דברי הימים א, פרק כ״ח, פסוק י״ח

King David passes down the precise blueprints and raw materials for the most sacred, innermost vessels of the Temple to his son Solomon. The detailed instructions focus on two central elements: the incense altar and the Cherubim positioned above the Ark of the Covenant.

For the incense altar, David provides the exact weight of refined gold required for its construction. This specific material is completely pure, having undergone a thorough process of smelting and cleansing to remove all impurities [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רש"י].

The instructions then turn to the Cherubim, which are uniquely associated with the concept of a chariot. The primary approach among commentators is that these figures served as a physical symbol and representation of God's heavenly chariot, upon which His Divine Presence rests [רש"י, רלב"ג, מלבי"ם]. Beyond this spiritual concept, there is a visual connection to the prophetic vision of the heavenly chariot experienced by Ezekiel. The Cherubim in the Temple closely resembled the holy creatures of that celestial chariot, as they too possessed the faces of humans or infants [רד"ק, מצודת דוד]. Furthermore, the chariot imagery hints at the massive scale of the two new Cherubim that Solomon was destined to build, which would stand ten cubits high and share a combined wingspan of twenty cubits [רלב"ג].

Regarding their purpose, the primary approach among commentators is that these golden figures had a specific protective function. They were designed to stand with their wings fully spread and stretched upward. In this position, they formed a canopy that covered and shielded the Ark of the Covenant.