Exodus 26:34

26:34 You are to put the atonement lid on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place.

Exodus 39:35

39:35 the ark of the testimony and its poles, and the atonement lid;

Exodus 25:17-18

25:17 “You are to make an atonement lid ¹  of pure gold; ²  its length is to be three feet nine inches, and its width is to be two feet three inches. 25:18 You are to make two cherubim ³  of gold; you are to make them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid.

Exodus 35:12

35:12 the ark, with its poles, the atonement lid, and the special curtain that conceals it;

Exodus 37:6-7

37:6 He made ⁴  an atonement lid of pure gold; its length was three feet nine inches, and its width was two feet three inches. 37:7 He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid,

[25:17]  ¹ tn The noun is כַּפֹּרֶת (kapporet), translated “atonement lid” or “atonement plate.” The traditional translation “mercy-seat” (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) came from Tyndale in 1530 and was also used by Luther in 1523. The noun is formed from the word “to make atonement.” The item that the Israelites should make would be more than just a lid for the ark. It would be the place where atonement was signified. The translation of “covering” is probably incorrect, for it derives from a rare use of the verb, if the same verb at all (the evidence shows “cover” is from another root with the same letters as this). The value of this place was that Yahweh sat enthroned above it, and so the ark essentially was the “footstool.” Blood was applied to the lid of the box, for that was the place of atonement (see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 269-270).

[25:17]  ² tn After verbs of making or producing, the accusative (like “gold” here) may be used to express the material from which something is made (see GKC 371 §117.hh).

[25:18]  ¹ tn The evidence suggests that the cherubim were composite angelic creatures that always indicated the nearness of God. So here images of them were to be crafted and put on each end of the ark of the covenant to signify that they were there. Ezekiel 1 describes four cherubim as each having human faces, four wings, and parts of different animals for their bodies. Traditions of them appear in the other cultures as well. They serve to guard the holy places and to bear the throne of God. Here they were to be beaten out as part of the lid.

[37:6]  ¹ tn Heb “and he made.”