The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits; the one cherub stood on the other's feet, and both were facing toward the nave — The cherubim's feet touched the floor (one cherub 'stood on' or near the other's feet), anchoring them in space, while their wings extended upward and outward. Both faced toward the outer sanctuary (הַבַּיִת—the great house beyond the inner sanctum), orienting them toward the direction from which the high priest would enter. This outward-facing orientation created a visual hierarchy: approaching the inner sanctum, one faced creatures looking outward, establishing protective threshold. The 20-cubit wingspan repeated the chamber's dimensions, creating perfect proportional unity. The phrase 'one cherub stood on the other's feet' (עַל־רַגְלֵי־הַכְּרוּב הַאֶחָד) is unusual and perhaps textually uncertain; it may indicate the cherubim's bases touched or overlapped. The outward orientation meant priests or the high priest, moving toward the ark, approached from behind the cherubim's gaze, creating a ritual geography.

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