Exodus 25:18-19

25:18 You are to make two cherubim 1  of gold; you are to make them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid. 25:19 Make 2  one cherub on one end 3  and one cherub on the other end; from the atonement lid 4  you are to make the cherubim on the two ends.

Exodus 28:23

28:23 and you are to make for the breastpiece two gold rings and attach 5  the two rings to the upper 6  two ends of the breastpiece.

Exodus 37:8

37:8 one cherub on one end 7  and one cherub on the other end. 8  He made the cherubim from the atonement lid on its two ends.

Exodus 39:16

39:16 and they made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and they attached the two rings to the upper 9  two ends of the breastpiece.

1 tn The evidence suggests that the cherubim were composite angelic creatures that always indicated the nearness of God. So here images of them were to be crafted and put on each end of the ark of the covenant to signify that they were there. Ezekiel 1 describes four cherubim as each having human faces, four wings, and parts of different animals for their bodies. Traditions of them appear in the other cultures as well. They serve to guard the holy places and to bear the throne of God. Here they were to be beaten out as part of the lid.

2 tn The text now shifts to use an imperative with the vav (ו) conjunction.

3 tn The use of זֶה (zeh) repeated here expresses the reciprocal ideas of “the one” and “the other” (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 26, §132).

4 sn The angels were to form one piece with the lid and not be separated. This could be translated “of one piece with” the lid, but it is likely the angels were simply fastened to it permanently.

5 tn Heb “give, put.”

6 tn Here “upper” has been supplied.

7 tn Heb “from/at [the] end, from this.”

8 tn The repetition of the expression indicates it has the distributive sense.

9 tn Here “upper” has been supplied.