The Meaning of Exodus 25:20 Explained

Exodus 25:20

KJV: And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

YLT: And the cherubs have been spreading out wings on high, covering the mercy-seat over with their wings, and their faces are one towards another -- towards the mercy-seat are the faces of the cherubs.

Darby: And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings over it, covering over with their wings the mercy-seat, and their faces opposite to one another: toward the mercy-seat shall the faces of the cherubim be turned.

ASV: And the cherubim shall spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy-seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the cherubims  shall stretch  forth [their] wings  on high,  covering  the mercy seat  with their wings,  and their faces  [shall look] one  to another;  toward the mercy seat  shall the faces  of the cherubims  be. 

What does Exodus 25:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 25:10-22 - The Ark And The Mercy-Seat
The Tabernacle was full of symbolical teaching of which the full meaning is unfolded in the Epistle to the Hebrews, where we are distinctly told that the Holy Spirit inspired the plan of the various parts. See Hebrews 9:8. Well would it be for us, if we built our lives as Moses the Tabernacle, only on the divine plan. Note Exodus 25:9; Exodus 25:40; Exodus 26:30; Exodus 27:8; Hebrews 8:5. The Ark was the symbol of the Covenant between Jehovah and His people.
The golden slab, known as the mercy-seat, supplied the meeting-place between God and man. It was there that the high priest sprinkled the blood of atonement once a year. It is alluded to by the apostles, Paul and John, as the "propitiation." We might insert Mercy-Seat in each passage. See Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2. Angel forms bent on either side, with their faces downward. See 1 Peter 1:12. The tables of the Law lay written beneath, because the divine righteousness underlies all God's dealings with men. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 25

1  What the Israelites were to offer for the building of the tabernacle
10  The dimensions of the ark
17  The mercy seat, with the cherubim
23  The table of show bread, with the furniture thereof
31  The golden candlestick, with the instruments thereof

What do the individual words in Exodus 25:20 mean?

And shall the cherubim stretch out [their] wings above covering with their wings - the mercy seat and they shall face one unto another toward the mercy seat shall be the faces of the cherubim
וְהָי֣וּ הַכְּרֻבִים֩ פֹּרְשֵׂ֨י כְנָפַ֜יִם לְמַ֗עְלָה סֹכְכִ֤ים בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם֙ עַל־ הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת וּפְנֵיהֶ֖ם אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־ אָחִ֑יו אֶל־ הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת יִהְי֖וּ פְּנֵ֥י הַכְּרֻבִֽים

וְהָי֣וּ  And  shall 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַכְּרֻבִים֩  the  cherubim 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כְּרוּב  
Sense: cherub, cherubim (pl).
פֹּרְשֵׂ֨י  stretch  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: פָּרַשׂ  
Sense: to spread, spread out, stretch, break in pieces.
כְנָפַ֜יִם  [their]  wings 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: כָּנָף  
Sense: wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt.
לְמַ֗עְלָה  above 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: מַעַל 
Sense: higher part, upper part adv.
סֹכְכִ֤ים  covering 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: סוּךְ 
Sense: (Qal) to hedge, fence about, shut in.
בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם֙  with  their  wings 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּנָף  
Sense: wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt.
עַל־  - 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת  the  mercy  seat 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: כַּפֹּרֶת  
Sense: mercy-seat, place of atonement.
וּפְנֵיהֶ֖ם  and  they  shall  face 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אִ֣ישׁ  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶל־  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אָחִ֑יו  another 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
אֶל־  toward 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת  the  mercy  seat 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: כַּפֹּרֶת  
Sense: mercy-seat, place of atonement.
יִהְי֖וּ  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
פְּנֵ֥י  the  faces 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַכְּרֻבִֽים  of  the  cherubim 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כְּרוּב  
Sense: cherub, cherubim (pl).