Exodus 30 · Verse 6

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 30:6, King James Version

Exodus 30:6 in other translations

BSBPlace the altar in front of the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony—before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony—where I will meet with you.
WEBYou shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the covenant, before the mercy seat that is over the covenant, where I will meet with you.
ASVAnd thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy-seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
YLTand thou hast put it before the vail, which is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy-seat which is over the testimony, whither I am met with thee.
DARBYAnd thou shalt put it in front of the veil which is before the ark of the testimony in front of the mercy-seat which is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
BBEAnd let it be placed in front of the veil before the ark of the law, before the cover which is over the law, where I will come face to face with you.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does Exodus 30:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony--which separated the holy from the most holy place. The altar was in the middle between the table of showbread and the candlestick next the holy of holies, at equal distances from the north and south walls; in other words, it occupied a spot on the outside of the great partition veil, but directly in front of the mercy seat, which was within that sacred enclosure; so that although the priest who ministered at this altar could not behold the mercy seat, he was to look towards it, and present his incense in that direction. This was a special arrangement, and it was designed to teach the important lesson that, though we cannot with the eye of sense, see the throne of grace, we must "direct our prayer to it and look up" [Psa 5:3] (compare 2Co 3:14; He 10:20; Re 4:1).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 Before the mercy-seat that is over the testimony - These words in the original are supposed to be a repetition, by mistake, of the preceding clause; the word הפרכת happarocheth, the veil, being corrupted by interchanging two letters into הכפרת haccapporeth, the mercy-seat; and this, as Dr. Kennicott observes, places the altar of incense before the mercy-seat, and consequently In the holy of holies! Now this could not be, as the altar of incense was attended every day, and the holy of holies entered only once in the year. The five words which appear to be a repetition are wanting in twenty-six of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., and in the Samaritan. The verse reads better without them, and is more consistent with the rest of the account.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 30:1-10

The altar of incense represented the Son of God in his human nature, and the incense burned thereon typified his pleading for his people. The continual intercession of Christ was represented by the daily burning of incense thereon, morning and evening. Once every year the blood of the atonement was to be applied to it, denoting that the intercession of Christ has all its virtue from his sufferings on earth, and that…

Read the full comment on Exodus 30:1-10 →

Exodus 30:6 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.

וְנָתַתָּ֤הve.na.ta.Tahand you will putH5414
אֹתוֹ֙'o.To<obj.> itH853
לִפְנֵ֣יlif.Nei<to> beforeH6440
הַפָּרֹ֔כֶתha.pa.Ro.khetthe curtainH6532
אֲשֶׁ֖ר'a.SherwhichH834
עַל\־'al-[is] onH5921
אֲרֹ֣ן'a.Ron[the] ark ofH727
הָעֵדֻ֑תha.'e.Dutthe testimonyH5715
לִפְנֵ֣יlif.Nei<to> beforeH6440
הַכַּפֹּ֗רֶתha.ka.Po.retthe atonement coverH3727
אֲשֶׁר֙'a.SherwhichH834
עַל\־'al-[is] onH5921
הָ֣עֵדֻ֔תha.'e.Dutthe testimonyH5715
אֲשֶׁ֛ר'a.SherwhereH834
אִוָּעֵ֥ד'i.va.'EdI will meetH3259
לְךָ֖le.Kha<to> <the> you
שָֽׁמָּה\׃Sha.mahthere <towards>H8033

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

Cross references for Exodus 30:6

  • Exodus 25:21-22

    And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

  • Matthew 27:51

    And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

  • Exodus 30:36

    And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.

  • Exodus 26:31-35

    And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. …

  • Exodus 40:26

    And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail:

  • Exodus 29:42-43

    This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.

  • Hebrews 4:16

    Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

  • 1 Chronicles 28:11

    Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,

  • Exodus 40:5

    And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.

  • Hebrews 9:3-5

    And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; 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; And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

  • Leviticus 16:13

    And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:

  • Exodus 40:3

    And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
vail.
26:31-35; 40:3,5,26; Mt 27:51; Heb 9:3,4
before the mercy seat that is over the testimony.The words [lpny hkprt ashr `l h`dt,] {liphney haccapporeth asher âl haaiduth,} "before the mercy-seat that is over the testimony," are thought to be a repetition of the preceding clause, [lpn` hprkt 'sha `l 'rn h`dt,] {liphney happarocheth asher âl aron haaiduth,} "before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony; the word [hprkt,] ,] {happarocheth,} "the vail," being corrupted, by transposing the letters into [hkprt,] ,] {hacapporeth,} "the mercy-seat," and the word ['rn,] ,] {aron,} "ark," omitted. This repetition, as Dr. Kennicott observes, places the altar of incense before the mercy-seat, and consequently in the Holy of Holies! Now this could not be, as the altar of incense was attended every day, and the Holy of Holies entered only once in the year. The five words which appear to be a repetition are wanting in twenty-six of Kennicott's and Rossi's MSS. and in the Samaritan Text.
25:21,22; Le 16:13; 1Ch 28:11; Heb 4:16; 9:5
I will.
36; 29:42,43; Nu 17:4

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

Context

  • Exodus 30:5

    And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

  • 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 30:7

    And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.

Read all of Exodus 30

Exodus 30:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y lo pondrás delante del velo que está junto al arca del testimonio, delante de la cubierta que está sobre el testimonio, donde yo te testificaré de mí.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et tu le mettras vis-à-vis du voile qui est devant l’arche du témoignage, vis-à-vis du propitiatoire qui est sur le témoignage, où je me rencontrerai avec toi.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und stelle ihn dem Vorhang gegenüber, der vor der Lade des Zeugnisses ist, dem Deckel gegenüber, der über dem Zeugnis ist, woselbst ich mit dir zusammenkommen werde.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Ponesque altare contra velum, quod ante arcum pendet testimonii coram propitiatorio quo tegitur testimonium, ubi loquar tibi.