Today we will begin a short series of posts about the Ark of the Covenant and other vessels of the Temple.
In the original Hebrew the Ark of the Covenant has three different main names:
1: “Aron Ha-Brit” {ארון הברית}– literally means ‘the Ark of the Covenant.’ This is the most popular Hebrew name for the Ark and can be found in the Hebrew Bible mainly in the Book of Deuteronomy and the Book of Joshua.
“And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.” (Joshua 3:6)
2: “Aron Ha-Edut” {ארון העדות}– literally means ‘the Ark of the Testimony’ and can be found in the Book of Exodus in general and in our weekly Torah portion in particular.
“There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony…” (Exodus 25:22)
3: “Aron Ha-Elohim” {ארון האלוהים}– literally means ‘the Ark of God’ and can be found in the Book of Samuel (1 and 2) and in the Book of Chronicles (1 and 2).
“And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim.” (2 Samuel 6:2)