Exodus 25 · Verse 18

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 25:18, King James Version

Exodus 25:18 in other translations

BSBMake two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the mercy seat,
WEBYou shall make two cherubim of hammered gold. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
ASVAnd thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; of beaten work shalt thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat.
YLTand thou hast made two cherubs of gold, beaten work dost thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat;
DARBYAnd thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; of beaten work shalt thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat.
BBEAnd at the two ends of the cover you are to make two winged ones of hammered gold,
WebsterAnd thou shalt make two cherubim of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy-seat.

What does Exodus 25:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
18. two cherubim--The real meaning of these figures, as well as the shape or form of them, is not known with certainty--probably similar to what was afterwards introduced into the temple, and described in Eze 10:8-22. They stretched out their wings, and their faces were turned towards the mercy seat [Ex 25:20], probably in a bowing attitude. The prevailing opinion now is, that those splendid figures were symbolical not of angelic but of earthly and human beings--the members of the Church of God interested in the dispensation of grace, the redeemed in every age--and that these hieroglyphic forms symbolized the qualities of the true people of God--courage, patience, intelligence, and activity.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 Thou shalt make two cherubims - What these were we cannot distinctly say. It is generally supposed that a cherub was a creature with four heads and one body: and the animals, of which these emblematical forms consisted, were the noblest of their kinds; the lion among the wild beasts, the bull among the tame ones, the eagle among the birds, and man at the head of all; so that they might be, says Dr. Priestley, the representatives of all nature. Concerning their forms and design there is much difference of opinion among divines. It is probable that the term often means a figure of any kind, such as was ordinarily sculptured on stone, engraved on metal, carved on wood, or embroidered on cloth. See on Exo 35:8 (note). It may be only necessary to add, that cherub is the singular number; cherubim, not cherubims, the plural. See what has been said on this subject in the note on Gen 3:24 (note).

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…

Read the full comment on Exodus 25:10-22 →

Exodus 25:18 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.

וְעָשִׂ֛יתָve.'a.Si.taand you will makeH6213
שְׁנַ֥יִםshe.Na.yimtwoH8147
כְּרֻבִ֖יםke.ru.VimcherubimH3742
זָהָ֑בza.HavgoldH2091
מִקְשָׁה֙mik.Shahhammered workH4749
תַּעֲשֶׂ֣הta.'a.Sehyou will makeH6213
אֹתָ֔ם'o.Tam<obj.> themH853
מִשְּׁנֵ֖יmi.she.Neifrom [the] twoH8147
קְצ֥וֹתke.Tzot[the] ends ofH7098
הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת\׃ha.ka.Po.retthe atonement coverH3727

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

Cross references for Exodus 25:18

  • Hebrews 9:5

    And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

  • Ezekiel 10:20

    This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.

  • 1 Chronicles 28:18

    And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

  • Ezekiel 10:2

    And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.

  • 1 Kings 8:6-7

    And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims. For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

  • 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 Samuel 4:4

    So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

  • 1 Kings 6:23-28

    And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high. And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits. And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size. The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub. …

  • Ezekiel 41:18-19

    And it was made with cherubims and palm trees, so that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub; and every cherub had two faces; So that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side: it was made through all the house round about.

  • Exodus 37:7-9

    And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat; One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
two cherubims of gold.
37:7-9; Ge 3:24; 1Sa 4:4; 1Ki 6:23-28; 8:6,7; 1Ch 28:18
Eze 10:2,20; 41:18,19; Heb 9:5

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

Context

  • 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 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 25:19

    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.

Read all of Exodus 25

Exodus 25:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Harás también dos querubines de oro, labrados á martillo los harás, en los dos cabos de la cubierta.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et tu feras deux chérubins d’or; tu les feras d’or battu, aux deux bouts du propitiatoire.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und mache zwei Cherubim von Gold; in getriebener Arbeit sollst du sie machen an beiden Enden des Deckels;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Duos quoque cherubim aureos et productiles facies, ex utraque parte oraculi.