Hebrews 9:3-6

9:3 And after the second curtain there was a tent called the holy of holies. 9:4 It contained the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered entirely with gold. In this ark ¹  were the golden urn containing the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 9:5 And above the ark ²  were the cherubim ³  of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Now is not the time to speak of these things in detail. 9:6 So with these things prepared like this, the priests enter continually into the outer tent ⁴  as they perform their duties.

¹ tn Grk “in which”; in the translation the referent (the ark) has been specified for clarity.

² tn Grk “above it”; in the translation the referent (the ark) has been specified for clarity.

³ sn The cherubim (pl.) were an order of angels mentioned repeatedly in the OT but only here in the NT. They were associated with God’s presence, glory, and holiness. Their images that sat on top of the ark of the covenant are described in Exod 25:18-20.

⁴ tn Grk “the first tent.”