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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Exodus 28
Commentary on Exodus 28 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 28
Ex 28:1-43. Appointment to the Priesthood.
1. take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him—Moses had hitherto discharged the priestly functions (Ps 99:6), and he evinced the piety as well as humility of his character, in readily complying with the command to invest his brother with the sacred office, though it involved the perpetual exclusion of his own family. The appointment was a special act of God's sovereignty, so that there could be no ground for popular umbrage by the selection of Aaron's family, with whom the office was inalienably established and continued in unbroken succession till the introduction of the Christian era.
2-5. holy garments—No inherent holiness belonged either to the material or the workmanship. But they are called "holy" simply because they were not worn on ordinary occasions, but assumed in the discharge of the sacred functions (Eze 44:19).
for glory and for beauty—It was a grand and sumptuous attire. In material, elaborate embroidery, and color, it had an imposing splendor. The tabernacle being adapted to the infantine aid of the church, it was right and necessary that the priests' garments should be of such superb and dazzling appearance, that the people might be inspired with a due respect for the ministers as well as the rites of religion. But they had also a further meaning; for being all made of linen, they were symbolical of the truth, purity, and other qualities in Christ that rendered Him such a high priest as became us.
6-14. ephod—It was a very gorgeous robe made of byssus, curiously embroidered, and dyed with variegated colors, and further enriched with golden tissue, the threads of gold being either originally interwoven or afterwards inserted by the embroiderer. It was short—reaching from the breast to a little below the loins—and though destitute of sleeves, retained its position by the support of straps thrown over each shoulder. These straps or braces, connecting the one with the back, the other with the front piece of which the tunic was composed, were united on the shoulder by two onyx stones, serving as buttons, and on which the names of the twelve tribes were engraved, and set in golden encasements. The symbolical design of this was, that the high priest, who bore the names along with him in all his ministrations before the Lord, might be kept in remembrance of his duty to plead their cause, and supplicate the accomplishment of the divine promises in their favor. The ephod was fastened by a girdle of the same costly materials, that is, dyed, embroidered, and wrought with threads of gold. It was about a handbreadth wide and wound twice round the upper part of the waist; it fastened in front, the ends hanging down at great length (Re 1:13).
15-29. thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work—a very splendid and richly embroidered piece of brocade, a span square, and doubled, to enable it the better to bear the weight of the precious stones in it. There were twelve different stones, containing each the name of a tribe, and arranged in four rows, three in each. The Israelites had acquired a knowledge of the lapidary's art in Egypt, and the amount of their skill in cutting, polishing, and setting precious stones, may be judged of by the diamond forming one of the engraved ornaments on this breastplate. A ring was attached to each corner, through which the golden chains were passed to fasten this brilliant piece of jewelry at the top and bottom tightly on the breast of the ephod.
30. thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and Thummim—The words signify "lights" and "perfections"; and nothing more is meant than the precious stones of the breastplate already described (compare Ex 39:8-21; Le 8:8). They received the name because the bearing of them qualified the high priest to consult the divine oracle on all public or national emergencies, by going into the holy place—standing close before the veil and putting his hand upon the Urim and Thummim, he conveyed a petition from the people and asked counsel of God, who, as the Sovereign of Israel, gave response from the midst of His glory. Little, however, is known about them. But it may be remarked that Egyptian judges wore on the breast of their official robes a representation of Justice, and the high priest in Israel long officiated also as a judge; so that some think the Urim and Thummim had a reference to his judicial functions.
31-33. the robe of the ephod all of blue—It was the middle garment, under the ephod and above the coat. It had a hole through which the head was thrust, and was formed carefully of one piece, such as was the robe of Christ (Joh 19:23). The high priest's was of a sky-blue color. The binding at the neck was strongly woven, and it terminated below in a fringe, made of blue, purple, and scarlet tassels, in the form of a pomegranate, interspersed with small bells of gold, which tinkled as the wearer was in motion.
34. a golden bell and a pomegranate—The bells were hung between the pomegranates, which were said to have amounted to seventy-two, and the use of them seems to have been to announce to the people when the high priest entered the most holy place, that they might accompany him with their prayers, and also to remind himself to be attired in his official dress, to minister without which was death.
36-38. plate—literally, a petal of a flower, which seems to have been the figure of this golden plate, which was tied with a ribbon of blue on the front of the mitre, so that every one facing him could read the inscription.
37. mitre—crown-like cap for the head, not covering the entire head, but adhering closely to it, composed of fine linen. The Scripture has not described its form, but from Josephus we may gather that it was conical in shape, as he distinguishes the mitres of the common priests by saying that they were not conical—that it was encircled with swathes of blue embroidered, and that it was covered by one piece of fine linen to hide the seams.
39. coat of fine linen—a garment fastened at the neck, and reaching far down the person, with the sleeves terminating at the elbow.
girdle of needlework—a piece of fine twined linen, richly embroidered, and variously dyed. It is said to have been very long, and being many times wound round the body, it was fastened in front and the ends hung down, which, being an impediment to a priest in active duty, were usually thrown across the shoulders. This was the outer garment of the common priests.
40. bonnets—turbans.
42. linen breeches—drawers, which encompassed the loins and reached half way down the thighs. They are seen very frequently represented in Egyptian figures.