Home/Topics/Mercy Seat

What the Bible Says About Mercy Seat

Overview

The Bible addresses mercy seat across 45 verses, drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. These passages cluster most in Exodus, Leviticus and Hebrews. Closely related themes include Tabernacle, Types of Christ, Liberality and Theocracy, The, or Immediate Government By God. Figures whose stories touch this theme include Moses, David, Bezaleel and Hur.

Key Bible verses about mercy seat

Old Testament

Exodus

Exodus 25:17

And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

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.

Exodus 25:19

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. of: or, of the matter of the mercy seat

Exodus 25:20

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.

Exodus 25:21

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.

Exodus 25:22

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.

Exodus 26:34

And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.

Exodus 30:6

And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.

Exodus 30:36

And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.

Exodus 31:2

See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

Exodus 31:3

And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

Exodus 31:7

The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle, furniture: Heb. vessels

Exodus 35:4

And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying,

Exodus 35:5

Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,

Exodus 35:6

And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,

Exodus 35:7

And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,

Exodus 35:8

And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,

Exodus 35:9

And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.

Exodus 35:10

And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded;

Exodus 35:11

The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets,

Exodus 35:12

The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering,

Exodus 37:1

And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:

Exodus 37:6

And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

Exodus 37:7

And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat; on: or, out of, etc

Exodus 37:8

One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof. on the end: or, out of, etc on the other end: or, out of, etc

Exodus 37:9

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.

Exodus 40:20

And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:

Leviticus

Leviticus 16:2

And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

Leviticus 16:13

And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:

Leviticus 16:14

And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

Leviticus 16:15

Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:

People in the Bible and mercy seat

Biblical figures whose stories intersect with this theme.

In the Bible dictionary

Studying mercy seat for yourself

  • Begin with Exodus 25:17, then read the passages below in canonical order.
  • Compare how Exodus, Leviticus and Hebrews each treat the theme.
  • Consider the lives of Moses, David and Bezaleel and how their stories intersect with it.
  • Widen the study to related themes: Tabernacle, Types of Christ, Liberality and Theocracy, The, or Immediate Government By God.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Bible say about mercy seat?

The Bible addresses mercy seat across 45 verses, drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. These passages cluster most in Exodus, Leviticus and Hebrews. Closely related themes include Tabernacle, Types of Christ, Liberality and Theocracy, The, or Immediate Government By God. Figures whose stories touch this theme include Moses, David, Bezaleel and Hur.

How many Bible verses are about mercy seat?

The Bible references mercy seat in 45 verses (King James Version).

Where does the Bible first mention mercy seat?

In canonical order, the first of these passages is Exodus 25:17: “And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.”

Which people in the Bible are associated with mercy seat?

Moses, David, Bezaleel, Hur and Aaron.

Preach & teach

Outline a sermon or build a study series on mercy seat.

Preach a series on Mercy Seat