Dictionaries :: Ark

Ark:

Noah's ark, a building of gopher-wood, and covered with pitch, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits broad, and 30 cubits high (Gen 6:14-16); an oblong floating house of three stories, with a door in the side and a window in the roof. It was 100 years in building (Gen 5:32; 7:6). It was intended to preserve certain persons and animals from the deluge which God was about to bring over the earth. It contained eight persons (Gen 7:13; 2Pe 2:5), and of all "clean" animals seven pairs, and of "unclean" one pair, and of birds seven pairs of each sort (Gen 7:2,3). It was in the form of an oblong square, with flat bottom and sloping roof. Traditions of the Deluge, by which the race of man was swept from the earth, and of the ark of Noah have been found existing among all nations.

The ark of bulrushes in which the infant Moses was laid (Exd 2:3) is called in the Hebrew teebah, a word derived from the Egyptian teb, meaning "a chest." It was daubed with slime and with pitch. The bulrushes of which it was made were the papyrus reed.

The sacred ark is designated by a different Hebrew word, 'aron', which is the common name for a chest or coffer used for any purpose (Gen 50:26; 2Ki 12:9,10). It is distinguished from all others by such titles as the "ark of God" (1Sa 3:3), "ark of the covenant" (Jos 3:6; Hbr 9:4), "ark of the testimony" (Exd 25:22). It was made of acacia or shittim wood, a cubit and a half broad and high and two cubits long [BLB Note: Scripture states 2 and 1/2 cubits long], and covered all over with the purest gold. Its upper surface or lid, the mercy-seat, was surrounded with a rim of gold; and on each of the two sides were two gold rings, in which were placed two gold-covered poles by which the ark could be carried (Num 7:9; 10:21; 4:5,19,20; 1Ki 8:3,6). Over the ark, at the two extremities, were two cherubim, with their faces turned toward each other (Lev 16:2; Num 7:89). Their outspread wings over the top of the ark formed the throne of God, while the ark itself was his footstool (Exd 25:10-22; 37:1-9). The ark was deposited in the "holy of holies," and was so placed that one end of the poles by which it was carried touched the veil which separated the two apartments of the tabernacle (1Ki 8:8). The two tables of stone which constituted the "testimony" or evidence of God's covenant with the people (Deu 31:26), the "pot of manna" (Exd 16:33), and "Aaron's rod that budded" (Num 17:10), were laid up in the ark (Hbr 9:4). (See TABERNACLE) The ark and the sanctuary were "the beauty of Israel" (Lam 2:1). During the journeys of the Israelites the ark was carried by the priests in advance of the host (Num 4:5,6; 10:33-36; Psa 68:1; 132:8). It was borne by the priests into the bed of the Jordan, which separated, opening a pathway for the whole of the host to pass over (Jos 3:15,16; 4:7,10,11,17,18). It was borne in the procession round Jericho (Jos 6:4,6,8,11,12). When carried it was always wrapped in the veil, the badgers' skins, and blue cloth, and carefully concealed even from the eyes of the Levites who carried it. After the settlement of Israel in Palestine the ark remained in the tabernacle at Gilgal for a season, and was then removed to Shiloh till the time of Eli, between 300 and 400 years (Jer 7:12), when it was carried into the field of battle so as to secure, as they supposed, victory to the Hebrews, and was taken by the Philistines (1Sa 4:3-11), who sent it back after retaining it seven months (1Sa 5:7,8). It remained then at Kirjath-jearim (7:1,2) till the time of David (twenty years), who wished to remove it to Jerusalem; but the proper mode of removing it having been neglected, Uzzah was smitten with death for putting "forth his hand to the ark of God," and in consequence of this it was left in the house of Obed-edom in Gath-rimmon for three months (2Sa 6:1-11), at the end of which time David removed it in a grand procession to Jerusalem, where it was kept till a place was prepared for it (12-19). It was afterwards deposited by Solomon in the temple (1Ki 8:6-9). When the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and plundered the temple, the ark was probably taken away by Nebuchadnezzar and destroyed, as no trace of it is afterwards to be found. The absence of the ark from the second temple was one of the points in which it was inferior to the first temple.

Ark:

see ARK OF BULRUSHES; ARK OF THE COVENANT; ARK OF NOAH

Ark: Box; Chest.

And they shall make an ARK of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. (Exodus 25:10)

Ark: 1. Noah's

Directions for building of,

Gen 6:14-16.

Noah and family preserved in,

Gen 6:18; 7:8; Mat 24:38; Hbr 11:7; 1Pe 3:20.

Animals saved in,

Gen 6:19, 20; 7:1-16.

Ark: 2. Of Bullrushes

Exd 2:3

Ark: 3. In the Tabernacle

Called the ARK OF THE COVENANT,

Num 10:33; Deu 31:26; Jos 4:7; 1Sa 4:3; 2Sa 15:24; 1Ch 15:25; 17:1; Jer 3:16; Hbr 9:4.

OF THE TESTIMONY,

Exd 30:6.

OF THE LORD,

Jos 4:11; 1Sa 4:6; 6:1; 2Sa 6:9; 15:12; 16:4.

OF GOD,

1Sa 3:3; 4:11, 17, 22; 6:3; 14:18; 2Sa 6:7; 7:2; 15:25; 1Ch 13:12; 15:1, 2, 15, 24; 16:1.

OF GOD'S STRENGTH,

2Ch 6:41.

Sanctification of,

Exd 30:26.

Ceremonies connected with, on the day of atonement,

Lev 16:13-15.

Holy,

2Ch 8:11; 35:3.

An oracle of God,

Num 10:33; 14:44; Jos 7:6-15; Jdg 20:27, 28; 1Sa 4:3, 4, 7; 1Ch 13:3; 16:4, 37; 2Ch 6:41; Psa 132:8.

See MERCY SEAT.

Directions for making,

Exd 25:10-15; 35:12.

Construction of,

Exd 37:1-5; Deu 10:3.

Contents of:

The law,

Exd 25:16, 21; 40:20; Deu 10:5; 31:26; 1Ki 8:9; 2Ch 5:10.

Aaron's rod,

Num 17:10; Hbr 9:4.

Pot of manna,

Exd 16:33, 34; Hbr 9:4.

Place of,

Exd 26:33; 40:21; 1Sa 3:3; 2Sa 7:2; Hbr 9:2-4.

How prepared for conveyance,

Num 4:5, 6.

Carried by Kohathites,

Num 3:30, 31; 4:4, 15; Deu 10:8; 1Ch 15:2, 15.

On special occasions carried by priests:

Crossing Jordan,

Jos 3:6, 14.

Siege of Jericho,

Jos 6:6.

Taken to battle,

Jos 6:6-20; 1Sa 4:3-22.

Captured by the Philstines,

1Sa 4:10, 11; Psa 78:61.

Returned by the Philistines,

1Sa 6.

Remains at the house of Abinadab,

1Sa 7:1, 2; 2Sa 6:4.

Remains in the house of Obed-edom,

2Sa 6:9-11.

Set up in Shiloh,

Jos 18:1; Jdg 20:27, 28; 1Sa 4:3, 4.

Set up in Jerusalem,

2Sa 6:12-17; 1Ch 6:31; 15; 16:1.

Removed from Jerusalem by Zadok at the time of Absalom's revolt, but returned by command of David,

2Sa 15:24-29.

Transferred to Solomon's temple,

1Ki 8:6-9; 2Ch 5:2-9; 35:3.

Prophecy concerning,

Jer 3:16.

In John's vision,

Rev 11:19.

Ark:

"a wooden box, a chest," is used of

(a) Noah's vessel, Mat 24:38; Luk 17:27; Hbr 11:7; 1Pe 3:20;

(b) the "ark" of the Covenant in the Tabernacle, Hbr 9:4;

(c) the "ark" seen in vision in the Heavenly Temple, Rev 11:19.