1 And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
3 And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
4 And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.
7 It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.
8 And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
10 Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.
11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.
12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
13 And thou shalt make ouches of gold;
14 And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathed work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathed chains to the ouches.
15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
16 Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.
17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.
18 And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.
21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathed work of pure gold.
23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
24 And thou shalt put the two wreathed chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.
25 And the other two ends of the two wreathed chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.
26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.
27 And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
28 And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.
30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
32 And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.
33 And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.
35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.
36 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
38 And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.
39 And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.
40 And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.
1 And take H7126 thou unto thee Aaron H175 thy brother, H251 and his sons H1121 with him, from among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, H3547 even Aaron, H175 Nadab H5070 and Abihu, H30 Eleazar H499 and Ithamar, H385 Aaron's H175 sons. H1121
2 And thou shalt make H6213 holy H6944 garments H899 for Aaron H175 thy brother H251 for glory H3519 and for beauty. H8597
3 And thou shalt speak H1696 unto all that are wise H2450 hearted, H3820 whom I have filled H4390 with the spirit H7307 of wisdom, H2451 that they may make H6213 Aaron's H175 garments H899 to consecrate H6942 him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. H3547
4 And these are the garments H899 which they shall make; H6213 a breastplate, H2833 and an ephod, H646 and a robe, H4598 and a broidered H8665 coat, H3801 a mitre, H4701 and a girdle: H73 and they shall make H6213 holy H6944 garments H899 for Aaron H175 thy brother, H251 and his sons, H1121 that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. H3547
5 And they shall take H3947 gold, H2091 and blue, H8504 and purple, H713 and scarlet, H8144 H8438 and fine linen. H8336
6 And they shall make H6213 the ephod H646 of gold, H2091 of blue, H8504 and of purple, H713 of scarlet, H8144 H8438 and fine twined H7806 linen, H8336 with cunning H2803 work. H4639
7 It shall have the two H8147 shoulderpieces H3802 thereof joined H2266 at the two H8147 edges H7098 thereof; and so it shall be joined together. H2266
8 And the curious girdle H2805 of the ephod, H642 which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work H4639 thereof; even of gold, H2091 of blue, H8504 and purple, H713 and scarlet, H8144 H8438 and fine twined H7806 linen. H8336
9 And thou shalt take H3947 two H8147 onyx H7718 stones, H68 and grave H6605 on them the names H8034 of the children H1121 of Israel: H3478
10 Six H8337 of their names H8034 on one H259 stone, H68 and the other six H8337 names H8034 of the rest H3498 on the other H8145 stone, H68 according to their birth. H8435
11 With the work H4639 of an engraver H2796 in stone, H68 like the engravings H6603 of a signet, H2368 shalt thou engrave H6605 the two H8147 stones H68 with the names H8034 of the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 thou shalt make H6213 them to be set H4142 in ouches H4865 of gold. H2091
12 And thou shalt put H7760 the two H8147 stones H68 upon the shoulders H3802 of the ephod H646 for stones H68 of memorial H2146 unto the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 and Aaron H175 shall bear H5375 their names H8034 before H6440 the LORD H3068 upon his two H8147 shoulders H3802 for a memorial. H2146
13 And thou shalt make H6213 ouches H4865 of gold; H2091
14 And two H8147 chains H8333 of pure H2889 gold H2091 at the ends; H4020 of wreathen H5688 work H4639 shalt thou make H6213 them, and fasten H5414 the wreathen H5688 chains H8333 to the ouches. H4865
15 And thou shalt make H6213 the breastplate H2833 of judgment H4941 with cunning H2803 work; H4639 after the work H4639 of the ephod H646 thou shalt make H6213 it; of gold, H2091 of blue, H8504 and of purple, H713 and of scarlet, H8144 H8438 and of fine twined H7806 linen, H8336 shalt thou make H6213 it.
16 Foursquare H7251 it shall be being doubled; H3717 a span H2239 shall be the length H753 thereof, and a span H2239 shall be the breadth H7341 thereof.
17 And thou shalt set H4390 in it settings H4396 of stones, H68 even four H702 rows H2905 of stones: H68 the first row H2905 shall be a sardius, H124 a topaz, H6357 and a carbuncle: H1304 this shall be the first H259 row. H2905
18 And the second H8145 row H2905 shall be an emerald, H5306 a sapphire, H5601 and a diamond. H3095
19 And the third H7992 row H2905 a ligure, H3958 an agate, H7618 and an amethyst. H306
20 And the fourth H7243 row H2905 a beryl, H8658 and an onyx, H7718 and a jasper: H3471 they shall be set H7660 in gold H2091 in their inclosings. H4396
21 And the stones H68 shall be with the names H8034 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 twelve, H8147 H6240 according to their names, H8034 like the engravings H6603 of a signet; H2368 every one H376 with his name H8034 shall they be according to the twelve H8147 H6240 tribes. H7626
22 And thou shalt make H6213 upon the breastplate H2833 chains H8331 at the ends H1383 of wreathen H5688 work H4639 of pure H2889 gold. H2091
23 And thou shalt make H6213 upon the breastplate H2833 two H8147 rings H2885 of gold, H2091 and shalt put H5414 the two H8147 rings H2885 on the two H8147 ends H7098 of the breastplate. H2833
24 And thou shalt put H5414 the two H8147 wreathen H5688 chains of gold H2091 in the two H8147 rings H2885 which are on the ends H7098 of the breastplate. H2833
25 And the other two H8147 ends H7098 of the two H8147 wreathen H5688 chains thou shalt fasten H5414 in the two H8147 ouches, H4865 and put H5414 them on the shoulderpieces H3802 of the ephod H646 before H6440 it. H4136
26 And thou shalt make H6213 two H8147 rings H2885 of gold, H2091 and thou shalt put H7760 them upon the two H8147 ends H7098 of the breastplate H2833 in the border H8193 thereof, which is in the side H5676 of the ephod H646 inward. H1004
27 And two H8147 other rings H2885 of gold H2091 thou shalt make, H6213 and shalt put H5414 them on the two H8147 sides H3802 of the ephod H646 underneath, H4295 toward H4136 the forepart H6440 thereof, over against H5980 the other coupling H4225 thereof, above H4605 the curious girdle H2805 of the ephod. H646
28 And they shall bind H7405 the breastplate H2833 by the rings H2885 thereof unto the rings H2885 of the ephod H646 with a lace H6616 of blue, H8504 that it may be above the curious girdle H2805 of the ephod, H646 and that the breastplate H2833 be not loosed H2118 from the ephod. H646
29 And Aaron H175 shall bear H5375 the names H8034 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 in the breastplate H2833 of judgment H4941 upon his heart, H3820 when he goeth H935 in unto the holy H6944 place, for a memorial H2146 before H6440 the LORD H3068 continually. H8548
30 And thou shalt put H5414 in the breastplate H2833 of judgment H4941 the Urim H224 and the Thummim; H8550 and they shall be upon Aaron's H175 heart, H3820 when he goeth H935 in before H6440 the LORD: H3068 and Aaron H175 shall bear H5375 the judgment H4941 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 upon his heart H3820 before H6440 the LORD H3068 continually. H8548
31 And thou shalt make H6213 the robe H4598 of the ephod H646 all H3632 of blue. H8504
32 And there shall be an hole H6310 in the top H7218 of it, in the midst H8432 thereof: it shall have a binding H8193 of woven H707 work H4639 round about H5439 the hole H6310 of it, as it were the hole H6310 of an habergeon, H8473 that it be not rent. H7167
33 And beneath upon the hem H7757 of it thou shalt make H6213 pomegranates H7416 of blue, H8504 and of purple, H713 and of scarlet, H8144 H8438 round about H5439 the hem H7757 thereof; and bells H6472 of gold H2091 between H8432 them round about: H5439
34 A golden H2091 bell H6472 and a pomegranate, H7416 a golden H2091 bell H6472 and a pomegranate, H7416 upon the hem H7757 of the robe H4598 round about. H5439
35 And it shall be upon Aaron H175 to minister: H8334 and his sound H6963 shall be heard H8085 when he goeth H935 in unto the holy H6944 place before H6440 the LORD, H3068 and when he cometh H3318 out, that he die H4191 not.
36 And thou shalt make H6213 a plate H6731 of pure H2889 gold, H2091 and grave H6605 upon it, like the engravings H6603 of a signet, H2368 HOLINESS H6944 TO THE LORD. H3068
37 And thou shalt put H7760 it on a blue H8504 lace, H6616 that it may be upon the mitre; H4701 upon the forefront H6440 H4136 of the mitre H4701 it shall be.
38 And it shall be upon Aaron's H175 forehead, H4696 that Aaron H175 may bear H5375 the iniquity H5771 of the holy things, H6944 which the children H1121 of Israel H3478 shall hallow H6942 in all their holy H6944 gifts; H4979 and it shall be always H8548 upon his forehead, H4696 that they may be accepted H7522 before H6440 the LORD. H3068
39 And thou shalt embroider H7660 the coat H3801 of fine linen, H8336 and thou shalt make H6213 the mitre H4701 of fine linen, H8336 and thou shalt make H6213 the girdle H73 of needlework. H7551 H4639
40 And for Aaron's H175 sons H1121 thou shalt make H6213 coats, H3801 and thou shalt make H6213 for them girdles, H73 and bonnets H4021 shalt thou make H6213 for them, for glory H3519 and for beauty. H8597
41 And thou shalt put H3847 them upon Aaron H175 thy brother, H251 and his sons H1121 with him; and shalt anoint H4886 them, and consecrate H4390 H3027 them, and sanctify H6942 them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. H3547
42 And thou shalt make H6213 them linen H906 breeches H4370 to cover H3680 their nakedness; H1320 H6172 from the loins H4975 even unto the thighs H3409 they shall reach:
43 And they shall be upon Aaron, H175 and upon his sons, H1121 when they come H935 in unto the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 or when they come near H5066 unto the altar H4196 to minister H8334 in the holy H6944 place; that they bear H5375 not iniquity, H5771 and die: H4191 it shall be a statute H2708 for ever H5769 unto him and his seed H2233 after H310 him.
1 And bring thou near unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty.
3 And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to sanctify him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of checker work, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
5 And they shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.
6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skilful workman.
7 It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined to the two ends thereof, that it may be joined together.
8 And the skilfully woven band, which is upon it, wherewith to gird it on, shall be like the work thereof `and' of the same piece; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, according to their birth.
11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones, according to the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be inclosed in settings of gold.
12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before Jehovah upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
13 And thou shalt make settings of gold,
14 and two chains of pure gold; like cords shalt thou make them, of wreathen work: and thou shalt put the wreathen chains on the settings.
15 And thou shalt make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skilful workman; like the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
16 Foursquare it shall be `and' double; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof.
17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row;
18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;
19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
20 and the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be inclosed in gold in their settings.
21 And the stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, every one according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes.
22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains like cords, of wreathen work of pure gold.
23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.
25 And the `other' two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod in the forepart thereof.
26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate, upon the edge thereof, which is toward the side of the ephod inward.
27 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and shalt put them on the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod underneath, in the forepart thereof, close by the coupling thereof, above the skilfully woven band of the ephod.
28 And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be upon the skilfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before Jehovah continually.
30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before Jehovah: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before Jehovah continually.
31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
32 And it shall have a hole for the head in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of a coat of mail, that it be not rent.
33 And upon the skirts of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the skirts thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about.
35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and the sound thereof shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before Jehovah, and when he cometh out, that he die not.
36 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLY TO JEHOVAH.
37 And thou shalt put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
38 And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before Jehovah.
39 And thou shalt weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and thou shalt make a mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make a girdle, the work of the embroiderer.
40 And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and head-tires shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and upon his sons with him, and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they go in unto the tent of meeting, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and unto his seed after him.
1 `And thou, bring thou near unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from the midst of the sons of Israel, for his being priest to Me, `even' Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, sons of Aaron;
2 and thou hast made holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for honour and for beauty;
3 and thou -- thou dost speak unto all the wise of heart, whom I have filled `with' a spirit of wisdom, and they have made the garments of Aaron to sanctify him for his being priest to Me.
4 `And these `are' the garments which they make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and an upper robe, and an embroidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle; yea, they have made holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and for his sons, for his being priest to Me.
5 `And they take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the linen,
6 and have made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen, work of a designer;
7 it hath two shoulders joining at its two ends, and it is joined.
8 `And the girdle of his ephod which `is' on him, according to its work, is of the same, of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
9 `And thou hast taken the two shoham stones, and hast opened on them the names of the sons of Israel;
10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the second stone, according to their births;
11 the work of an engraver in stone, openings of a signet, thou dost open the two stones by the names of the sons of Israel; turned round, embroidered `with' gold, thou dost make them.
12 `And thou hast set the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod -- stones of memorial to the sons of Israel -- and Aaron hath borne their names before Jehovah, on his two shoulders, for a memorial.
13 `And thou hast made embroidered things of gold,
14 and two chains of pure gold, wreathed work thou dost make them, work of thick bands, and thou hast put the thick chains on the embroidered things.
15 `And thou hast made a breastplate of judgment, work of a designer; according to the work of the ephod thou dost make it; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen thou dost make it;
16 it is square, doubled, a span its length, and a span its breadth.
17 `And thou hast set in it settings of stone, four rows of stone; a row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle `is' the first row;
18 and the second row `is' emerald, sapphire, and diamond;
19 and the third row `is' opal, agate, and amethyst;
20 and the fourth row `is' beryl, and onyx, and jasper; embroidered with gold are they in their settings,
21 and the stones are according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, according to their names, openings of a signet, each by his name are they for the twelve tribes.
22 `And thou hast made on the breastplate wreathed chains, work of thick bands, of pure gold;
23 and thou hast made on the breastplate two rings of gold, and hast put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate;
24 and thou hast put the two thick bands of gold on the two rings at the ends of the breastplate;
25 and the two ends of the two thick bands thou dost put on the two embroidered things, and thou hast put `them' on the shoulders of the ephod over-against its face.
26 `And thou hast made two rings of gold, and hast set them on the two ends of the breastplate, on its border, which `is' over-against the ephod within;
27 and thou hast made two rings of gold, and hast put them on the two shoulders of the ephod, beneath, over-against its front, over-against its joining, above the girdle of the ephod,
28 and they bind the breastplate by its rings unto the rings of the ephod with a ribbon of blue, to be above the girdle of the ephod, and the breastplate is not loosed from the ephod.
29 `And Aaron hath borne the names of the sons of Israel in the breastplate of judgment, on his heart, in his going in unto the sanctuary, for a memorial before Jehovah continually.
30 `And thou hast put unto the breastplate of judgment the Lights and the Perfections, and they have been on the heart of Aaron, in his going in before Jehovah, and Aaron hath borne the judgment of the sons of Israel on his heart before Jehovah continually.
31 `And thou hast made the upper robe of the ephod completely of blue,
32 and the opening for its head hath been in its midst, a border is to its opening round about, work of a weaver, as the opening of a habergeon there is to it; it is not rent.
33 `And thou hast made on its hem pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, on its hem round about, and bells of gold in their midst round about;
34 a bell of gold and a pomegranate, a bell of gold and a pomegranate `are' on the hems of the upper robe round about.
35 `And it hath been on Aaron to minister in, and its sound hath been heard in his coming in unto the sanctuary before Jehovah, and in his going out, and he doth not die.
36 `And thou hast made a flower of pure gold, and hast opened on it -- openings of a signet -- `Holy to Jehovah;'
37 and thou hast put it on a blue ribbon, and it hath been on the mitre -- over-against the front of the mitre it is;
38 and it hath been on the forehead of Aaron, and Aaron hath borne the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel do hallow, even all their holy gifts; and it hath been on his forehead continually for a pleasing thing for them before Jehovah.
39 `And thou hast embroidered the coat of linen, and hast made a mitre of linen, and a girdle thou dost make -- work of an embroiderer.
40 `And for the sons of Aaron thou dost make coats, and thou hast made for them girdles, yea, bonnets thou dost make for them, for honour and for beauty;
41 and thou hast clothed Aaron thy brother with them, and his sons with him, and hast anointed them, and hast consecrated their hand, and hast sanctified them, and they have been priests to Me.
42 `And make thou for them linen trousers to cover the naked flesh: they are from the loins even unto the thighs;
43 and they have been on Aaron and on his sons, in their going in unto the tent of meeting, or in their drawing nigh unto the altar to minister in the sanctuary, and they do not bear iniquity nor have they died; a statute age-during to him, and to his seed after him.
1 And thou shalt take thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may serve me as priest -- Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for ornament.
3 And thou shalt speak with all [that are] wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to hallow him, that he may serve me as priest.
4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a cloak, and a checkered vest, a turban, and a girdle; and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may serve me as priest.
5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined byssus,
6 and shall make the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, scarlet and twined byssus, of artistic work.
7 It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined at the two ends thereof, where it is joined together.
8 And the girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to its work of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet and twined byssus.
9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the children of Israel:
10 six of their names on the one stone, and the six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.
11 According to the work of an engraver in stone, as the engravings of a seal, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; surrounded by enclosures of gold shalt thou make them.
12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod [as] stones of memorial for the children of Israel; and Aaron shall bear their names before Jehovah upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
13 And thou shalt make enclosures of gold;
14 and two chains of pure gold; of laced work shalt thou make them, of wreathen work, and fasten the wreathen chains to the enclosures.
15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment of artistic work, like the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined byssus shalt thou make it.
16 Square shall it be, doubled; a span the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof.
17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones -- four rows of stones: [one] row, a sardoin, a topaz, and an emerald -- the first row;
18 and the second row, a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a diamond;
19 and the third row, an opal, an agate, and an amethyst;
20 and the fourth row, a chrysolite, and an onyx, and a jasper; enclosed in gold shall they be in their settings.
21 And the stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, engraved as a seal: every one according to his name shall they be for the twelve tribes.
22 And thou shalt make on the breastplate chains of laced work, of wreathen work, of pure gold.
23 And thou shalt make on the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen [cords] of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate;
25 and the two ends of the two wreathen [cords] thou shalt fasten to the two enclosures, and shalt put [them] on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, on the front thereof.
26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and shalt put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the border thereof, which faceth the ephod inwards.
27 And two rings of gold shalt thou make, and shalt put them upon the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod underneath, to the front thereof just by the coupling thereof, above the girdle of the ephod.
28 And they shall bind the breastplate with its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart, when he goes in to the sanctuary, for a memorial before Jehovah continually.
30 And thou shalt put into the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, that they may be upon Aaron's heart when he goeth in before Jehovah; and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before Jehovah continually.
31 And thou shalt make the cloak of the ephod all of blue.
32 And its opening for the head shall be in the midst thereof; there shall be a binding of woven work at its opening round about; as the opening of a coat of mail, it shall be in it -- it shall not rend.
33 And on the skirts thereof thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, round about the skirts thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, in the skirts of the cloak round about.
35 And it shall be on Aaron for service; that his sound may be heard when he goeth into the sanctuary before Jehovah, and when he cometh out, that he may not die.
36 And thou shalt make a thin plate of pure gold, and engrave on it, as the engravings of a seal, Holiness to Jehovah!
37 And thou shalt put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be upon the turban -- upon the front of the turban shall it be.
38 And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all gifts of their holy things; and it shall be continually on his forehead, that they may be accepted before Jehovah.
39 And thou shalt weave the vest of byssus; and thou shalt make a turban of byssus; and thou shalt make a girdle of embroidery.
40 And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make vests; and thou shalt make for them girdles; and high caps shalt thou make for them, for glory and for ornament.
41 And thou shalt clothe with them Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and hallow them, that they may serve me as priests.
42 And thou shalt make them linen trousers to cover the flesh of nakedness; from the loins even to the hips shall they reach.
43 And they shall be upon Aaron and his sons when they enter into the tent of meeting, or when they come near to the altar to serve in the sanctuary; that they may not bear iniquity and die -- an everlasting statute for him and his seed after him.
1 "Bring Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, near to you from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
2 You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
3 You shall speak to all who are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to sanctify him, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.
4 These are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, and his sons, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.
5 They shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.
6 "They shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skillful workman.
7 It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined to the two ends of it, that it may be joined together.
8 The skillfully woven band, which is on it, that is on him, shall be like its work and of the same piece; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the children of Israel:
10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, in the order of their birth.
11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shall you engrave the two stones, according to the names of the children of Israel: you shall make them to be enclosed in settings of gold.
12 You shall put the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before Yahweh on his two shoulders for a memorial.
13 You shall make settings of gold,
14 and two chains of pure gold; you make them like cords shall, of braided work: and you shall put the braided chains on the settings.
15 "You shall make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, shall you make it.
16 It shall be square and folded double; a span{A span is the length from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger when the hand is stretched out (about 9 inches or 22.8 cm.)} shall be its length of it, and a span its breadth.
17 You shall set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a row of ruby, topaz, and beryl shall be the first row;
18 and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire{or, lapis lazuli}, and an emerald;
19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
20 and the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be enclosed in gold in their settings.
21 The stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, everyone according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes.
22 You shall make on the breastplate chains like cords, of braided work of pure gold.
23 You shall make on the breastplate two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
24 You shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.
25 The other two ends of the two braided chains you shall put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod in the forepart of it.
26 You shall make two rings of gold, and you shall put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on its edge, which is toward the side of the ephod inward.
27 You shall make two rings of gold, and shall put them on the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod underneath, in the forepart of it, close by the coupling of it, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.
28 They shall bind the breastplate by the rings of it to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate may not swing out from the ephod.
29 Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart, when he goes in to the holy place, for a memorial before Yahweh continually.
30 You shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before Yahweh: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel on his heart before Yahweh continually.
31 "You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
32 It shall have a hole for the head in the midst of it: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of a coat of mail, that it not be torn.
33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, around its hem; and bells of gold between them round about:
34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, on the hem of the robe round about.
35 It shall be on Aaron to minister: and the sound of it shall be heard when he goes in to the holy place before Yahweh, and when he comes out, that he not die.
36 "You shall make a plate of pure gold, and engrave on it, like the engravings of a signet, 'HOLY TO YAHWEH.'
37 You shall put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be on the sash; on the front of the sash it shall be.
38 It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall make holy in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always on his forehead, that they may be accepted before Yahweh.
39 You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash, the work of the embroiderer.
40 "You shall make coats for Aaron's sons, and you shall make sashes for them and headbands shall you make for them, for glory and for beauty.
41 You shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest's office.
42 You shall make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the loins even to the thighs they shall reach:
43 They shall be on Aaron, and on his sons, when they go in to the tent of meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place; that they don't bear iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him.
1 Now let Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, come near from among the children of Israel, so that they may be my priests, even Aaron, and Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, his sons.
2 And make holy robes for Aaron your brother, so that he may be clothed with glory and honour.
3 Give orders to all the wise-hearted workmen, whom I have made full of the spirit of wisdom, to make robes for Aaron, so that he may be made holy as my priest.
4 This is what they are to make: a priest's bag, an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of coloured needlework, a head-dress, and a linen band; they are to make holy robes for Aaron your brother and for his sons, so that they may do the work of priests for me.
5 They are to take the gold and blue and purple and red and the best linen,
6 And make the ephod of gold and blue and purple and red and the best linen, the work of a designer.
7 It is to have two bands stitched to it at the top of the arms, joining it together.
8 And the beautifully worked band, which goes on it, is to be of the same work and the same material, of gold and blue and purple and red and twisted linen-work.
9 You are to take two beryl stones, on which the names of the children of Israel are to be cut:
10 Six names on the one stone and six on the other, in the order of their birth.
11 With the work of a jeweller, like the cutting of a stamp, the names of the children of Israel are to be cut on them, and they are to be fixed in twisted frames of gold.
12 And the two stones are to be placed on the ephod, over the arm-holes, to be stones of memory for the children of Israel: Aaron will have their names on his arms when he goes in before the Lord, to keep the Lord in mind of them.
13 And you are to make twisted frames of gold;
14 And two chains of the best gold, twisted like cords; and have the chains fixed on to the frames.
15 And make a priest's bag for giving decisions, designed like the ephod, made of gold and blue and purple and red and the best linen.
16 It is to be square, folded in two, a hand-stretch long and a hand-stretch wide.
17 And on it you are to put four lines of jewels; the first line is to be a cornelian, a chrysolite, and an emerald;
18 The second, a ruby, a sapphire, and an onyx;
19 The third, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
20 The fourth, a topaz, a beryl, and a jasper; they are to be fixed in twisted frames of gold.
21 The jewels are to be twelve in number, for the names of the children of Israel; every jewel having the name of one of the twelve tribes cut on it as on a stamp.
22 And you are to make two chains of gold, twisted like cords, to be fixed to the priest's bag.
23 And put two gold rings on the two ends of the bag.
24 Put the two gold chains on the two rings at the ends of the bag;
25 Joining the other ends of the chains to the gold frames and putting them on the front of the ephod, at the top of the arms.
26 Then make two gold rings and put them on the lower ends of the bag, at the edge of it on the inner side nearest to the ephod.
27 And make two more gold rings and put them on the front of the ephod at the top of the arms, at the join, over the worked band:
28 So that the rings on the bag may be fixed to the rings of the ephod by a blue cord and on to the band of the ephod, so that the bag may not come loose from the ephod.
29 And so Aaron will have the names of the children of Israel on the priest's bag over his heart whenever he goes into the holy place, to keep the memory of them before the Lord.
30 And in the bag you are to put the Urim and Thummim, so that they may be on Aaron's heart whenever he goes in before the Lord; and Aaron may have the power of making decisions for the children of Israel before the Lord at all times.
31 The robe which goes with the ephod is to be made all of blue;
32 With a hole at the top, in the middle of it; the hole is to be edged with a band to make it strong like the hole in the coat of a fighting-man, so that it may not be broken open.
33 And round the skirts of it put fruits in blue and purple and red, with bells of gold between;
34 A gold bell and a fruit in turn all round the skirts of the robe.
35 Aaron is to put it on for his holy work; and the sound of it will be clear, when he goes into the holy place before the Lord, and when he comes out, keeping him safe from death.
36 You are to make a plate of the best gold, cutting on it, as on a stamp, these words: HOLY TO THE LORD.
37 Put a blue cord on it and put it on the front of the twisted head-dress:
38 And it will be over Aaron's brow, so that Aaron will be responsible for any error in all the holy offerings made by the children of Israel; it will be on his brow at all times, so that their offerings may be pleasing to the Lord.
39 The coat is to be made of the best linen, worked in squares; and you are to make a head-dress of linen, and a linen band worked in needlework.
40 And for Aaron's sons you are to make coats, and bands, and head-dresses, so that they may be clothed with glory and honour.
41 These you are to put on Aaron, your brother, and on his sons, putting oil on them, separating them and making them holy, to do the work of priests to me.
42 And you are to make them linen trousers, covering their bodies from the middle to the knee;
43 Aaron and his sons are to put these on whenever they go into the Tent of meeting or come near the altar, when they are doing the work of the holy place, so that they may be free from any sin causing death: this is to be an order for him and his seed after him for ever.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Exodus 28
Commentary on Exodus 28 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
(cf. Ex 39:1-31). Appointment and Clothing of the Priests. - Exodus 28:1, Exodus 28:5. “ Let Aaron thy brother draw near to thee from among the children of Israel, and his sons with him, that he may be a priest to Me .” Moses is distinguished from the people as the mediator of the covenant. Hence he was to cause Aaron and his sons to come to him, i.e., to separate them from the people, and install them as priests, or perpetual mediators between Jehovah and His people. The primary meaning of cohen , the priest, has been retained in the Arabic, where it signifies administrator alieni negotii , viz., to act as a mediator for a person, or as his plenipotentiary, from which it came to be employed chiefly in connection with priestly acts. Among the heathen Arabs it is used “ maxime de hariolis vatibusque; ” by the Hebrews it was mostly applied to the priests of Jehovah; and there are only a few placed in which it is used in connection with the higher officers of state, who stood next to the king, and acted as it were as mediators between the king and the nation (thus 2 Samuel 8:18; 2 Samuel 20:26; 1 Kings 4:5). For the duties of their office the priests were to receive “ holy garments for glory and for honour .” Before they could draw near to Jehovah the Holy One (Leviticus 11:45), it was necessary that their unholiness should be covered over with holy clothes, which were to be made by men endowed with wisdom, whom Jehovah had filled with the spirit of wisdom. “ Wise-hearted, ” i.e., gifted with understanding and judgment; the heart being regarded as the birth-place of the thoughts. In the Old Testament wisdom is constantly used for practical intelligence in the affairs of life; here, for example, it is equivalent to artistic skill surpassing man's natural ability, which is therefore described as being filled with the divine spirit of wisdom. These clothes were to be used “ to sanctify him (Aaron and his sons), that he might be a priest to Jehovah .” Sanctification, as the indispensable condition of priestly service, was not merely the removal of the uncleanness which flowed from sin, but, as it were, the transformation of the natural into the glory of the image of God. In this sense the holy clothing served the priest for glory and ornament. The different portions of the priest's state-dress mentioned in Exodus 28:4 are described more fully afterwards. For making them, the skilled artists were to take the gold, the hyacinth, etc. The definite article is sued before gold and the following words, because the particular materials, which would be presented by the people, are here referred to.
The first part mentioned of Aaron's holy dress, i.e., of the official dress of the high priest, is the ephod . The etymology of this word is uncertain; the Sept. rendering is ἐπωμίς ( Vulg . superhumerale , shoulder-dress; Luther , “body-coat”). It was to be made of gold, hyacinth, etc., artistically woven, - of the same material, therefore, as the inner drapery and curtain of the tabernacle; but instead of having the figures of cherubim woven into it, it was to be worked throughout with gold, i.e., with gold thread. According to Exodus 39:3, the gold plates used for the purpose were beaten out, and then threads were cut (from them), to be worked into the hyacinth, purple, scarlet, and byssus. It follows from this, that gold threads were taken for every one of these four yearns, and woven with them.
(Note: The art of weaving fabrics with gold thread (cf. Plin. h. n. 33, c. 3, s. 19, “ aurum netur ac texitur lanae modo et sine lana ”), was known in ancient Egypt. “Among the coloured Egyptian costumes which are represented upon the monuments, there are some that are probably woven with gold thread.” - Wilkinson 3, 131. Hengstenberg, Egypt, etc., p. 140.)
Exodus 28:7
“Two connecting shoulder-pieces shall it have for its two ends, that it may be bound together.” If we compare the statement in Exodus 39:4, - “shoulder-pieces they made for it, connecting; at its two ends was it connected,” - there can hardly be any doubt that the ephod consisted of two pieces, which were connected together at the top upon (over) the shoulders; and that Knobel is wrong in supposing that it consisted of a single piece, with a hole cut on each side for the arms to be put through. If it had been a compact garment, which had to be drawn over the head like the robe (Exodus 28:31, Exodus 28:32), the opening for the head would certainly have been mentioned, as it is in the case of the latter (Exodus 28:32). The words of the text point most decidedly to the rabbinical idea, that it consisted of two pieces reaching to about the hip, one hanging over the breast, the other down the back, and that it was constructed with two shoulder-pieces which joined the two together. These shoulder-pieces were not made separate, however, and then sewed upon one of the pieces; but they were woven along with the front piece, and that no merely at the top, so as to cover the shoulders when the ephod was worn, but according to Exodus 28:25 (? 27), reaching down on both sides from the shoulders to the girdle (Exodus 28:8).
Exodus 28:8
“ And the girdle of its putting on which (is) upon it, shall be of it, like its work, gold, etc.” There was to be a girdle upon the ephod, of the same material and the same artistic work as the ephod, and joined to it, not separated from it. The חשׁב mentioned along with the ephod cannot mean ὕφασμα , textura (lxx, Cler ., etc.), but is to be traced to חשׁב = חבשׁ to bind, to fasten, and to be understood in the sense of cingulum, a girdle (compare Exodus 29:5 with Leviticus 8:7, “he girded him with the girdle of the ephod”). אפדּה is no doubt to be derived from אפד , and signifies the putting on of the ephod. In Isaiah 30:22 it is applied to the covering of a statue; at the same time, this does not warrant us in attributing to the verb, as used in Exodus 9:5 and Leviticus 8:7, the meaning, to put on or clothe. This girdle, by which the two parts of the ephod were fastened tightly to the body, so as not to hang loose, was attached to the lower part or extremity of the ephod, so that it was fastened round the body below the breastplate (cf. Exodus 28:27, Exodus 28:28; Exodus 39:20-21).
Exodus 28:9-10
Upon the shoulder-piece of the ephod two beryls (previous stones) were to be placed, one upon each shoulder; and upon these the names of the sons of Israel were to be engraved, six names upon each “according to their generations,” i.e., according to their respective ages, or, as Josephus has correctly explained it, so that the names of the six elder sons were engraved upon the previous stone on the right shoulder, and those of the six younger sons upon that on the left.
Exodus 28:11
“ Work of the engraver in stone, of seal-cutting shalt thou engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel .” The engraver in stone: lit., one who works stones; here, one who cuts and polishes precious stones. The meaning is, that just as precious stones are cut, and seals engraved upon them, so these two stones were to be engraved according to the name of the sons of Israel, i.e., so that the engraving should answer to their names, or their names be cut into the stones. “ Surrounded by gold-twist shalt thou make it .” זהב משׁבּצות , from שׁבץ to twist, is used in Exodus 28:39 (cf. Psalms 45:14) for a texture woven in checks; and here it denotes not merely a simple gold-setting, but, according to Exodus 28:13, gold-twists or ornaments representing plaits, which surrounded the golden setting in which the stones were fixed, and not only served to fasten the stones upon the woven fabric, but formed at the same time clasps or brooches, by which the two parts of the ephod were fastened together. Thus Josephus says (Ant. iii. 7, 5) there were two sardonyxes upon the shoulders, to be used for clasps.
Exodus 28:12
The precious stones were to be upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, stones of memorial for the sons of Israel; and Aaron was to bear their names before Jehovah upon his two shoulders for a memorial, i.e., that Jehovah might remember the sons of Israel when Aaron appeared before Him clothed with the ephod (cf. Exodus 28:29). As a shoulder-dress, the ephod was par excellence the official dress of the high priest. The burden of the office rested upon the shoulder, and the insignia of the office were also worn upon it (Isaiah 22:22). The duty of the high priest was to enter into the presence of God and made atonement for the people as their mediator. To show that as mediator he brought the nation to God, the names of the twelve tribes were engraved upon precious stones on the shoulders of the ephod. The precious stones, with their richness and brilliancy, formed the most suitable earthly substratum to represent the glory into which Israel was to be transformed as the possession of Jehovah (Exodus 19:5); whilst the colours and material of the ephod, answering to the colours and texture of the hangings of the sanctuary, indicated the service performed in the sanctuary by the person clothed with the ephod, and the gold with which the coloured fabric was worked, the glory of that service.
Exodus 28:13-14
There were also to be made for the ephod two (see Exodus 28:25) golden plaits, golden borders (probably small plaits in the form of rosettes), and two small chains of pure gold: “ close shalt thou make them, corded ” (lit., work of cords or strings), i.e., not formed of links, but of gold thread twisted into cords, which were to be placed upon the golden plaits or fastened to them. As these chains served to fasten the choshen to the ephod, a description of them forms a fitting introduction to the account of this most important ornament upon the state-dress of the high priest.
The second ornament consisted of the choshen or breastplate . Chosen mishpat , λογειο͂ν τῶν κρίσεωον (lxx), rationale judicii (Vulg.). חשׁן probably signifies an ornament ( Arab. pulcher fuit; Ges. ); and the appended word mishpat , right, decision of right, points to its purpose (see at Exodus 28:30). This breastplate was to be a woven fabric of the same material and the same kind of work as the ephod. “ Foured shall it be, doubled (laid together), a span (half a cubit) its length, and a span its breadth .” The woven cloth was to be laid together double like a kind of pocket, of the length and breadth of half a cubit, i.e., the quarter of a square cubit.
“ And fill thereon (put on it) a stone-setting, four rows of stones, ” i.e., fix four rows of set jewels upon it. The stones, so far as their names can be determined with the help of the ancient versions, the researches of L. de Dieu ( animadv . ad Ex 28) and Braun ( vestit . ii. c. 8-10), and other sources pointed out in Winer's R. W . ( s. v. Edensteine ), were the following: - In the first or upper row, odem ( σάρδιος ), i.e., our cornelian, of a blood-red colour; pitdah , τοπάζιον , the golden topaz; bareketh , lit., the flashing, σμάραγδος , the emerald, of a brilliant green. In the second row, nophek , ἄνθραξ , carcunculus , the ruby or carbuncle, a fire-coloured stone; sappir , the sapphire, of a sky-blue colour; jahalom , ἴασπις according to the lxx, but this is rather to be found in the jaspeh , - according to the Graec ., Ven ., and Pers ., to Aben Ezra , etc., the diamond, and according to others the onyx , a kind of chalcedony, of the same colour as the nail upon the human finger through which the flesh is visible. In the third row, lesehm , λιγύριον , lugurius , i.e., according to Braun and others, a kind of hyacinth, a transparent stone chiefly of an orange colour, but running sometimes into a reddish brown, at other times into a brownish or pale red, and sometimes into an approach to a pistachio green; shevo , ἀχάτης , a composite stone formed of quartz, chalcedony, cornelian, flint, jasper, etc., and therefore glittering with different colours; and achlaham , ἀμέθυστος , amethyst, a stone for the most part of a violet colour. In the fourth row, tarshish , χρυσόλιθος , chrysolite, a brilliant stone of a golden colour, not like what is now called a chrysolite, which is of a pale green with a double refraction; shoham , beryl (see at Genesis 2:12); and jaspeh , no doubt the jasper, an opaque stone, for the most part of a dull red, often with cloudy and flame-like shadings, but sometimes yellow, red, brown, or some other colour.
“ Gold borders shall be on their settings ” (see at Exodus 28:11 and Exodus 28:13). The golden capsules, in which the stones were “ filled ,” i.e., set, were to be surrounded by golden ornaments, which not only surrounded and ornamented the stones, but in all probability helped to fix them more firmly and yet more easily upon the woven fabric.
“ And the stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names; seal-engraving according to each one's name shall be for the twelve tribes .” (On אישׁ before על־שׁמו see at Genesis 15:10.)
To bind the choshen to the ephod there were to be two close, corded chains of pure gold, which are described here in precisely the same manner as in Exodus 28:14; so that Exodus 28:22 is to be regarded as a simple repetition of Exodus 28:14, not merely because these chains are only mentioned once in the account of the execution of the work (Exodus 39:15), but because, according to Exodus 28:25, these chains were to be fastened upon the rosettes notice in Exodus 28:14, exactly like those described in Exodus 28:13. These chains, which are called cords or strings at Exodus 28:24, were to be attached to two golden rings at the two (upper) ends of the choshen , and the two ends of the chains were to be put, i.e., bound firmly to the golden settings of the shoulder-pieces of the ephod (Exodus 28:13), upon the front of it (see at Exodus 26:9 and Exodus 25:37).
Two other golden rings were to be “ put at the two ends of the choshen, at its edge, which is on the opposite side (see at Exodus 25:37) of the ephod inwards, ” i.e., at the two ends or corners of the lower border of the choshen, upon the inner side - the side turned towards the ephod.
Two golden rings were also to be put “ upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod underneath, toward the fore-part thereof, near the joining above the girdle of it, ” and to fasten the choshen from its (lower) rings to the (lower) rings of the ephod with threads of hyacinth, that it might be over the girdle (above it), and not move away ( יזּח Niphal of זחח , in Arabic removit ), i.e., that it might keep its place above the girdle and against the ephod without shifting.
In this way Aaron was to bear upon his breast the names of the sons of Israel engraved upon this breastplate, as a memorial before Jehovah, whenever he went into the sanctuary.
Into this choshen Moses was to put the Urim and Thummim , that they might be upon his heart when he came before Jehovah, and that he might thus constantly bear the right ( mishpat ) of the children of Israel upon his heart before Jehovah. It is evident at once from this, that the Urim and Thummim were to bring the right of the children of Israel before the Lord, and that the breastplate was called choshen mishpat because the Urim and Thummim were in it. Moreover it also follows from the expression אל נתתּ , both here and in Leviticus 8:8, that the Urim and Thummim were not only distinct from the choshen , but were placed in it, and not merely suspended upon it, as Knobel supposes. For although the lxx have adopted the rendering ἐπιτιθέναι ἐπί , the phrase is constantly used to denote putting or laying one thing into another, and never (not even in 1 Samuel 6:8 and 2 Samuel 11:16) merely placing one thing upon or against another. For this, על נתן is the expression invariably used in the account before us (cf. Exodus 28:14 and Exodus 28:23.).
What the Urim and Thummim really were, cannot be determined with certainty, either from the names themselves, or from any other circumstances connected with them.
(Note: The leading opinions and the most important writings upon the subject are given in my Bibl. Archaeol. §39, note 9.)
The lxx render the words δήλωσις (or δῆλος ) καὶ ἀλήθεια , i.e., revelation and truth. This expresses with tolerable accuracy the meaning of Urim ( אוּרים light, illumination), but Thummim ( תּמּים ) means integritas , inviolability, perfection, and not ἀλήθεια . The rendering given by Symm . and Theod ., viz., φωτισμοὶ καὶ τελειώσεις , illumination and completion, is much better; and there is no good ground for giving up this rendering in favour of that of the lxx, since the analogy between the Urim and Thummim and the ἄγαλμα of sapphire-stones, or the ζώδιον of precious stones, which was worn by the Egyptian high priest suspended by a golden chain, and called ἀλήθεια ( Aelian. var. hist. 14, 34; Diod. Sic. i. 48, 75), sufficiently explains the rendering ἀλήθεια , which the lxx have given to Thummim , but it by no means warrants Knobel's conclusion, that the Hebrews had adopted the Egyptian names along with the thing itself. The words are therefore to be explained from the Coptic. The Urim and Thummim are analogous, it is true, to the εἰκῶν τῆς ἀληθείας , which the Egyptian ἀρχιδικαστής hung round his neck, but they are by no means identical with it, or to be regarded as two figures which were a symbolical representation of revelation and truth. If Aaron was to bring the right of the children of Israel before Jehovah in the breastplate that was placed upon his breast with the Urim and Thummim, the latter, if they were intended to represent anything, could only be symbolical of the right or rightful condition of Israel. But the words do not warrant any such conclusion. If the Urim and Thummim had been intended to represent any really existing thing, their nature, or the mode of preparing them, would certainly have been described. Now, if we refer to Numbers 27:21, where Joshua as the commander of the nation is instructed to go to the high priest Eleazar, that the latter may inquire before Jehovah, through the right of Urim, how the whole congregation should walk and act, we can draw no other conclusion, than that the Urim and Thummim are to be regarded as a certain medium, given by the Lord to His people, through which, whenever the congregation required divine illumination to guide its actions, that illumination was guaranteed, and by means of which the rights of Israel, when called in question or endangered, were to be restored, and that this medium was bound up with the official dress of the high priest, though its precise character can no longer be determined. Consequently the Urim and Thummim did not represent the illumination and right of Israel, but were merely a promise of these, a pledge that the Lord would maintain the rights of His people, and give them through the high priest the illumination requisite for their protection. Aaron was to bear the children of Israel upon his heart, in the precious stones to be worn upon his breast with the names of the twelve tribes. The heart, according to the biblical view, is the centre of the spiritual life, - not merely of the willing, desiring, thinking life, but of the emotional life, as the seat of the feelings and affections (see Delitzsch bibl. Psychologie, pp. 203ff.). Hence to bear upon the heart does not merely mean to bear in mind, but denotes “that personal intertwining with the life of another, by virtue of which the high priest, as Philo expresses it, was τοῦ σύμπαντος ἔθνους συγγενὴς καὶ ἀγχιστεὺς κοινός ( Spec. leg. ii. 321), and so stood in the deepest sympathy with those for whom he interceded” ( Oehler in Herzog's Cycl.). As he entered the holy place with this feeling, and in this attitude, of which the choshen was the symbol, he brought Israel into remembrance before Jehovah that the Lord might accept His people; and when furnished with the Urim and Thummim, he appeared before Jehovah as the advocate of the people's rights, that he might receive for the congregation the illumination required to protect and uphold those rights.
The third portion of Aaron's official dress was the robe . To the ephod there also belonged a מעיל (from מעל to cover or envelope), an upper garment, called the robe of the ephod, the robe belonging to the ephod, “ all of dark-blue purple ” (hyacinth), by which we are not to imagine a cloak or mantle, but a long, closely-fitting coat; not reaching to the feet, however, as the Alex. rendering ποδήρης might lead us to suppose, but only to the knees, so as to show the coat (Exodus 28:39) which was underneath.
Exodus 28:32
“ And the opening of the head thereof shall be in the middle of it; ” i.e., there was to be an opening in the middle of it to put the head through when it was put on; - “ a hem shall be round the opening of it, weavers' work, like the opening of the habergeon shall it (the seam) be to it; it shall not be torn .” By the habergeon ( θώραξ ), or coat-of-mail, we have to understand the linothoo'reex, the linen coat, such as was worn by Ajax for example (Il. 2, 529). Linen habergeons of this kind were made in Egypt in a highly artistic style (see Hengstenberg, Egypt, etc., pp. 141-2). In order that the meïl might not be torn when it was put on, the opening for the head was to be made with a strong hem, which was to be of weavers' work; from which it follows as a matter of course that the robe was woven in one piece, and not made in several pieces and then sewed together; and this is expressly stated in Exodus 39:22. Josephus and the Rabbins explain the words ארג מעשׂה ( ἔργον ὑφαντόν ) in this way, and observe at the same time that the meïl had no sleeves, but only arm-holes.
Exodus 28:33-34
On the lower hem ( שׁוּלים the tail or skirt) there were to be pomegranates of dark-blue and dark-red purple and crimson, made of twisted yarn of these colours (Exodus 39:24), and little golden bells between them round about, a bell and a pomegranate occurring alternately all round. According to Rashi the pomegranates were “ globi quidam rotundi instar malorum punicorum, quasi essent ova gallinarum .” פּעמנים (from פּעם to strike of knock, like the old High German cloccon , clochon , i.e., to smite) signifies a little bell, not a spherical ball.
Exodus 28:35
Aaron was to put on this coat, to minister, i.e., to perform the duties of his holy office, “ that his sound might be heard when he went into the holy place before Jehovah, and when he came out, and he might not die .” These directions are referred to in Ecclus. 45:9, and explained as follows: “He compassed him with pomegranates and with many golden bells round about, that as he went there might be a sound, and a noise made, that might be heard in the temple, for a memorial to the children of his people.” The probable meaning of these words is either that given by Hiskuni (in Drusius ), ut sciant tempus cultus divini atque ita praeparent cor suum ad patrem suum, qui est in coelis , or that given by Oehler , viz., that the ringing of the bells might announce to the people in the court the entrance of the high priest and the rites he was performing, in order that they might accompany him with their thoughts and prayers. But this is hardly correct. For not only is the expression, “for a memorial to the children of Israel,” evidently intended by the writer of Ecclesiasticus as a translation of the words ישׂראל לבני זכּרן in Exodus 28:12 (cf. Exodus 28:29), so that he has transferred to the bells of the meïl what really applies to the precious stones on the ephod, which contained the names of the twelve sons of Israel, but he has misunderstood the words themselves; for Aaron was to bear the names of the sons of Israel before Jehovah in these precious stones for a reminder, i.e., to remind Jehovah of His people. Moreover, the words “and he shall not die” are not in harmony with this interpretation. Bähr, Oehler , and others, regard the words as referring to the whole of the high priest's robes, and understand them as meaning, that he would be threatened with death if he appeared before Jehovah without his robes, inasmuch as he was merely a private individual without this holy dress, and could not in that case represent the nation. This is so far justifiable, no doubt, although not favoured by the position of the words in the context, that the bells were inseparably connected with the robe, which was indispensable to the ephod with the choshen , and consequently the bells had no apparent significance except in connection with the whole of the robes. But even if we do adopt this explanation of the words, we cannot suppose that Aaron's not dying depended upon the prayers of the congregation which accompanied his going in and out before Jehovah; for in that case the intercession of the high priest would have lost its objective meaning altogether, and his life would have been actually given up in a certain sense to the caprice of the people. All that remains, therefore, is to take the words as they occur: Aaron was not to appear before the Lord without the sound of the bells upon his robe being heard, in order that he might not die; so that to understand the reason for his not saying, we must inquire what the ringing of the bells signified, or rather, what was the signification of Aaron's robe, with its border of pomegranates and ringing bells. The trivial explanation given by Abraham ben David, viz., that the ringing was to take the place of knocking at the door of Jehovah's palace, as an abrupt entrance into the presence of a great king was punished with death, is not more deserving of a serious refutation than Knobel's idea, for which there is no foundation, that the sounding of the bells was to represent a reverential greeting, and a very musical offering of praise (!).
The special significance of the meïl cannot have resided in either its form or its colour; for the only feature connected with its form, that was at all peculiar to it, was its being woven in one piece, which set forth the idea of wholeness or spiritual integrity; and the dark-blue colour indicated nothing more than the heavenly origin and character of the office with which the robe was associated. It must be sought for, therefore, in the peculiar pendants, the meaning of which is to be gathered from the analogous instructions in Numbers 15:38-39, where every Israelite is directed to make a fringe in the border of his garment, of dark-blue purple thread, and when he looks at the fringe to remember the commandments of God and do them. In accordance with this, we are also to seek for allusions to the word and testimony of God in the pendant of pomegranates and bells attached to the fringe of the high priest's robe. The simile in Proverbs 25:11, where the word is compared to an apple, suggests the idea that the pomegranates, with their pleasant odour, their sweet and refreshing juice, and the richness of their delicious kernel, were symbols of the word and testimony of God as a sweet and pleasant spiritual food, that enlivens the soul and refreshes the heart (compare Psalms 19:8; Psalms 119:25, Psalms 119:43, Psalms 119:50, with Deuteronomy 8:3; Proverbs 9:8, Ecclus. 15:3), and that the bells were symbols of the sounding of this word, or the revelation and proclamation of the word. Through the robe, with this pendant attached, Aaron was represented as the recipient and medium of the word and testimony which came down from heaven; and this was the reason why he was not to appear before the Lord without that sound, lest he should forfeit his life. It was not because he would simply have appeared as a private person if he had gone without it, for he would always have the holy dress of a priest upon him, even when he was not clothed in the official decorations of the high priest; but because no mere priest was allowed to enter the immediate presence of the Lord. This privilege was restricted to the representative of the whole congregation, viz., the high priest; and even he could only do so when wearing the robe of the word of God, as the bearer of the divine testimony, upon which the covenant fellowship with the Lord was founded.
The fourth article of the high priest's dress was the diadem upon his head-band. ציץ , from צוּץ to shine, a plate of pure gold, on which the words ליהוה קדשׁ , “ holiness (i.e., all holy) to Jehovah, ” were engraved, and which is called the “crown of holiness” in consequence, in Exodus 39:30. This gold plate was to be placed upon a riband of dark-blue purple, or, as it is expressed in Exodus 39:31, a riband of this kind was to be fastened to it, to attach it to the head-band, “ upon the fore-front (as in Exodus 26:9) of the head-band, ” from above (Exodus 39:31); by which we are to understand that the gold plate was placed above the lower coil of the head-band and over Aaron's forehead. The word מצנפת , from צנף to twist or coil (Isaiah 22:18), is only applied to the head-band or turban of the high priest, which was made of simply byssus (Exodus 28:39), and, judging from the etymology, was in the shape of a turban. This is all that can be determined with reference to its form. The diadem was the only thing about it that had any special significance. This was to be placed above (upon) Aaron's forehead, that he “might bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel sanctified, with regard to all their holy gifts,...as an acceptableness for them before Jehovah.” עון נשׁא : to bear iniquity (sin) and take it away; in other words, to exterminate it by taking it upon one's self. The high priest was exalted into an atoning mediator of the whole nation; and an atoning, sin-exterminating intercession was associated with his office. The qualification for this he received from the diadem upon his forehead with the inscription, “holiness to the Lord.” Through this inscription, which was fastened upon his head-dress of brilliant white, the earthly reflection of holiness, he was crowned as the sanctified of the Lord (Psalms 106:16), and endowed with the power to exterminate the sin which clung to the holy offerings of the people on account of the unholiness of their nature, so that the gifts of the nation became well-pleasing to the Lord, and the good pleasure of God was manifested to the nation.
(Note: See my Archaeology i. pp. 183-4. The following are Calvin's admirable remarks: Oblationum sanctarum iniquitas tollenda et purganda fuit per sacerdotem. Frigidum est illud commentum, si quid erroris admissum est in ceremoniis, remissum fuisse sacerdotis precibus. Longius enim respicere nos oportet: ideo oblationum iniquitatem deleri a sacerdote, quia nulla oblatio, quatenus est hominis, omni vitio caret. Dictu hoc asperum est et fere παράδοξον , sanctitates ipsas esse immundas, ut venia indigeant; sed tenendum est, nihil esse sane purum, quod non aliquid labis a nobis contrahat.... Nihil Dei cultu praestantius: et tamen nihil offerre potuit populus, etiam a lege praescriptum, nisi intercedente venia, quam nonnisi per sacerdotem obtinuit .)
In addition to the distinguishing dress of the high priest, Aaron was also to wear, as the official costume of a priest, a body-coat ( cetoneth ) made of byssus, and woven in checks or cubes; the head-band (for the diadem), also made of simple byssus; and a girdle ( abnet , of uncertain etymology, and only applied to the priest's girdle) of variegated work, i.e., made of yarn, of the same four colours as the holy things were to be made of (cf. Exodus 39:29).
The official dress of the sons of Aaron, i.e., of the ordinary priests, was to consist of just the same articles as Aaron's priestly costume (Exodus 28:39). But their body-coat is called weavers' work in Exodus 39:27, and was therefore quite a plain cloth, of white byssus or cotton yarn, though it was whole throughout, ἀῤῥαφος without seam, like the robe of Christ (John 19:23). It was worn close to the body, and, according to Jewish tradition, reached down to the ankles (cf. Josephus, iii. 7, 2). The head-dress of an ordinary priest is called מגבּעה , related to גּביע a basin or cup, and therefore seems to have been in the form of an inverted cup, and to have been a plain white cotton cap. The girdle , according to Exodus 39:29, was of the same material and work for Aaron and his sons. This dress was to be for glory and for beauty to the priests, just as Aaron's dress was to him (Exodus 28:2). The glory consisted in the brilliant white colour, the symbol of holiness; whilst the girdle, which an oriental man puts on when preparing for the duties of an office, contained in the four colours of the sanctuary the indication that they were the officers of Jehovah in His earthly kingdom.
Exodus 28:41
But since the clothing prescribed was an official dress, Moses was to put it upon Aaron and his sons, to anoint them and fill their hands, i.e., to invest them with the requisite sacrificial gifts (see at Leviticus 7:37), and so to sanctify them that they should be priests of Jehovah. For although the holiness of their office was reflected in their dress, it was necessary, on account of the sinfulness of their nature, that they should be sanctified through a special consecration for the administration of their office; and this consecration is prescribed in ch. 29 and carried out in Lev 8.
Exodus 28:42-43
The covering of their nakedness was an indispensable prerequisite. Aaron and his sons were therefore to receive מכנסים (from כּנס to cover or conceal, lit., concealers), short drawers, reaching from the hips to the thighs, and serving “to cover the flesh of the nakedness.” For this reason the directions concerning them are separated from those concerning the different portions of the dress, which were for glory and beauty. The material of which these drawers were to be made is called בּד . The meaning of this word is uncertain. According to Exodus 39:28, it was made of twined byssus or cotton yarn; and the rendering of the lxx, λίνα or λίνεος (Leviticus 6:3), is not at variance with this, as the ancients not only apply the term λίνον , linum , to flax, but frequently use it for fine white cotton as well. In all probability bad was a kind of white cloth, from בּדד to be white or clean, primarily to separate.
Exodus 28:43
These drawers the priests were to put on whenever they entered the sanctuary, that they might not “bear iniquity and die,” i.e., incur guilt deserving of death, either through disobedience to these instructions, or, what was still more important, through such violation of the reverence due to the holiness of the dwelling of God as they would be guilty of, if they entered the sanctuary with their nakedness uncovered. For as the consciousness of sin and guilt made itself known first of all in the feeling of nakedness, so those members which subserve the natural secretions are especially pudenda or objects of shame, since the mortality and corruptibility of the body, which sin has brought into human nature, are chiefly manifested in these secretions. For this reason these members are also called the “flesh of nakedness.” By this we are not to understand merely “the sexual member as the organ of generation or birth, because the existence and permanence of sinful, mortal human nature are associated with these,” as Bähr supposes. For the frailty and nakedness of humanity are not manifested in the organ and act of generation, which rather serve to manifest the inherent capacity and creation of man for imperishable life, but in the impurities which nature ejects through those organs, and which bear in themselves the character of corruptibility. If, therefore, the priest was to appear before Jehovah as holy, it was necessary that those parts of his body especially should be covered, in which the impurity of his nature and the nakedness of his flesh were most apparent. For this reason, even in ordinary life, they are most carefully concealed, though not, as Baumgarten supposes, “because the sin of nature has its principal seat in the flesh of nakedness.” - “ A statute for ever: ” as in Exodus 27:21.