Exodus 40:20
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Moses took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attaching the poles to the ark; and he set the mercy seat atop the ark.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Arrangement of the ark. "He took and put the testimony into the ark." העדוּת does not mean "the revelation, so far as it existed already, viz., with regard to the erection of the sanctuary and institution of the priesthood (ch. 25-31), and so forth," as Knobel arbitrarily supposes, but "the testimony," i.e., the decalogue written upon the two tables of stone, or the tables of the covenant with the ten words; "the testimony," therefore, is an abbreviated expression for "the tables of testimony" (Exo 31:18, see at Exo 25:16). After the ark had been brought into the dwelling, he "hung the curtain" (vail, see at Exo 26:31; lit., placed it upon the hooks of the pillars), "and so covered over the ark of the testimony," since the ark, when placed in the back part of the dwelling, was covered or concealed from persons entering the dwelling or the holy place.
Open source ↗In this chapter, I. Orders are given for the setting up of the tabernacle and the fixing of all the appurtenances of it in their proper places (Exo 40:1-8), and the consecrating of it (Exo 40:9-11), and of the priests (Exo 40:12-15). II. Care is taken to do all this, and as it was appointed to be done (v. 16-33). III. God takes possession of it by the cloud (Exo 40:34, etc.).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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And Aaron placed it in front of the Testimony, to be preserved just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.
Put the ark of the Testimony in it and screen off the ark with the veil.
For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.
containing the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. Inside the ark were the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.
and I went back down the mountain and placed the tablets in the ark I had made, as the LORD had commanded me; and there they have remained.
I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.”
When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.
There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites after they had come out of the land of Egypt.
“Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him.