Exodus 37:9
in Exodus 37And the cherubim had wings that spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the mercy seat.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the cherubim spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy-seat were the faces of the cherubim.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Exodus 37
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
He constructed a mercy seat of pure gold
on Exodus 37:6-9
The cherubim are hammered from the same piece of gold as the mercy seat, and they look at the place where blood is put. The Septuagint renders mercy seat as hilasterion, the word Romans 3:25 uses of Christ.
This site's exposition
wings that spread upward
The wings of the cherubim carry out 25:20, spread upward above the mercy seat of pure gold. Exodus 25:22 made the mercy seat between the two cherubim the place where the LORD would meet with Moses. Matthew Henry calls this the glory of a holy God.
The record, by era
The Reformation1 voice
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-seat-ward were the faces of the cherubims.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:97%@v8-9
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
made the mercy seat of pure gold--To construct a figure, whether the body of a beast or a man, with two extended wings, measuring from two to three feet from tip to tip, with the hammer, out of a solid piece of gold, was what few, if any, artisans of the present day could accomplish.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
He made a table out of acacia wood, two amohs long, one amoh wide, and one and one-half amohs high.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּהְי֣וּ | vaiyihyu | and they were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַכְּרֻבִים֩ | hakeruvim | the cherubim | H3742 → | 91 times |
| פֹּרְשֵׂ֨י | poresei | spreading out | H6566 → | 67 times |
| כְנָפַ֜יִם | khenafayim | <of> wings | H3671 → | 109 times |
| לְמַ֗עְלָה | lema'lah | <to> upwards <towards> | H4605 → | 140 times |
| סֹֽכְכִ֤ים | sokhekhim | covering | H5526 → | 24 times |
| בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם֙ | bekhanfeihem | with wings their | H3671 → | 109 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת | hakaporet | the atonement cover | H3727 → | 27 times |
| וּפְנֵיהֶ֖ם | ufeneihem | and faces their | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | [was] to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אָחִ֑יו | ʾachiv | brother its | H251 → | 630 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת | hakaporet | the atonement cover | H3727 → | 27 times |
| הָי֖וּ | hayu | they were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| פְּנֵ֥י | penei | [the] faces of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַכְּרֻבִֽים׃ פ | hakeruvim | the cherubim | H3742 → | 91 times |
וַיִּהְי֣וּand they were
vaiyihyuH1961 →3559 times
הַכְּרֻבִים֩the cherubim
hakeruvimH3742 →91 times
פֹּרְשֵׂ֨יspreading out
poreseiH6566 →67 times
כְנָפַ֜יִם<of> wings
khenafayimH3671 →109 times
לְמַ֗עְלָה<to> upwards <towards>
lema'lahH4605 →140 times
סֹֽכְכִ֤יםcovering
sokhekhimH5526 →24 times
בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם֙with wings their
bekhanfeihemH3671 →109 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶתthe atonement cover
hakaporetH3727 →27 times
וּפְנֵיהֶ֖םand faces their
ufeneihemH6440 →2123 times
אִ֣ישׁeach
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֶל־[was] to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אָחִ֑יוbrother its
ʾachivH251 →630 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶתthe atonement cover
hakaporetH3727 →27 times
הָי֖וּthey were
hayuH1961 →3559 times
פְּנֵ֥י[the] faces of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
הַכְּרֻבִֽים׃ פthe cherubim
hakeruvimH3742 →91 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Timothy 3:16By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the nations, was believed in throughout the world,…
it leads to
- John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the…
- Mark 16:19
After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
- Romans 16:25
Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past
- 1 John 5:6–8
This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ—not by water alone, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies to this, because the Spirit is the…
- John 1:14
Through
Isaiah 6:2Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
it leads to
- Revelation 4:8
And each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around and within. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty,…
- Psalms 104:4
He makes the winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 4:8
Through
1 Peter 1:12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from…
it leads to
- John 15:26
When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.
- John 15:26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Exodus
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Sir Robert Anderson, Types in Hebrews.