In biblical times, the concept of a "lid" is most prominently associated with the Ark of the Covenant, specifically referred to as the "mercy seat." The Hebrew term "kapporet" is often translated as "mercy seat" or "atonement cover," and it served as the lid for the Ark of the Covenant, which was housed in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle and later the Temple.

The Mercy Seat

The mercy seat was a significant element in the religious life of ancient Israel. It was crafted from pure gold and featured two cherubim with outstretched wings facing each other, symbolizing the presence and majesty of God. The mercy seat was not merely a lid but a sacred space where God promised to meet with Moses and communicate His will to the Israelites. In Exodus 25:22 , God declares, "And I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the Ark of the Testimony; I will speak with you about all that I command you regarding the Israelites."

Function and Symbolism

The mercy seat played a crucial role during the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), as described in Leviticus 16. On this solemn day, the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place and sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial animal on the mercy seat to atone for the sins of the people. This act symbolized the covering or removal of sin, highlighting the mercy and forgiveness of God. The mercy seat thus served as a physical representation of God's throne on earth, emphasizing His holiness and the need for atonement.

New Testament Understanding

In the New Testament, the concept of the mercy seat is fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 3:25 , refers to Christ as the "atonement cover" or "propitiation," indicating that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of what the mercy seat represented. "God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand."

Broader Uses of Lids

While the mercy seat is the most theologically significant "lid" in the Bible, lids in a more general sense were common in everyday life in ancient times. Containers, jars, and other vessels often had lids to protect their contents, whether food, oil, or other valuable items. These practical uses of lids underscore the importance of protection and preservation in daily life, reflecting a broader biblical theme of God's protection over His people.

Cultural and Historical Context

The construction and use of lids, including the mercy seat, reflect the broader cultural and historical context of the ancient Near East. The craftsmanship of the mercy seat, with its intricate design and use of gold, aligns with the artistic and religious practices of the time, where precious materials were often used in the worship of deities. The biblical narrative, however, sets the mercy seat apart as a unique and divinely ordained object, central to the worship and covenant relationship between God and Israel.

In summary, the concept of a lid in the Bible, particularly the mercy seat, carries profound theological significance, symbolizing God's presence, mercy, and the need for atonement, ultimately pointing to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.1. (n.) That which covers the opening of a vessel or box, etc.; a movable cover; as, the lid of a chest or trunk.

2. (n.) The cover of the eye; an eyelid.

3. (n.) The cover of the spore cases of mosses.

4. (n.) A calyx which separates from the flower, and falls off in a single piece, as in the Australian Eucalypti.

5. (n.) The top of an ovary which opens transversely, as in the fruit of the purslane and the tree which yields Brazil nuts.

1368. diulizo -- to strain thoroughly, strain out
... to strain thoroughly, strain out. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: diulizo
Phonetic Spelling: (dee-oo-lid'-zo) Short Definition: I strain, put through a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1368.htm - 6k

2435. hilasterion -- propitiatory
... 2435 (a substantival adjective, derived from 2433 , "to propitiate") -- the ; the
lid of the golden ark (the ) where the blood of a vicarious lamb appeased ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2435.htm - 7k

2929. krustallizo -- to shine like crystal
... to shine like crystal. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: krustallizo Phonetic
Spelling: (kroos-tal-lid'-zo) Short Definition: I am clear as crystal ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2929.htm - 6k

5136. trachelizo -- to take by the throat, to overthrow
... to take by the throat, to overthrow. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: trachelizo
Phonetic Spelling: (trakh-ay-lid'-zo) Short Definition: I am laid bare ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5136.htm - 6k

2528. kathoplizo -- to arm fully
... to arm fully. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: kathoplizo Phonetic Spelling:
(kath-op-lid'-zo) Short Definition: I arm completely Definition: I arm ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2528.htm - 7k

835. aulizomai -- to lodge in the open, to lodge
... to lodge in the open, to lodge. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: aulizomai
Phonetic Spelling: (ow-lid'-zom-ahee) Short Definition: I lodge, pass the night ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/835.htm - 6k

3695. hoplizo -- to make ready, to equip
... to make ready, to equip. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: hoplizo Phonetic
Spelling: (hop-lid'-zo) Short Definition: I arm, equip Definition: I make ready ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3695.htm - 6k

1817. deleth -- a door
... a door NASB Word Usage columns (1), door (21), door and leaves (1), doors (45),
doors had leaves (1), gates (11), gateway (1), leaves (1), lid (1), opening (1 ...
/hebrew/1817.htm - 6k

6079. aphaph -- eyelid
... dawning, eye-lid. From uwph; an eyelash (as fluttering); figuratively, morning ray --
dawning, eye-lid. see HEBREW uwph. 6078, 6079. aphaph. 6080 . ...
/hebrew/6079.htm - 6k

6781. tsamiyd -- bracelet
... bracelet, covering Or tsamid {tsaw-meed'}; from tsamad; a bracelet or arm-clasp;
generally, a lid -- bracelet, covering. see HEBREW tsamad. 6780, 6781. ...
/hebrew/6781.htm - 5k

3727. kapporeth -- propitiatory
... mercy seat. From kaphar; a lid (used only of the cover of the sacred Ark) -- mercy
seat. see HEBREW kaphar. 3726, 3727. kapporeth. 3728 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/3727.htm - 6k

8109. shemurah -- eyelid
... waking. Feminine of passive participle of shamar; something guarded, ie An eye-lid --
waking. see HEBREW shamar. 8108, 8109. shemurah. 8110 . Strong's Numbers
/hebrew/8109.htm - 6k

3810. Lo Debar -- "pastureless," a place in Gilead
... Or Low Dbar (2 Samuel 9:4, 2 Samuel 9:5) {lo deb-ar'}; or Lidbir (Joshua 13:26)
{lid-beer'}; (probably rather Lodbar {lo-deb-ar'}); from lo' and dober ...
/hebrew/3810.htm - 6k

Importance of Small Things in Religion
... Upon the lid of it were represented cherubic figures of angels; and between the
wings of the cherubim, when the ark was at rest, there was seen that ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/importance of small things in.htm

In the Next Place, as it is his Object to Slander Our Scriptures.. ...
... The woman's hands a mighty casket bear; She lifts the lid; she scatters griefs
in air: ... The woman's hand had dropp'd the lid above." [3854]. ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter xxxviii in the next.htm

The Ark of his Covenant
... Over the top of the lid of that sacred coffer which was called the ark, there shone
an amazing light which was the index of the presence of God. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 41 1895/the ark of his covenant.htm

What the Big Chest Contained
... Scarcely had the last screw been removed when up came the lid; and almost instantly
three pairs of eager eyes were greedily gazing down upon the contents of ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/byrum/how john became a man/chapter iii what the big.htm

The Close of the Theban Empire --(Continued)
... [Illustration: 023a.jpg COFFIN-LID]. Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a photograph
by M. de Mertens. [Illustration: 023b.jpg COFFIN-LID]. ...
/.../chapter ithe close of the.htm

Two Coverings and Two Consequences
... no; there was put over the top of the ark, as a lid which covered it all, a golden
lid called the mercy-seat, and when the Lord looked down he looked upon that ...
/.../spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/two coverings and two consequences.htm

Two Coverings and Two Consequences
... no; there was put over the top of the ark, as a lid which covered it all, a golden
lid called the mercy-seat, and when the Lord looked down he looked upon that ...
/.../spurgeons sermons volume 62 1916/two coverings and two consequences.htm

Christianity
... forgotten by the world that scarcely heard the tolling of his funeral bell, and
had no time to stay and hear the falling of the grave clods upon the coffin lid ...
/.../haldeman/christ christianity and the bible/christianity.htm

Immortality of the Soul, and a Future State.
... of misery, they tell us that our forefather, according to the Pagan theology, had
a great vessel presented him by Pandora upon his lifting up the lid of it ...
/.../sect x immortality of the.htm

A Letter from Origen to Gregory.
... For from the things which the children of Israel took from the Egyptians the vessels
in the holy of holies were made,"the ark with its lid, and the Cherubim ...
//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origens letters/a letter from origen to 2.htm

Lid (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) That which covers the opening of a vessel or box,
etc.; a movable cover; as, the lid of a chest or trunk. ...Lid (2 Occurrences). ...
/l/lid.htm - 7k

Propitiation (4 Occurrences)
... translators in Exodus 25:17 and elsewhere as the equivalent for the Hebrew kapporeth,
which means "covering," and is used of the lid of the ark of the covenant ...
/p/propitiation.htm - 15k

Cover (254 Occurrences)
... 11. (n.) Anything which is laid, set, or spread, upon, about, or over, another
thing; an envelope; a lid; as, the cover of a book. 12. ...
/c/cover.htm - 40k

Chest (15 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) A large box of wood, or other material, having,
like a trunk, a lid, but no covering of skin, leather, or cloth. ...
/c/chest.htm - 15k

Lydia (5 Occurrences)
...lid'-ia (Ludia): An important country in the western part of Asia Minor bounded
on the North by Mysia, on the East by Phrygia, on the South by Caria, and on ...
/l/lydia.htm - 12k

Mercyseat (1 Occurrence)
... (Hebrews kapporeth, a "covering;" LXX. and NT, hilasterion; Vulg., propitiatorium),
the covering or lid of the ark of the covenant (qv). ...
/m/mercyseat.htm - 9k

Mercy-seat (23 Occurrences)
... (Hebrews kapporeth, a "covering;" LXX. and NT, hilasterion; Vulg., propitiatorium),
the covering or lid of the ark of the covenant (qv). ...
/m/mercy-seat.htm - 16k

Covering (191 Occurrences)
... The covering of the ark (mikhceh, Genesis 8:13) was possibly the lid of
a hatchway (compare Mitchell, World before Abraham, 215). ...
/c/covering.htm - 39k

Covenant (309 Occurrences)
... Upon the top of the ark, probably not as a lid but above the lid, the kapporeth,
in the New Testament to hilasterion (Hebrews 9:5), is to be placed, which was ...
/c/covenant.htm - 101k

Ark (212 Occurrences)
... 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 ...
/a/ark.htm - 84k

What is the Ark of the Covenant? | GotQuestions.org

What is the ark of the testimony? | GotQuestions.org

What is the mercy seat? | GotQuestions.org

Lid: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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