Bede : The ark can also be taken figuratively as the holy church that is constructed from incorruptible wood, that is, from holy souls. Extended throughout the four quarters of the world, with faith in the holy gospel, the church expects from God the eternal crown of life. It contains in itself the tables of the covenant by continual meditation on the law of God. It also contains the golden urn with the manna as a guarantee of the Lord's incarnation, and Aaron's rod that budded as a sharing in the kingship and priesthood of the Lord; for the apostle Peter says, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood." Up above, it has the propitiatory to remind it that every good thing it possesses it has received from the generosity of divine grace. And on the propitiatory it has the glorious cherubim, signifying either the angelic assistance with which it is always aided by a gracious God or the Testaments in which it is taught how it ought to live and in what manner it ought to seek the aid of divine propitiation so that it may live properly. Now the cherubim were set over the propitiatory in this way, just as the city of Christ, that is, the holy church, is said to have been built upon the mountain, that is, upon Christ himself; not that his city can be higher than he but because it derives support from his assistance. The ark has cherubim over the propitiatory because both the angelic ministries and the divine eloquences surely give aid to the church insofar as they themselves stand firm upon the foundation of the highest truth. — On the Tabernacle 1.5.20-21 Bede : Now the golden urn in the ark holding the manna is the holy soul in Christ that contains in itself all the fullness of divinity. Aaron's rod that budded although cut off from the tree is the invincible power of his priesthood, concerning which the prophet says, "Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity." Even after it seemed for the time being to have been cut off through death, in the dawn of the resurrection morn it was found to have blossomed again all the more vigorously, and it became clear that it would remain forever imperishable and unfading. For "Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him." The tablets of the covenant in the ark indicate that all knowledge of the Father's secrets and all power of judgment are in Christ. For on the tablets of the covenant were inscribed the faith of the eternal divinity which creates and rules the world, and the commandments through which one ought to serve God, and the discerning judgment with which God rightly condemns those who hate God and with due mercy rewards those who love him. This, then, is the testimony that the Lord gave Moses to be put into the ark. It indicated the truth that we ought to confess in Christ about his flesh, his son, and his word. It showed that after the passion of death the same flesh would be glorified in the resurrection and lifted up in the eternal dignity of a king and priest. It taught that he alone is privy to the Father's secrets, just as truly as he is the judge of all worlds, of one and the same majesty with the Father. — On the Tabernacle 1.4.17 John Cassian : If you wish to achieve true knowledge of Scripture, you must hurry to achieve unshakable humility of heart. This is what will lead you not to the knowledge that puffs a person up but to the love which illuminates through the achievement of love. It is impossible for the unclean of heart to acquire the gift of spiritual knowledge. Therefore be very careful that your zeal for scriptural reading does not, because of empty pretentiousness, prove to be a cause of perdition instead of being for you the source of knowledgeable light and of the endless glory promised to the one enlightened by knowledge.Then, having banished all worldly concerns and thoughts, strive in every way to devote yourself constantly to the sacred reading, so that continuous meditation will seep into your soul and, as it were, will shape it to its image. Somehow it will form that "ark" of the Scriptures and will contain the two stone tablets, that is, the perpetual strength of the two Testaments. There will be the golden urn that is a pure and unstained memory and which will preserve firmly within itself the everlasting manna, that is, the eternal, heavenly sweetness of spiritual meanings and of that bread which belongs to the angels. The branch of Aaron is the saving standard of our exalted and true high priest, Jesus Christ. It leafs out forever in the greenness of undying memory. This is the branch that was cut from the root of Jesse and which after death comes more truly alive. Now all of these things are covered over by the two cherubim, that is, by the plentitude of historical and spiritual lore. "Cherubim" means knowledge in abundance. They provide an everlasting protection for that which appeases God, namely, the calm of your heart, and they will cast a shadow of protection against all the attacks of malignant spirits. And thus your soul will not only become the ark of God's testament, but it will be carried forward into a priestly realm. And, by its unfailing love of purity, its concentration upon the disciplines of the spirit, it will implement the priestly command imposed by the lawgiver, "He will not emerge from the holy place, lest he profane the sanctuary of God." That is, he will not depart from his own heart, where the Lord promised to live continuously when he said, "I will live and walk among them." — CONFERENCE 14.10 John Chrysostom : "Which had" (he says) "a golden Censer, and the ark of the Covenant overlaid round about with gold: wherein was the golden pot that held the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant." All these things were venerable and conspicuous memorials of the Jewish obstinacy; "and the tables of the covenant" (for they brake them) "And the manna" (for they murmured; and therefore handing on the memory thereof to posterity, He commanded it to be laid up in a golden pot). "And Aaron's rod that budded. And over it, the Cherubim of glory." What is "the Cherubim of glory"? He either means "the glorious," or those which are under God. "Shadowing the mercy-seat." But in another point of view also he extols these things in his discourse, in order to show that those which come after them are greater. "Of which" (he says) "we cannot now speak particularly." In these words he hints that these were not merely what was seen, but were a sort of enigmas. "Of which" (he says) "we cannot now speak particularly," perhaps because they needed a long discourse. — Homily on Hebrews 15 Methodius of Olympus : The pledge and earnest of a perpetual priesthood, furnished no contemptible symbol of thy supernatural child-bearing. On thy account, and the undefiled Incarnation of God, the Word, which by thee had place for the sake of that flesh which immutably and indivisibly remains with Him for ever. — Methodius Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna Oecumenius : "the Ark of the Covenant." It carries the symbols of the covenant, such as the tablets of the law and the others. "having a golden censor." All these were in the Ark, rebuking the ingratitude of the Jews. "the rod", because of the insurrection against the priesthood. the tablets, because the Jews had a ploy to break the first commandments. and the manna, because of their grumbling while eating. Therefore, these symbols should also be sent to their descendants for their caution. — The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews