Exodus 37:7

Summary

The verse describes the making of two cherubim of gold, worked by hammering, positioned at the two ends of the kapporet (the cover of the ark). It specifies both the material technique and the placement of these two figures.

Key words

• va-Ya'as ("and he made", H6213H) — qal narrative verb opening the clause, continuing the sequence of construction actions from the preceding verses.
• khe.ru.Vim ("cherubim", H3742) — masculine plural noun, the object crafted; no article, functioning as an indefinite plural following the numeral.
• miqShah ("hammered work", H4749) — feminine singular noun describing the metalworking technique applied to the gold.
• 'a.Sah ("he made", H6213H) — second qal perfect verb in the verse, restating the making-action specifically in connection with the technique (miqshah), distinct from the first va-ya'as.
• ka.Po.ret ("atonement cover", H3727) — feminine singular noun with definite article ha ("the", H9009), naming the object at whose ends the cherubim are situated.

What the text says

The Hebrew sentence contains two verbs built on the same root 'asah (H6213H): the first, va-ya'as ("and he made"), is a narrative qal form that advances the story; the second, 'asah ("he made"), is a qal perfect used to specify how the cherubim were made — "hammered work" (miqshah). This repetition creates a structure where the general act of making is stated first ("he made two cherubim of gold"), then restated with the technical qualifier ("hammered work he made them"), placing emphasis on the manufacturing method rather than introducing a new action.

The phrase shenei kheruvim ("two cherubim", H8147 + H3742) uses the construct form of the numeral "two" (H8147) governing the plural noun, indicating a pair. The object marker 'otam ("them", H0853 + H9038) refers back to the cherubim, and the prepositional phrase mi-shenei qetzot ha-kapporet ("from the two ends of the atonement cover", H9006 + H8147 + H7098 + H9009 + H3727) locates the cherubim at the two extremities of the kapporet, using another construct chain ("ends of the cover") to specify their position.

Differences between versions

The Vulgate (VULCLEM) renders the verse with cherubim ex auro ductili ("cherubim of ductile/malleable gold"), matching the Hebrew miqshah concept of worked metal, and adds quos posuit ("which he placed"), making explicit a placement verb not present as a separate lexeme in the Hebrew, where placement is expressed only through the prepositional phrase mi-shenei qetzot. The LXX text provided (LXXSWETE) does not correspond to this verse; it describes the making of the court (ten aulen) and its hangings, showing a different content than the Hebrew verse on cherubim and the kapporet.