כַּפֹּרֶת (kap.po.ret)
kap.po.ret
mercy seat
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 22 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun kapporeth refers specifically to the golden lid placed atop the Ark of the Covenant, a central feature in the instructions for the tabernacle found in Exodus 25:17 and 37:7. Derived from the root meaning "to cover" or "to atone," this term identifies the physical object that served as the focal point for divine presence and reconciliation between God and Israel.
Its most significant role appears during the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest sprinkled blood before it to secure forgiveness for the people (Leviticus 16:14-15). The ancient Greek translation rendered this word as hilasterion, a term that emphasizes its function as a place of propitiation where God's wrath was turned away. This lexical choice highlights the theological weight of the object as the meeting place where heaven and earth touched.
While often translated as "mercy seat," the Hebrew root points more toward covering sin than merely showing mercy. The sources indicate that this specific vocabulary is unique to the sanctuary context, marking it as a technical term for the sacred cover adorned with cherubim whose wings overshadowed the space above the ark.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word kapporeth refers to the golden lid placed over the Ark of the Covenant. It was not merely a decorative cover but the specific place where God promised to meet with His people. In the ancient tabernacle, this object stood between the holy and the most holy, marking the boundary where heaven touched earth.
Its primary function was tied to atonement. During the Day of Atonement, the high priest sprinkled blood on this surface to cover the sins of Israel. This act demonstrated that forgiveness required a sacrifice. The presence of cherubim above it signified that God’s glory rested upon this place of mercy.
For your faith, this word reminds us that approach to God is possible only through atonement. It points to the reality that sin separates us from holiness, yet God provides a way for reconciliation. We look back to this symbol and forward to the ultimate sacrifice that fulfills its meaning.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 22 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ atonement cover25×
- an atonement cover of1×
- an atonement cover1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/כַּפֹּֽרֶת\׃6×
- הַ/כַּפֹּ֛רֶת5×
- הַ/כַּפֹּ֔רֶת5×
- הַ/כַּפֹּ֗רֶת3×
- הַ/כַּפֹּ֖רֶת3×
- כַּפֹּ֖רֶת1×
- כַפֹּ֖רֶת1×
- הַ/כַּפֹּ֜רֶת1×
- הַ/כַּפֹּ֙רֶת֙1×
- הַ/כַּפֹּ֑רֶת1×
Key Verses
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Exodus 25:22
There I will meet with you, and I will tell you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the covenant, all that I command you for the children of Israel.
This verse establishes the kapporeth as the designated meeting place where God speaks to Moses from above the cherubim.
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Leviticus 16:14
He shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
Here the high priest sprinkles blood directly on the mercy seat, showing its role in securing forgiveness for the people.
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Exodus 25:17
You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two and a half cubits shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its width.
This instruction defines the physical construction of the object, specifying it must be made of pure gold.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does kapporeth mean?
How is it different from the Ark itself?
Where does this word appear most often?
Every Occurrence (22 verses across 4 books)
Exodus 16 verses
You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two and a half cubits shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its width.
Exodus 25:18You shall make two cherubim of hammered gold. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
Exodus 25:19Make one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. You shall make the cherubim on its two ends of one…
Exodus 25:20The cherubim shall spread out their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one…
Exodus 25:21You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the covenant that I will give you.
Exodus 25:22There I will meet with you, and I will tell you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on…
Exodus 26:34You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant in the most holy place.
Exodus 30:6You shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the covenant, before the mercy seat that is over the covenant,…
Exodus 31:7the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the covenant, the mercy seat that is on it, all the furniture of the Tent,
Exodus 35:12the ark, and its poles, the mercy seat, the veil of the screen;
Exodus 37:6He made a mercy seat of pure gold. Its length was two and a half cubits, and a cubit and a half its width.
Exodus 37:7He made two cherubim of gold. He made them of beaten work, at the two ends of the mercy seat:
Exodus 37:8one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. He made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at…
Exodus 37:9The cherubim spread out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one…
Exodus 39:35the ark of the covenant with its poles, the mercy seat,
Exodus 40:20He took and put the covenant into the ark, and set the poles on the ark, and put the mercy seat above on the ark.