What does Hebrews 9:5 mean?

This verse makes a point often lost when interpreting verses 1 through 4. The purpose of this section is to summarize the main components used in the old covenant's sacrificial system. Later, these will be explained as symbols of the ministry of Jesus Christ. The writer is not seeking to give a deep, detailed explanation of exactly where each of these items is located. Rather, given more pressing concerns, the writer "cannot now speak in detail." Earlier verses listed temple artifacts such as the ark of the covenant, Aaron's staff, a container of manna, and so forth. These first five verses focus on such objects, while the next five focus on actions.

The last items mentioned here are the cherubim of the ark of the covenant. The ark was a wooden box, overlaid in gold, containing the tablets on which God had written the Law (Exodus 25:10–16). The cherubim mentioned here were small golden statues of angels with their wings swept forward, "overshadowing" the top of the ark (Exodus 25:17–22). This was the place where blood would be sprinkled as part of Israel's sacrifices for sin. Symbolically, this represents how the blood of a sacrifice is "seen" by God, rather than the broken and limited law written on the stone tablets.