King James Bible Dictionary

Noah's ark, a building of gopher-wood, and covered with pitch, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits broad, and 30 cubits high (Genesis 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 (Genesis 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 (Genesis 7:13; 2 Peter 2:5), and of all "clean" animals seven pairs, and of "unclean" one pair, and of birds seven pairs of each sort (Genesis 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 (Exodus 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 (Genesis 50:26; 2 Kings 12:9, 10). It is distinguished from all others by such titles as the "ark of God" (1 Samuel 3:3), "ark of the covenant" (Joshua 3:6; Hebrews 9:4), "ark of the testimony" (Exodus 25:22). It was made of acacia or shittim wood, a cubit and a half broad and high and two 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 (Numbers 7:9; 10:21; 4:5, 19, 20; 1 Kings 8:3, 6). Over the ark, at the two extremities, were two cherubim, with their faces turned toward each other (Leviticus 16:2; Numbers 7:89). Their outspread wings over the top of the ark formed the throne of God, while the ark itself was his footstool (Exodus 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 (1 Kings 8:8). The two tables of stone which constituted the "testimony" or evidence of God's covenant with the people (Deuteronomy 31:26), the "pot of manna" (Exodus 16:33), and "Aaron's rod that budded" (Numbers 17:10), were laid up in the ark (Hebrews 9:4). (See TABERNACLE) The ark and the sanctuary were "the beauty of Israel" (Lamentations 2:1). During the journeys of the Israelites the ark was carried by the priests in advance of the host (Numbers 4:5, 6; 10:33-36; Psalms 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 (Joshua 3:15, 16; 4:7, 10, 11, 17, 18). It was borne in the procession round Jericho (Joshua 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 (Jeremiah 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 (1 Samuel 4:3-11), who sent it back after retaining it seven months (1 Samuel 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 (2 Samuel 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 (1 Kings 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.

1. Noah's

Directions for building of
Genesis 6:14-16

Noah and family preserved in
Genesis 6:18; Genesis 7:8; Matthew 24:38; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20

Animals saved in
Genesis 6:19-20; Genesis 7:1-16

2. Of Bulrushes
Exodus 2:3

3. In the Tabernacle

Called:

Ark of the Covenant
Numbers 10:33; Deuteronomy 31:26; Joshua 4:7; 1 Samuel 4:3; 2 Samuel 15:24; 1 Chronicles 15:25; 1 Chronicles 17:1; Jeremiah 3:16; Hebrews 9:4

Ark of the Testimony
Exodus 30:6

Ark of the Lord
Joshua 4:11; 1 Samuel 4:6; 1 Samuel 6:1; 2 Samuel 6:9; 2 Samuel 15:12; 2 Samuel 16:4

Ark of God
1 Samuel 3:3; 1 Samuel 4:11; 1 Samuel 4:17; 1 Samuel 4:22; 1 Samuel 6:3; 1 Samuel 14:18; 2 Samuel 6:7; 2 Samuel 7:2; 2 Samuel 15:25; 1 Chronicles 13:12; 1 Chronicles 15:1-2; 1 Chronicles 15:15; 1 Chronicles 15:24; 1 Chronicles 16:1

Ark of God's Strength
2 Chronicles 6:41

Sanctification of
Exodus 30:26

Ceremonies connected with, on the day of atonement
Leviticus 16:13-15

Holy
2 Chronicles 8:11; 2 Chronicles 35:3

An oracle of God
Numbers 10:33; Numbers 14:44; Joshua 7:6-15; Judges 20:27-28; 1 Samuel 4:3-4; 1 Samuel 4:7; 1 Chronicles 13:3; 1 Chronicles 16:4; 1 Chronicles 16:37; 2 Chronicles 6:41; Psalms 132:8
Mercy-Seat

Directions for making
Exodus 25:10-15; Exodus 35:12

Construction of
Exodus 37:1-5; Deuteronomy 10:3

Contents of:

The law
Exodus 25:16; Exodus 25:21; Exodus 40:20; Deuteronomy 10:5; Deuteronomy 31:26; 1 Kings 8:9; 2 Chronicles 5:10

Aaron's rod
Numbers 17:10; Hebrews 9:4

Pot of manna
Exodus 16:33-34; Hebrews 9:4

Place of
Exodus 26:33; Exodus 40:21; 1 Samuel 3:3; 2 Samuel 7:2; Hebrews 9:2-4

How prepared for conveyance
Numbers 4:5-6

Carried by Kohathites
Numbers 3:30-31; Numbers 4:4; Numbers 4:15; Deuteronomy 10:8; 1 Chronicles 15:2; 1 Chronicles 15:15

On special occasions carried by priests:

Crossing Jordan
Joshua 3:6; Joshua 3:14

Siege of Jericho
Joshua 6:6

Taken to battle
Joshua 6:6-20; 1 Samuel 4:3-22

Captured by the Philistines
1 Samuel 4:10-11; Psalms 78:61

Returned by the Philistines
Psalms 9:6

Remains at the house of Abinadab
1 Samuel 7:1-2; 2 Samuel 6:4

Remains in the house of Obed-Edom
2 Samuel 6:9-11

Set up in Shiloh
Joshua 18:1; Judges 20:27-28; 1 Samuel 4:3-4

Set up in Jerusalem
2 Samuel 6:12-17; 1 Chronicles 6:31; 1 Chronicles 13:15; 1 Chronicles 16:1

Removed from Jerusalem by Zadok at the time of Absalom's revolt, but returned by command of David
2 Samuel 15:24-29

Transferred to Solomon's temple
1 Kings 8:6-9; 2 Chronicles 5:2-9; 2 Chronicles 35:3

Prophecy concerning
Jeremiah 3:16

In John's vision
Revelation 11:19

'ARK, noun [Latin arca.]

1. A small close vessel, chest or coffer, such as that which was the repository of the tables of the covenant among the Jews. This was about three feet nine inches in length. The lid was the propitiatory, or mercy seat, over which were the cherubs. The vessel in which Moses was set afloat upon the Nile was an ark of bulrushes.

2. The large floating vessel, in which Noah and his family were preserved, during the deluge.

3. A depository.

Arise, O Lord, into thy rest, thou and the ark of thy strength. Psalms 132:8.

4. A large boat used on American rivers, to transport produce to market.