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
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.
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 put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.
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.
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.
See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
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
And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying,
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,
And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,
And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded;
The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets,
The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering,
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:
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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:
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.
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:
Numbers
And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him. with him: that is, with God
And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
1 Chronicles
And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the LORD, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.
Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,
Psalms
To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. of: or, for
The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. be moved: Heb. stagger
New Testament
Hebrews
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.
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 →