King James Version

Exodus 25:20

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.

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Hebrew

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וְהָי֣וּvehayvand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “and be”, a completed action in a sequenceH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.הַכְּרֻבִים֩hakruvimthe cherubכְּרוּבdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the cherub”, the ordinary formH3742a cherub or imaginary figurecherub, (plural) cherubims.פֹּרְשֵׂ֨יporesebreakפָּרַשׂverb, qal, participle, construct — “break”, a verb used as a describing wordH6566to break apart, disperse, etc.break, chop in pieces, lay open, scatter, spread (abroad, forth, selves, out), stretch (forth, out).כְנָפַ֜יִםkhenafayimwingכָּנָףnoun, common, feminine, dual, absolute — “wing”, the ordinary formH3671an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bedclothing) a flap, (of the earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinnacle[phrase] bird, border, corner, end, feather(-ed), [idiom] flying, [phrase] (one an-) other, overspreading, [idiom] quarters, skirt, [idiom] sort, uttermost part, wing(-ed).לְמַ֗עְלָהlemalahto aboveמַעַלpreposition, adverb, directional ending — “to above”H4605properly, the upper part, used only adverbially with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top, etc.above, exceeding(-ly), forward, on ([idiom] very) high, over, up(-on, -ward), very.סֹכְכִ֤יםsokhekhimcoverסָכַךְverb, qal, participle, absolute — “cover”, a verb used as a describing wordH5526properly, to entwine as ascreen; by implication, to fence in, cover over, (figuratively) protectcover, defence, defend, hedge in, join together, set, shut up.בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם֙bekhanfeyhemin wingכָּנָףpreposition, noun, common, feminine, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “in wing”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3671an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bedclothing) a flap, (of the earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinnacle[phrase] bird, border, corner, end, feather(-ed), [idiom] flying, [phrase] (one an-) other, overspreading, [idiom] quarters, skirt, [idiom] sort, uttermost part, wing(-ed).עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶתhakaporetthe mercy seatכַּפֹּרֶתdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the mercy seat”, the ordinary formH3727a lid (used only of the cover of the sacred Ark)mercy seat.וּפְנֵיהֶ֖םufeneyhemand a- foreפָּנִיםconjunction, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…אִ֣ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).אָחִ֑יוachivbrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “brother ; kindred”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH251a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶתhakaporetthe mercy seatכַּפֹּרֶתdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the mercy seat”, the ordinary formH3727a lid (used only of the cover of the sacred Ark)mercy seat.יִהְי֖וּyihyvbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.פְּנֵ֥יpenea- foreפָּנִיםnoun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…הַכְּרֻבִֽיםhakruvimthe cherubכְּרוּבdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the cherub”, the ordinary formH3742a cherub or imaginary figurecherub, (plural) cherubims.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the cherubim shall spread out their wings on high, screening the ark-cover with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the ark-cover shall the faces of the cherubim be.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Young’s Literal Translation

'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.

World English Bible

The cherubim shall spread out their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.

Darby Translation

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].

Douay-Rheims

Let them cover both sides of the propitiatory, spreading their wings, and covering the oracle, and let them look one towards the other, their faces being turned towards the propitiatory wherewith the ark is to be covered.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And the cherubim shall spread out their wings on high, screening the ark-cover with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the ark-cover shall the faces of the cherubim be.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

The cherubs shall stretch forth their wings above, overshadowing the propitiatory with their wings; and their faces shall be toward each other, the faces of the cherubs shall be toward the propitiatory.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἔσονται οἱ χερουβὶμ ἐκτείνοντες τὰς πτέρυγας ἐπάνωθεν, συσκιάζοντες ἐν ταῖς πτέρυξιν αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου, καὶ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν εἰς ἄλληλα, εἰς τὸ ἱλαστήριον ἔσονται τὰ πρόσωπα τῶν χερουβίμ.