The Meaning of Exodus 37:9 Explained

Exodus 37:9

KJV: And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.

YLT: and the cherubs are spreading out wings on high, covering over the mercy-seat with their wings, and their faces are one towards another; towards the mercy-seat have the faces of the cherubs been.

Darby: And the cherubim spread out their wings over it, covering over with their wings the mercy-seat; and their faces were opposite to one another: the faces of the cherubim were turned toward the mercy-seat.

ASV: And the cherubim spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy-seat were the faces of the cherubim.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the cherubims  spread out  [their] wings  on high,  [and] covered  with their wings  over the mercy seat,  with their faces  one  to another;  [even] to the mercy seatward  were the faces  of the cherubims. 

What does Exodus 37:9 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Exodus 37

1  The ark and mercy seat with cherubim made
10  The table of showbread with its vessels
17  The candlestick with its lamps and instruments
25  The altar of incense
29  The anointing oil and sweet incense

What do the individual words in Exodus 37:9 mean?

And the cherubim spread out [their] wings above [and] covered with their wings over the mercy seat and they faced one unto another toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim -
וַיִּהְי֣וּ הַכְּרֻבִים֩ פֹּרְשֵׂ֨י כְנָפַ֜יִם לְמַ֗עְלָה סֹֽכְכִ֤ים בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם֙ עַל־ הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת וּפְנֵיהֶ֖ם אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־ אָחִ֑יו אֶל־ הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת הָי֖וּ פְּנֵ֥י הַכְּרֻבִֽים פ

הַכְּרֻבִים֩  the  cherubim 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כְּרוּב  
Sense: cherub, cherubim (pl).
פֹּרְשֵׂ֨י  spread  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: פָּרַשׂ  
Sense: to spread, spread out, stretch, break in pieces.
כְנָפַ֜יִם  [their]  wings 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: כָּנָף  
Sense: wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt.
לְמַ֗עְלָה  above 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: מַעַל 
Sense: higher part, upper part adv.
סֹֽכְכִ֤ים  [and]  covered 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: סוּךְ 
Sense: (Qal) to hedge, fence about, shut in.
בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם֙  with  their  wings 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּנָף  
Sense: wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת  the  mercy  seat 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: כַּפֹּרֶת  
Sense: mercy-seat, place of atonement.
וּפְנֵיהֶ֖ם  and  they  faced 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אִ֣ישׁ  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶל־  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אָחִ֑יו  another 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
אֶל־  toward 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת  the  mercy  seat 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: כַּפֹּרֶת  
Sense: mercy-seat, place of atonement.
פְּנֵ֥י  the  faces 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַכְּרֻבִֽים  of  the  cherubim 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כְּרוּב  
Sense: cherub, cherubim (pl).
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation