A flat, gold object with two winged figures on top, used to cover the Covenant Box and associated with atonement rituals.
About Cover Lid
The “mercy seat” was a lid that covered the Covenant Box (see Covenant Box, Ark of the Covenant). It was rectangular with the same dimensions as the top of the Covenant Box. It was made of beaten gold. Standing on its top were two golden figures with wings, called literally “cherubim” (see Winged creatures, cherubim).
Key References
And you are to construct a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.
Set the mercy seat atop the ark and put the Testimony that I will give you into the ark.
And he is to take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the east side of the mercy seat; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the mercy seat.
All Scripture References (22)
Exodus (16)
And you are to construct a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.
Make two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the mercy seat,
one cherub on one end and one on the other, all made from one piece of gold.
And the cherubim are to have wings that spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the mercy seat.
Set the mercy seat atop the ark and put the Testimony that I will give you into the ark.
And I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony; I will speak with you about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.
Put the mercy seat on the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place.
Place the altar in front of the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony—before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony—where I will meet with you.
the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat upon it, and all the other furnishings of the tent—
the ark with its poles and mercy seat, and the veil to shield it;
He constructed a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.
He made two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the mercy seat,
one cherub on one end and one on the other, all made from one piece of gold.
And the cherubim had wings that spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the mercy seat.
the ark of the Testimony with its poles and the mercy seat;
Moses took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attaching the poles to the ark; and he set the mercy seat atop the ark.
Leviticus (4)
And the LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron not to enter freely into the Most Holy Place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.
He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the cloud of incense will cover the mercy seat above the Testimony, so that he will not die.
And he is to take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the east side of the mercy seat; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the mercy seat.
Aaron shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and bring its blood behind the veil, and with its blood he must do as he did with the bull’s blood: He is to sprinkle it against the mercy seat and in front of it.
Numbers (1)
When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the mercy seat on the ark of the Testimony. Thus the LORD spoke to him.
1 Chronicles (1)
Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, storehouses, upper rooms, inner rooms, and the room for the mercy seat.