17 'And thou hast made a mercy-seat of pure gold, two cubits and a half its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth; 18 and thou hast made two cherubs of gold, beaten work dost thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat; 19 and make thou one cherub at the end on this side, and one cherub at the end on that; at the mercy-seat ye do make the cherubs on its two ends. 20 '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. 21 'And thou hast put the mercy-seat on the ark above, and unto the ark thou dost put the testimony which I give unto thee; 22 and I have met with thee there, and have spoken with thee from off the mercy-seat (from between the two cherubs, which 'are' on the ark of the testimony) all that which I command thee concerning the sons of Israel.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 25:17-22
Commentary on Exodus 25:10-22
(Read Exodus 25:10-22)
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled, and the incense burned, before it, by the high priest; and above it appeared the visible glory, which was the symbol of the Divine presence. This was a type of Christ in his sinless nature, which saw no corruption, in personal union with his Divine nature, atoning for our sins against it, by his death. The cherubim of gold looked one towards another, and both looked downward toward the ark. It denotes the angels' attendance on the Redeemer, their readiness to do his will, their presence in the assemblies of saints, and their desire to look into the mysteries of the gospel. It was covered with a covering of gold, called the mercy-seat. God is said to dwell, or sit between the cherubim, on the mercy-seat. There he would give his law, and hear supplicants, as a prince on his throne.