Hebrews 9:5 NIV

The Pulpit Commentary - Hebrews 9:4-5

The ark of the covenant, a symbol of redemptive truth. "The ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein … were the tables of the covenant; and over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy-seat." Jewish solemnities were types of Christian truths and relations. The furniture of their sacred courts possessed symbolical significance. Their religious institutions were parables of spiritual and saving truths. Deep significance of this kind attached to the ark of the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Hebrews 9:5

And over it - That is, over the ark.The cherubim of glory - A Hebrew mode of expression, meaning “the glorious cherubim.” The word “cherubim” is the Hebrew form of the plural, of which cherub is the singular. The word “glory” used here in connection with “cherubim,” refers to the splendor, or magnificence of the image, as being carved with great skill, and covered with gold. There were two cherubim on the ark, placed on the lid in such a manner that their faces looked inward toward each other,... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Hebrews 9:4-5

Hebrews 9:4-5. Which had the golden censer Used by the high-priest only on the great day of atonement. “The apostle may have learned from the priests that this censer was of gold, and that it was left by him in the inward tabernacle, so near to the veil, that when he was about to officiate next year, by putting his hand under the veil he could draw it out to fill it with burning coals, before he entered into the most holy place to burn the incense, agreeably to the direction,” Leviticus... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Hebrews 9:1-10

Priestly work under the old covenant (9:1-10)Before discussing Christ’s priestly work further, the writer describes the tabernacle and its furniture (see introductory notes). The golden altar of incense, though kept in the Holy Place, was connected with the ark of the covenant in the ritual of the Day of Atonement (see Exodus 30:6; Leviticus 16:12-14,Leviticus 16:18-19). This may be why the writer mentions it as belonging to the Most Holy Place. He also mentions the three objects kept in the... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Hebrews 9:5

cherubims = cherubim. Only here in NT, but see Revelation 4:6 . glory . See p. 1511. shadowing = overshadowing. Greek. kataskiazo. Only here. mercyseat . Greek. hilasterion. See Romans 3:25 and Exodus 25:17 . of = concerning. Greek. peri . App-104 . we . . . speak . Literally it is not ( App-105 ) now to speak. particularly = in detail. Greek. kata ( App-104 ) meros (part). read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Hebrews 9:5

And above it cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy-seat; and of which things we cannot now speak severally.Although the author of Hebrews was in a hurry to move forward to the extensive deductions to be made from the mention of the various sacred things, perhaps it would be well to borrow a little time to glance at the surpassingly marvelous symbolism of the mercy-seat. Compare with note on the ark of the covenant, above.THE MERCY SEATWe have already noted the heavenly emphasis upon the ark... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Hebrews 9:5

Hebrews 9:5. And over it the cherubims— That these things were shadows, emblems, and patterns of heavenly things, is past a doubt, from what we meet with in this epistle; nor does it appear difficult to understand of what the mercy-seat was an emblem, since St. Paul expressly speaks of Christ under that notion, Romans 3:25. Whom God hath set forth as a propitiatory or mercy-seat. The cherubims must have over-shadowed this mercy-seat, or covered it, since their wings joined together over the... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Hebrews 9:5

5. over it—over "the ark of the covenant." cherubim—representing the ruling powers by which God acts in the moral and natural world. (See on :-; :-). Hence sometimes they answer to the ministering angels; but mostly to the elect redeemed, by whom God shall hereafter rule the world and set forth His manifold wisdom: redeemed humanity, combining in, and with itself, the highest forms of subordinate creaturely life; not angels. They stand on the mercy seat, and on that ground become the... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Hebrews 9:1-5

The "first covenant" was the Mosaic Covenant. The writer compared it first to the New Covenant that replaced it. The outer tabernacle (lit. dwelling place) was the holy place (Hebrews 9:2), and the inner tabernacle was the holy of holies (Hebrews 9:3). "The table and the sacred bread" (Hebrews 9:2) is a hendiadys for "the table of sacred bread." A hendiadys is a figure of speech in which a writer expresses a single complex idea by joining two substantives with "and" rather than by using an... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Hebrews 9:1-10

The heavenly sanctuary 9:1-10"In case any of the readers should think that the writer was underestimating the old, he now outlines some of the glories of the old tabernacle. He is impressed by the orderliness of the arrangements within the Levitical cultus, and aims to present this in order to demonstrate the greater glory of the new." [Note: Guthrie, p. 178.] In this pericope the writer concentrated on the tabernacle and its provisions for cultic worship. "Cultic" refers to the rituals... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Hebrews 9:4-5

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Hebrews 9:5

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Hebrews 9:4-5

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Hebrews 9:1-10

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Hebrews 9:5

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Hebrews 9:5

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Hebrews 9:5

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Hebrews 9:5

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Hebrews 9:1-5

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Hebrews 9:1-10

Group of Brands