Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 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 Exo 25:16; Exo 25:21 b; Exo 25:14-15; Exo 25:21 a. For the ‘testimony’ (i.e. the tables of stone with the Decalogue), see on Exo 25:16.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The testimony – i. e. the tables of stone with the Ten Commandments engraved on them Exo 25:16; Exo 31:18. Nothing else is said to have been put into the ark. These were found there by themselves in the time of Solomon 1Ki 8:9; 2Ch 5:10. The pot of manna was laid up before the testimony Exo 16:34; Aarons rod was also placed before the testimony Num 17:10; and the book of the law was put at the side of the ark Deu 31:26. The expression before the testimony appears to mean the space immediately in front of the ark. Most interpreters hold that the pot of manna and Aarons rod were at first placed between the ark and the veil, and afterward within the ark Heb 9:4. It is very probable that the pot and the rod had been put into the ark before it was taken by the Philistines, but that they were not sent back with the ark and the tables. 1Sa 4:11; 1Sa 6:11.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 20. And put the testimony into the ark] That is, the two tables on which the ten commandments had been written. See Ex 25:16. The ark, the golden table with the shew-bread, the golden candlestick, and the golden altar of incense, were all in the tabernacle, within the veil or curtains, which served as a door, Ex 40:22; Ex 40:24; Ex 40:26. And the altar of burnt-offering was by the door, Ex 40:29. And the brazen laver, between the tent of the congregation and the brazen altar, Ex 40:30; still farther outward, that it might be the first thing the priests met with when entering into the court to minister, as their hands and feet must be washed before they could perform any part of the holy service, Ex 40:31-32. When all these things were thus placed, then the court that surrounded the tabernacle, which consisted of posts and hangings, was set up, Ex 40:33.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And he took and put the testimony into the ark,…. The ten commands, called the “testimony”, because they testified and declared what was the will of God with respect to things to be done, or not done. The Targum of Jonathan says, he put the broken pieces of the tables into it; but what became of them, or were done with them, we nowhere read; and it does not appear that any other, but those that Moses hewed by the order of God, were put into the ark; see De 10:1
and set the staves on the ark; that it might be ready to be carried whenever a remove was necessary:
and put the mercy seat above upon the ark; together with the cherubim.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Arrangement of the ark. “He took and put the testimony into the ark.” 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.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Verses 20. 21:
Verses 20-33 give the details of the record of verses 3-16.
When the tabernacle was fully erected, Moses then proceeded to
set in order the furniture. The first to be put in place was the “ark of the testimony,” see Ex 25:10-22. ‘
Moses placed within the ark the “testimony,” the two tablets of stone upon which God had written His Law, particularly the Ten Commandments. Later, other articles were added, namely a golden bowl filled with manna, Ex 16:33, 34; and Aaron’s rod which budded, Nu 17:6-11.
The ark and its contents comprised a “testimony” to Israel:
1. The Law: a witness of man’s sin and his inability to meet God’s standards of perfect righteousness, and of the penalty of the broken Law. See Ro 3:19, 20; 7:7-13; Ga 3:11.
2. The Manna: a witness of man’s dissatisfaction with the provision God makes for his need, see Nu 21:5; and God’s compassion, Php 4:19.
3. Aaron’s Rod: a witness of man’s rejection of God’s appointed leadership, Nu 17:6-11.
The ark was sealed (covered) with the “mercy seat,” a symbol of God’s grace in providing a covering for man’s sin, 1Jo 1:7-10.
When the ark was in place, Moses then hung the veil before it, to conceal it from view of men. The symbolism of this veil is explained in Heb 9:1-5; 10:19, 20. When Jesus died for man’s sin, this veil was torn in two from top to bottom, Mt 27:51; Mr 15:38; Lu 23:45, signifying that the way is now open for man to come directly to God, through the ministry and Person of Jesus.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(20) He took and put the testimony into the ark.By the testimony we must understand the two tables of stone, written with the finger of God, which Moses had brought down with him from the top of Sinai on his last visit (Exo. 34:29). On the use of the word testimony in this sense, see Note to Exo. 25:16. It is not proved by this passage that the Ark held nothing but the testimony.
Set the staves on the arki.e., placed them in the rings, ready for use. (See Exo. 25:14.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
mercy seat. See note on Exo 25:1.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the testimony: Exo 16:34, Exo 25:16-21, Exo 31:18, Psa 40:8, Mat 3:15
mercy: Exo 40:3, Exo 37:6-9, Rom 3:25, Rom 10:4, Heb 4:16, Heb 10:19-21, 1Jo 2:2
Reciprocal: Exo 25:13 – General Exo 25:17 – mercy seat Exo 26:34 – put the mercy seat Exo 32:15 – the testimony Exo 37:1 – General Lev 16:2 – he come not Deu 10:2 – thou shalt Deu 10:5 – put the 1Ki 6:19 – to set 1Ki 8:6 – his place 1Ki 8:8 – drew out the staves 1Ki 8:9 – put there at Horeb 1Ch 15:15 – bare the ark 1Ch 28:11 – the place 2Ch 5:10 – save 2Ch 6:11 – I put the ark Psa 78:5 – testimony Mar 15:38 – General Heb 9:4 – and the
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
40:20 And he took and put the {f} testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:
(f) That is, the tables of the law; Exo 31:18; Exo 34:29.