Overview
The Bible addresses holy of holies across 14 verses, drawn from the Old Testament. These passages cluster most in Exodus and 1 Kings. Closely related themes include Temple, the First, Mercy Seat, Types of Christ and Cherubim.
Key Bible verses about holy of holies
Old Testament
Exodus
And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
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. of: or, of the matter of the mercy seat
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.
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.
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.
And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
1 Kings
And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high. olive: or, oily: Heb. trees of oil
And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.
And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size.
The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.
And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house. they: or, the cherubims stretched forth their wings
And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.
In the Bible dictionary
Studying holy of holies for yourself
- Begin with Exodus 25:18, then read the passages below in canonical order.
- Compare how Exodus and 1 Kings each treat the theme.
- Widen the study to related themes: Temple, the First, Mercy Seat, Types of Christ and Cherubim.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Bible say about holy of holies?
The Bible addresses holy of holies across 14 verses, drawn from the Old Testament. These passages cluster most in Exodus and 1 Kings. Closely related themes include Temple, the First, Mercy Seat, Types of Christ and Cherubim.
How many Bible verses are about holy of holies?
The Bible references holy of holies in 14 verses (King James Version).
Where does the Bible first mention holy of holies?
In canonical order, the first of these passages is Exodus 25:18: “And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.”
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