length, etc. - About four feet five inches in length, taking the cubit as twenty-one inches, and two feet six inches in breadth and in depth. As this ark was chiefly intended to deposit the two tables of stone in, which had been written by the finger of God, we may very reasonably conjecture that the length of those tables was not less than four feet and their breadth not less than two. As to their thickness we can say nothing, as the depth of the ark was intended for other matters besides the two tables, such as Aaron's rod, the pot of manna, etc., etc., though probably these were laid up beside, not in, the ark.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 25:10-22

The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled, and the incense burned, before it, by the high priest; and above it appeared the visible glory, which was the symbol of the Divine presence. This was a type of Christ in his sinless nature, which saw no corruption, in personal union with his Divine nature, atoning for our sins against it, by his death. The cherubim of gold looked one towards another, and both looked downward toward the ark. It denotes the angels' attendance on the Redeemer, their readiness to do his will, their presence in the assemblies of saints, and their desire to look into the mysteries of the gospel. It was covered with a covering of gold, called the mercy-seat. God is said to dwell, or sit between the cherubim, on the mercy-seat. There he would give his law, and hear supplicants, as a prince on his throne.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Exodus 25:10 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְעָשׂ֥וּve.'a.Suand they will makeH6213

אֲר֖וֹן'a.Ronan ark ofH727

עֲצֵ֣י'a.Tzeiwood<s> ofH6086

שִׁטִּ֑יםshi.TimacaciaH7848

אַמָּתַ֨יִם'a.ma.Ta.yim[will be] two cubitsH520

וָחֵ֜צִיva.Che.tziand a halfH2677

אָרְכּ֗וֹ'a.re.Kolength itsH753

וְאַמָּ֤הve.'a.Mahand [will be] a cubitH520

וָחֵ֙צִי֙va.Che.tziand a halfH2677

רָחְבּ֔וֹra.che.Bobreadth itsH7341

וְאַמָּ֥הve.'a.Mahand [will be] a cubitH520

וָחֵ֖צִיva.Che.tziand a halfH2677

קֹמָתֽוֹ\׃ko.ma.Toheight itsH6967

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 25:10

Hebrews 9:4
Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
Exodus 37:1-3
And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it: And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about. And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.
Deuteronomy 10:1-3
At that time the Lord said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark. And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand.
Revelation 11:19
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
2 Chronicles 8:11
And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the Lord hath come.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

an ark.{Aron} denotes a chest, or coffer, in general; but is applied particularly to the chest or ark in which the testimony or two tables of the covenant were laid up; on the top of which was the propitiatory or mercy seat; and at the end of which were the cherubim of gold; between whom the visible sign of the presence of God appeared as seated upon his throne.
37:1-3; De 10:1-3; 2Ch 8:11; Heb 9:4; Re 11:19

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Exodus 25:9
According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
Exodus 25:10
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 25:11
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

Read all of Exodus 25

Exodus 25:10 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Harán también un arca de madera de Sittim, cuya longitud será de dos codos y medio, y su anchura de codo y medio, y su altura de codo y medio.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et ils feront une arche de bois de sittim: sa longueur sera de deux coudées et demie, et sa largeur d’une coudée et demie, et sa hauteur d’une coudée et demie.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und sie sollen eine Lade von Akazienholz machen: zwei und eine halbe Elle ihre Länge, und eine und eine halbe Elle ihre Breite, und eine und eine halbe Elle ihre Höhe.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	arcam de lignis setim compingite, cujus longitudo habeat duos et semis cubitos: latitudo, cubitum et dimidium: altitudo, cubitum similiter ac semissem.