Exodus 40:20-21
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What's fascinating here is that the "testimony" – God's very commands – are placed inside the ark, but the "mercy seat" goes on top. This arrangement highlights that access to God's presence and favor isn't earned by perfectly keeping the law, but by the mercy offered through the sacred space above the commands.
He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Moses is diligently following God's exact instructions for assembling the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary for God's presence among His people. This verse describes the crucial act of placing the Ark of the Covenant's sacred contents – the testimony (the Ten Commandments) – inside the Ark, attaching the carrying poles, and then positioning the mercy seat on top, marking the completion of this central piece of furniture. This setup immediately precedes the Ark being brought into the most holy place of the Tabernacle, where God's glory will soon dwell.
What exactly was the 'testimony' placed in the Ark? It wasn't just any old scrolls!
The 'testimony' refers to the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. These weren't just rules; they were God's direct communication, a covenant sign between Him and His people. Placing them in the Ark underscored that God's law was at the very heart of His presence among them.
A Divine Contract
The Ten Commandments, inscribed on stone, represented God's unchanging word and His covenant promises. They were the foundation of Israel's relationship with God, a constant reminder of His expectations and His faithfulness.
Why were there poles attached to the Ark? It wasn't just for decoration!
The poles were permanently attached to the Ark through rings. This wasn't just for carrying the Ark during their travels in the wilderness; it symbolized that God's presence was mobile, ready to journey with His people. This constant readiness also pointed to the dynamic nature of their covenant relationship with God.
God on the Move
The poles ensured that the Ark could be moved quickly and respectfully whenever the cloud of God's presence indicated it was time to depart. It meant that God was not confined to one place but accompanied them on their journey.
Ask a follow-up
What was this 'mercy seat,' and why was it placed on top of the Ark?
The 'mercy seat' (or kapporet in Hebrew) was the solid gold lid of the Ark. It was the place where God's presence symbolically resided, between the cherubim. This wasn't a seat of judgment, but a place of atonement and mercy. It was here that God met His people, forgiving their sins through the sacrifices offered.
A Bridge of Grace
The mercy seat represented God's compassionate response to His people's covenant relationship. It was a tangible reminder that even though they had the Law within the Ark, God's grace was available to cover their failings.
Understand the original words
eduth · Hebrew Noun
The moral or covenantal law of God, particularly referring to the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) inscribed on tablets of stone, which serve as a witness or standard for God’s holiness and Israel’s obligations.
aron · Hebrew Noun
A sacred chest that held the tablets of the Law; it served as the footstool of God's throne on earth and the place where His presence uniquely manifested.
kapporet · Hebrew Noun
The gold lid covering the Ark of the Covenant, where the blood of the atonement offering was sprinkled; it represents the place of atonement where God met His people in mercy rather than judgment.
aron · Hebrew Noun
The ornate, gold-plated wooden chest that contained the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, representing God's holy presence and the covenant between Him and Israel. It served as the focal point of the Holy of Holies.
mishkan · Hebrew Noun
A portable sanctuary or dwelling place where God chose to manifest His presence among His people during the wilderness wanderings. It functioned as the center of Israel's worship and covenant life.
paroket · Hebrew Noun
A heavy, ornate curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, symbolizing the holiness of God and the barrier between a sinful people and the presence of the Almighty.
edut · Hebrew Noun
A title for the tablets of the Law (the Decalogue) kept inside the ark, serving as a witness or evidence of the covenantal relationship between Yahweh and Israel.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of the God of Israel, revealing His eternal, self-existent, and faithful nature to His people.
This New Testament passage directly references the contents of the Ark of the Covenant, including the 'gold pot that had manna' and 'Aaron's rod that budded', which were placed 'before the testimony', highlighting the Ark's central role as a repository of God's commands and a symbol of His presence.
Deuteronomy 10:5This verse tells us that after the second set of stone tablets were given, Moses was instructed to place them 'in the ark which I have made', confirming that the Ark's primary sacred purpose was to house God's law.
1 Kings 8:9This passage recalls that in Solomon's temple, 'there was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone' that Moses put there at Horeb, reinforcing the essential nature of the Ten Commandments as the 'testimony' within the Ark.
Exodus 25:10-22These verses provide the divine blueprint for the Ark of the Covenant, detailing the materials and dimensions, and explicitly stating that the 'testimony' (the stone tablets) was to be put into the Ark, and the mercy seat placed above it.
cambridgeExodus 40:20: "And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:"
20 . See Exodus 25:16 ; Exodus 25:21 b; Exodus 25:14-15 ; Exodus 25:21 a. For the ‘testimony’ (i.e. the tables of stone with the Decalogue), see on Exodus 25:16 .
pulpitExodus 40:20: "And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:"
Verse 20. - The testimony - i.e., the two tables of stone containing the Ten Commandments (Exodus 25:16; Exodus 31:18). Set the staves on the ark. "Put the staves," that is, "into the rings, and left them there" (Exodus 25:14). Put the mercy seat above upon the ark. See Exodus 25:21.
What's fascinating here is that the "testimony" – God's very commands – are placed inside the ark, but the "mercy seat" goes on top. This arrangement highlights that access to God's presence and favor isn't earned by perfectly keeping the law, but by the mercy offered through the sacred space above the commands.
Moses is diligently following God's exact instructions for assembling the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary for God's presence among His people. This verse describes the crucial act of placing the Ark of the Covenant's sacred contents – the testimony (the Ten Commandments) – inside the Ark, attaching the carrying poles, and then positioning the mercy seat on top, marking the completion of this central piece of furniture. This setup immediately precedes the Ark being brought into the most holy place of the Tabernacle, where God's glory will soon dwell.
Moses is diligently following God's exact instructions for assembling the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary for God's presence among His people. This verse describes the crucial act of placing the Ark of the Covenant's sacred contents – the testimony (the Ten Commandments) – inside the Ark, attaching the carrying poles, and then positioning the mercy seat on top, marking the completion of this central piece of furniture. This setup immediately precedes the Ark being brought into the most holy place of the Tabernacle, where God's glory will soon dwell.
"He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as th…" — What's fascinating here is that the "testimony" – God's very commands – are placed inside the ark, but the "mercy seat" goes on top. This arrangement highlights that access to God's presence and…
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Last reviewed October 2026
