2 Chronicles 5:10 – Why does this verse say only the tablets were in the Ark when Hebrews 9:4 mentions additional items, creating a seeming contradiction?

1. Overview of the Passages

2 Chronicles 5:10 states, “There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb.” Meanwhile, Hebrews 9:4 says that the Ark contained “the golden jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.” This appears to create a discrepancy: Were there additional items in the Ark, or were the tablets alone inside?

The question revolves around the timing, historical context, and precise language of these verses, as well as the Ark’s contents throughout different periods of Israel’s history.

2. Historical and Cultural Context

The Ark of the Covenant, built according to the instructions given to Moses (Exodus 25), originally resided in the Tabernacle. It served as the sacred container holding the tablets of the Law received at Sinai (also called Horeb). Over time, tradition and scriptural passages suggest that certain items either were placed “in” or “beside” the Ark:

• The two tablets of the covenant (Deuteronomy 10:2).

• The jar of manna (Exodus 16:33–34).

• Aaron’s staff that budded (Numbers 17:10–11).

By the era of King Solomon (around the mid-10th century BC), the Ark was moved into the Holy of Holies of the newly built Temple (1 Kings 8:1–9; 2 Chronicles 5:2–10). Archaeological and textual studies indicate that, whereas Israel’s worship practices and the arrangement of the Tabernacle objects had been fairly mobile in earlier centuries, the Temple dedication marked a more permanent place of worship.

3. Reading 2 Chronicles 5:10 in Context

In 2 Chronicles 5:10, the chronicler notes, “There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb.” This passage focuses on what was physically inside the Ark at the time of Solomon’s Temple dedication. By then, the other items of significance—Aaron’s staff and the jar of manna—may have been stored inside the Tabernacle or Temple or placed beside the Ark, as opposed to being literally inside it.

Some interpret that earlier references indicate these other items were placed “before the Testimony” (Exodus 16:33–34; Numbers 17:10), which can mean adjacent to or in front of the Ark in the Holy of Holies. Over centuries, these objects could have been removed or lost, especially amid relocations, or they could have had a designated position near the Ark rather than within it.

4. Reading Hebrews 9:4 in Its Context

Hebrews 9:4 describes the original significance of the Ark’s sacred relics: “It held the golden jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.” The context here is a reflection on the Tabernacle’s original setup as ordained in Exodus and Numbers, illustrating the fullness of God’s provision, authority, and covenant.

Most scholars note that Hebrews 9:1–5 provides a broad overview of the sacred objects associated with the Ark in the Tabernacle. The description does not limit itself strictly to what was still present inside the Ark at a specific historical moment (like Solomon’s Temple dedication), but rather recounts the entire set of holy items that belonged to the Ark’s storied past.

5. Possible Harmonizations

1. Timing and Removal of Items

Many conclude that the jar of manna and Aaron’s staff were originally kept in or directly before the Ark, but that by Solomon’s time, only the tablets remained inside. The Deuteronomy (10:2, 5) instructions give prominence to the tablets themselves, and the chronicler in 2 Chronicles focuses on the Ark’s interior at that specific dedication event.

2. ‘In the Ark’ vs. ‘Before the Ark’

The Old Testament Hebrew commonly uses phrases like “in front of” or “before.” Exodus 16:34 says, “So Aaron placed it before the Testimony.” Numbers 17:10 likewise mentions placing Aaron’s staff “before the Testimony.” While this wording can mean inside the Ark, it often means in close proximity, within the same most holy area. The understanding in Hebrews of their earlier association with the Ark does not necessarily contradict 2 Chronicles, which reports what remained inside at the later date.

3. Focus of the Chronicler

The Chronicler’s main point is to highlight the enduring presence of the covenant tablets, emblematic of Israel’s relationship with God (2 Chronicles 5:10). The gold jar of manna and Aaron’s budded staff are still recognized by the broader Scripture (Hebrews 9:4) as historically linked to the Ark. However, by the time the Temple was dedicated, these other items were likely no longer physically inside it.

4. Manuscript Consistency

Over centuries of copying, there is no substantial manuscript evidence suggesting that 2 Chronicles has been altered to excise references to Aaron’s staff or the manna. The major Hebrew manuscripts (including the Masoretic Text) and the earliest Greek translations (Septuagint) consistently record only the tablets as being in the Ark at that point. This consistency underscores that the chronicler’s perspective—which focuses on the Ark’s most crucial contents, the tablets—remained intact through textual transmission.

5. Theological Emphasis

Both passages ultimately shape an understanding of God’s covenant faithfulness. The Ark memorialized His Law (the tablets), provision (manna), and affirmation of leadership (Aaron’s staff). Solomon’s generation would associate the Ark especially with the covenant tablets, reflecting God’s unchanging Word to Israel, while the author of Hebrews, centering on a broader theological argument, reminds believers that God provided manna and affirmed His chosen priesthood in the wilderness. These truths do not contradict but rather underscore different focal points of Scripture.

6. Conclusion

When 2 Chronicles 5:10 says “only the tablets” were in the Ark, it refers to the state of its contents at the time of Solomon’s Temple dedication. Hebrews 9:4, describing the Ark from the wider vantage of Israel’s wilderness history, recalls all the items historically linked with it—from manna in the wilderness to the staff that confirmed God’s chosen priests, in addition to the covenant tablets.

Both passages align once the Ark’s historical movement and the placement of sacred objects are taken into account. The tablets were always considered the primary contents, but the jar of manna and Aaron’s staff, although mentioned in Hebrews, were apparently not found inside by the chronicler’s era—likely placed elsewhere or removed. This harmonization reflects consistent biblical testimony rather than a contradiction, emphasizing the constant function of the Ark as a testament to God’s enduring covenant with His people.