Exodus 25:20

¹⁸ And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

¹⁹ And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

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.

²¹ And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

²² And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: And the cherubim are to have wings that spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the mercy seat.
KJV: 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.
WEB: 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.
ASV: 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.
DARBY: 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].
BLB: And the cherubim shall be stretching out wings upward, covering over the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces each toward his brother; toward the mercy seat shall be the faces of the cherubim.

ÅB: Kjerubene skal holde vingene utbredt og oppløftet, så de dekker over nådestolen med sine vinger, og deres ansikter skal vende mot hverandre; mot nådestolen skal kjerubene vende sitt ansikt.
OTB: Kjerubene skal ha vingene utstrakt oppover, kaste skygge over dekselet. De skal vende mot hverandre, med blikket rettet mot dekselet.
B1930: Kjerubene skal holde vingene utbredt og opløftet, så de dekker over nådestolen med sine vinger, og deres ansikter skal vende mot hverandre; mot nådestolen skal kjerubene vende sitt ansikt.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

1 Chronicles 28:18
And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
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1 Kings 8:7
For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.
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Hebrews 9:5
And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we can not now speak particularly.
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Colossians 2:10
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
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Isaiah 6:1–5
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
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Ezekiel 28:14
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
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Genesis 28:12
And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
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1 Corinthians 4:9
For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
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