Exodus 28 commentary

EXODUS 28 COMME TARY
EDITED BY GLE PEASE
The Priestly Garments
1 “Have Aaron your brother brought to you from
among the Israelites, along with his sons adab
and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may
serve me as priests.
BAR ES, "(Compare Exo. 39:1-31.) Moses is now commanded to commit all that
pertains to the offerings made to the Lord in the sanctuary to the exclusive charge of the
members of a single family, who were to hold their office from generation to generation.
In the patriarchal times, the external rites of worship had generally been conducted by
the head of the tribe or family, in accordance with the principle involved in the
dedication of the firstborn Exo_13:2; Num_3:12-13. Moses, as the divinely-appointed
and acknowledged leader of the nation, had, on a special occasion, appointed those who
were to offer sacrifice, and had himself sprinkled the consecrating blood of the victims
on the people Exo_24:5-6, Exo_24:8. On the completion of the tabernacle, after Aaron
and his sons had been called to the priesthood, he took chief part in the daily service of
the sanctuary Exo_40:23-29, Exo_40:31-32 until the consecration of the family of
Aaron, on which occasion he appears to have exercised the priest’s office for the last time
(Lev. 8:14-29; compare Exo. 29:10-26). The setting apart of the whole tribe of Levi for
the entire cycle of religious services is mentioned Num_3:5-13; 8:5-26; 18:1-32.
Exo_28:1
Nadab and Abihu, the two older sons of Aaron, had accompanied their father and the
seventy Elders when they went a part of the way with Moses up the mountain Exo_24:1,
Exo_24:9. Soon after their consecration they were destroyed for offering “strange fire
before the Lord” Lev_10:1-2. Eleazar and Ithamar are here mentioned for the first time,
except in the genealogy, Exo_6:23. Eleazar succeeded his father in the High priesthood,
and was himself succeeded by his son Phinehas Jdg_20:28. But Eli, the next high priest
named in the history, was of the line of Ithamar. The representatives of both families
held office at the same time in the days of David. See 1Ch_24:1-3; 2Sa_8:17.
CLARKE, "Aaron - and his sons - The priesthood was to be restrained to this
family because the public worship was to be confined to one place; and previously to this

the eldest in every family officiated as priest, there being no settled place of worship. It
has been very properly observed that, if Moses had not acted by the Divine appointment,
he would not have passed by his own family, which continued in the condition of
ordinary Levites, and established the priesthood, the only dignity in the nation, in the
family of his brother Aaron. “The priests, however, had no power of a secular nature, nor
does it appear from history that they ever arrived at any till the time of the Asmoneans
or Maccabees.” See Clarke’s note on Exo_19:22.
GILL, "And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him,....
Moses is bid to fetch or send for Aaron and his sons to him: or "cause" them to "draw
near" (n) to him, and stand before him, that he might in the name of the Lord, and by his
authority, distinguish and separate them
from among the children of Israel: and before them all invest them with the office
of priesthood, as it follows:
that they may minister unto me in the priest's office, before this time every
master of a family was a priest, and might and did offer sacrifice, and all the Israelites
were a kingdom of priests; and Moses, as Aben Ezra calls him, was "a priest of priests";
but now it being enough for him to be the political ruler of the people, and the prophet of
the Lord, the priestly office is bestowed on Aaron and his sons; nor might any afterwards
officiate in it but such as were of his family; and a great honour this was that was
conferred on him, and to which he was called of God, as in Heb_5:4 and it is greatly in
the favour of Moses, and which shows him to be an upright and undesigning man, that
sought not to aggrandize himself and his family; that though he had so much honour
and power himself, he sought not to entail any upon his posterity. It is hinted in the
latter part of the preceding chapter, that Aaron and his sons should minister in the
sanctuary, and look after the candlestick, and its lamps; and here the design of God
concerning them is more fully opened, which was, that they should be his peculiar
ministers and servants in his house, to do all the business appertaining to it:
even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons: who were
all the sons that Aaron had that we read of; though Aben Ezra thinks it probable that he
might have other sons, and therefore the names of those are particularly mentioned,
who were to be taken into the priest's office with him; the two first of these died very
quickly after this, in a very awful manner, as the sacred story relates; and from the other
two sprung all the priests that were in all successive generations.
HE RY, "I. The priests nominated: Aaron and his sons, Exo_28:1. Hitherto every
master of a family was priest to his own family, and offered, as he saw cause, upon altars
of earth; but now that the families of Israel began to be incorporated into a nation, and a
tabernacle of the congregation was to be erected, as a visible centre of their unity, it was
requisite there should be a public priesthood instituted. Moses, who had hitherto
officiated, and is therefore reckoned among the priests of the Lord (Psa_99:6), had
enough to do as their prophet to consult the oracle for them, and as their prince to judge
among them; nor was he desirous to engross all the honours to himself, or to entail that
of the priesthood, which alone was hereditary, upon his own family, but was very well
pleased to see his brother Aaron invested in this office, and his sons after him, while
(how great soever he was) his sons after him would be but common Levites. It is an

instance of the humility of that great man, and an evidence of his sincere regard for the
glory of God, that he had so little regard to the preferment of his own family. Aaron, who
had humbly served as a prophet to his younger brother Moses, and did not decline the
office (Exo_7:1), is now advanced to be a priest, a high priest to God; for he will exalt
those that abase themselves. Nor could any man have taken this honour to himself, but
he that was called of God to it, Heb_5:4. God had said of Israel in general that they
should be to him a kingdom of priests, Exo_19:6. But because it was requisite that those
who ministered at the altar should give themselves wholly to the service, and because
that which is every body's work will soon come to be nobody's work, God here chose
from among them one to be a family of priests, the father and his four sons; and from
Aaron's loins descended all the priests of the Jewish church, of whom we read so often,
both in the Old Testament and in the New. A blessed thing it is when real holiness goes,
as the ceremonial holiness did, by succession in a family.
JAMISO , "Exo_28:1-43. Appointment to the priesthood.
take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him — Moses had
hitherto discharged the priestly functions (Psa_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.
K&D 1-5, "(cf. Ex 39:1-31). Appointment and Clothing of the Priests. - Exo_28:1,
Exo_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 2Sa_8:18; 2Sa_20:26; 1Ki_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 (Lev_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 Exo_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.
CALVI , "1.And take thou unto thee Aaron. The calling of God is here alleged to
prove the importance and dignity of the priesthood, and this too the Apostle has well
weighed in the words:
"And no man taketh the honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was
Aaron.” (Hebrews 5:4.)
Among heathen nations the priests were appointed by popular election, so that
ambition alone governed their appointment; but God would only have those
accounted lawful priests whom He had selected at His own sole will; and surely the
whole human race together had no power to obtrude any one on God, who should
interpose himself to obtain pardon and peace; nay, not even Christ Himself would
have been sufficient to propitiate God, unless He had undertaken the office by the
decree and appointment of His Father. To which refers the famous oath, whereby
His heavenly Father appointed Him to be priest; and so much the more vile and
detestable was the sacrilege which afterwards prevailed in the Jewish nation, viz.,
that the successors of Aaron bought the priesthood! This unworthy traffic of the
office, which Josephus relates, ought to awaken horror in us now, when we see that
sacred honor profaned by the family which had been chosen by God to represent
Christ. evertheless, however they may have violated all law and justice, still the
counsel of God remained inviolable, that believers might know that the priesthood
depended on His authority, just as reconciliation flows from His mere mercy. For in
order that it should be lawful for men to establish a priest, it would be necessary
that they should anticipate God by their own deservings; and from this they are
very far distant. The case is different as to the election of the pastors of the Church;
since, after Christ had instituted the order itself, He commanded that there should
be chosen out of the Church those who by their doctrine and integrity of life were
fitted to exercise the office. Still He does not thus resign His own right and power to
men, for He does not cease through them to call those (by whom He would be
served. (160)) Wherefore, to shew that He is the sole author of the priesthood, God
commands Aaron and his sons to be separated from among the others; and the
performance of this He entrusts to Moses, whom, however, He does not elevate to
the like honor. Moses consecrates Aaron, although he was never himself dedicated
by anointing and investiture to the service of God; (161) whence we perceive that the
sacraments have their power and effect not from the virtue of the minister, but only
from the commandment of God; for Moses would not have given to others what he
had not himself, if it had not so pleased God.
ELLICOTT, "(1) Take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother.—Heb., make to draw
near to thee Aaron thy brother. Hitherto the position of Moses had been absolutely

unique. He had been, from the time that Egypt was quitted, the one and only
intermediary between God and the people—the one and only priest of the nation.
ow this was to be changed. Perhaps in consequence of his original reluctance and
want of faith (Exodus 3:11; Exodus 4:10-13), perhaps on account of Aaron’s elder
birth (Exodus 7:7), it pleased God to commit the office of ministering to Him in the
tabernacle, not to Moses and his descendants, but to Aaron and those sprung from
his loins. In this way Aaron and his sons were “drawn near” to Moses in respect of
rank, position, and dignity.
That he may minister to me in the priest’s office.—Or, “that he may be priest to
me.” The actual investiture of Aaron with the priestly office did not take place until
some time after the tabernacle was completed. It is related in Leviticus 8; and his
first priestly acts are recorded in the following chapter (Leviticus 9:8-22).
adab and Abihu.—On adab and Abihu, the two eldest sons of Aaron, see Exodus
6:23; Exodus 24:1.
Eleazar and Ithamar.—The priestly office was, in fact, continued in the families of
these two. Eleazar became high priest at the death of Aaron ( umbers 20:28), and
was succeeded by his son Phinehas, whom we find high priest in the time of Joshua
(Joshua 22:13) and afterwards (Judges 20:28). At a later date, but under what
circumstances is unknown, the high priesthood passed to the line of Ithamar, to
which Eli belonged.
COFFMA , "Verse 1
This chapter may be captioned, "Garments of the Priesthood." However, the
greater part of it deals with the special vestments of the High Priest.
There are six paragraphs:
(1) summary of the High Priest's garments (Exodus 28:1-5);
(2) instructions for making the ephod (Exodus 28:6-15);
(3) directions for the breastplate (Exodus 28:16-30),
(4) how the robe was made (Exodus 28:31-35)
(5) the manner of making the mitre (Exodus 28:36-39), and
(6) the details for the garments of the suffragan priests (Exodus 28:40-43).
GARME TS OF THE HIGH PRIEST
"And bring 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, adab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. And thou shalt make

holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty. 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 sanctify him, that he may minister unto me
in the priest's office. 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 and his sons, that he may
minister unto me in the priest's office. And they shall take the gold, and the blue,
and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen."
This paragraph introduced a dramatic change into the religious economy of Israel.
Until this point, Moses himself had acted in the capacity of a High Priest, actually
sprinkling the blood upon the people in the ratification of the Covenant (Exodus
24:8). There had never been an established priesthood dedicated to the worship of
Jehovah prior to the one commanded here. Job offered sacrifices for his family.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as countless others, as the first-born or heads of
families, had discharged the duties of priests. That entire period of history was
called the Patriarchal Age, but now, with the setting up of the Aaronic priesthood,
the Mosaic Dispensation would begin, meaning the age which in matters of the
priesthood would follow the instructions God gave to Moses.
It has been pointed out that Moses here offered no protest, nor did he defer in any
manner from doing promptly and exactly what God commanded. One may read
various opinions regarding the choice of Aaron instead of Moses, but the most
convincing reason lies in the fact that as a type of Christ, it would not have been
correct for Moses to have been High Priest, for Christ was not intended to be a High
Priest after the order of Moses, but after the "order of Melchizedek" (Psalms
100:4). In his magnificent person and achievements, Moses was already a type of
Christ in many ways, but adding the High Priest's office to Moses would not have fit
the divine pattern.
The liberal community of scholars have advanced some impossible allegations
regarding this chapter, denying its divine origin and Mosaic authorship. Clements
stated that this introduction of the Aaronic priesthood, "represents a late
development in Israel's history, which did not come into force until after the exile,
probably late in the sixth century B.C."[1] Honeycutt also echoed this notion, but
neither he nor any advocate of such a view has ever offered the slightest proof, not
one solid fact, in support of their radical allegations. Honeycutt did say that,
"Aaron's royal regalia is suggestive of the postexilic period when, in the absence of a
king, the High Priest became a semi-royal figure."[2] The long centuries prior to the
monarchy, however, are just as logically suggested as the later period. There was a
tabernacle, and, therefore, there was an established priesthood from the very
beginning of the tabernacle, which would have been worthless without it. And, as
for the Aaronic priesthood being any kind of a late development, Johnson stated
that, "There is no evidence in any of the later history of Israel that, except for
extraordinary circumstances, any but the sons of Aaron ever acted as priests."[3]
Even Martin oth who frequently follows the critical line admits that this account
of Aaron and his garments, "would not have been written purely from fancy."[4]

Of course, what we have here is the very moment of institution of the priestly system
that was to dominate the history of Israel until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The pairing of the names of adab and Abihu and those of Eleazar and Ithamar in
Exodus 28:1 is of deep interest. The first pair lost their lives in the very act of their
consecration through disrespect for the Word of God, and it was through the latter
pair alone that the Aaronic line continued: "Eleazar succeeded Aaron as High Priest
( umbers 3:4), later the descendants of Ithamar became High Priests from Eli
through Abiathar (1 Samuel 2:27-28; 1 Kings 2:26,27)."[5] At a time still later, the
sons of Eleazar again resumed the office from Zadok onward (1 Chronicles 6:8-15).
Esses, a former rabbi, pointed out that the elaborate dress of the High Priest was
designed to "fit all sizes of men," and that the very garments described here
continued to be worn, "until Titus invaded the city of Jerusalem in 70. A.D."[6] We
are unable to find any confirmation of such an idea.
One of the things of great interest in this paragraph is in Exodus 28:3, where God
indicated that unusually skilled persons had been given their great gifts by God
Himself, "whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom." Indeed, how true this is!
Great skills were truly God-given, and they still are. Think of Mozart who wrote a
cantata at age seven years, which is still played by orchestras all over the world.
"God is the Source of every intellectual faculty and artistic gift."[7] Amen! This
conviction has long resided in the human heart.
COKE, "Exodus 28:1. And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother— The house and
the more material parts of the furniture being provided, Jehovah next appoints the
ministers of that house, and by a solemn consecration sets apart Aaron and his sons.
What we read, that he may minister unto me, should certainly be read, according to
the Samaritan and others, that they may minister unto me. There cannot be the least
doubt that there were priests among the Hebrews before this time, as we have had
occasion frequently to remark in the course of our notes; see, particularly, ch.
Exodus 19:22; Exodus 19:24.
CO STABLE, "Verses 1-5
The priests28:1-5
Aaron had been functioning as a priest (Heb. cohen; Exodus 4:16). ow Moses
officially appointed him and his sons to this office. God apparently specified Aaron
because he was the brother of Moses whom God had already designated as the
covenant mediator. [ ote: Merrill, "A Theology . . .," p50.] Before the sinful priests
could approach their holy God, they had to cover their uncleanness symbolically
with holy clothes. The priests had to wear these garments when they served in the
tabernacle ritual, but they could not wear them at other times ( Exodus 35:19;
Leviticus 16:4; Leviticus 16:23-24). The fact that the workmen who made these
garments needed to be wise and skillful ( Exodus 28:3) indicates the importance that
God placed on their construction.

Aaron"s priesthood prefigured that of Jesus Christ ( Hebrews 5:5; Hebrews 7:26;
Hebrews 9:11).
EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMME TARY, ""THE HOLY GARME TS."
Exodus 28:1-43
The tabernacle being complete, the priesthood has to be provided for. Its dignity is
intimated by the command to Moses to bring his brother Aaron and his sons near to
himself (clearly in rank, because the object is defined, "that he may minister unto
Me"), and also by the direction to make "holy garments for glory and for beauty."
But just as the furniture is treated before the shrine, and again before the
courtyard, so the vestments are provided before the priesthood is itself discussed.
The holiness of the raiment implies that separation to office can be expressed by
official robes in the Church as well as in the state; and their glory and beauty show
that God, Who has clothed His creation with splendour and with loveliness, does not
dissever religious feeling from artistic expression.
All that are wise-hearted in such work, being inspired by God as really, though not
as profoundly, as if their task were to foretell the advent of Messiah, are to unite
their labours upon these garments.
The order in the twenty-eighth chapter is perhaps that of their visible importance.
But it will be clearer to describe them in the order in which they were put on.
ext the flesh all the priests were clad from the loins to the thighs in close-fitting
linen: the indecency of many pagan rituals must be far from them, and this was a
perpetual ordinance, "that they bear not iniquity and die" (Exodus 28:42-43).
Over this was a tight-fitting "coat" (a shirt rather) of fine linen, white, but woven in
a chequered pattern, without seam, like the robe of Jesus, and bound together with
a girdle (Exodus 28:39-43).
These garments were common to all the priests; but their "head-tires" differed from
the impressive mitre of the high priest. The rest of the vestments in this chapter
belong to him alone.
Over the "coat" he wore the flowing "robe of the ephod," all blue, little seen from
the waist up, but uncovered thence to the feet, and surrounded at the hem with
golden pomegranates, the emblem of fruitfulness, and with bells to enable the
worshippers outside to follow the movements of their representative. He should die
if this expression of his vicarious function were neglected (Exodus 28:31-35).
Above this robe was the ephod itself--a kind of gorgeous jacket, made in two pieces
which were joined at the shoulders, and bound together at the waist by a cunningly

woven band, which was of the same piece. This ephod, like the curtains of the
tabernacle, was of blue and purple and scarlet and fine-twined linen; but added to
these were threads of gold, and we read, as if this were a novelty which needed to be
explained, that they beat the gold into thin plates and then cut it into threads
(Exodus 39:3, Exodus 28:6-8).
Upon the shoulders were two stones, rightly perhaps called onyx, and set in
"ouches"--of filagree work, as the word seems to say. Upon them were engraven the
names of the twelve tribes, the burden of whose sins and sorrows he should bear
into the presence of his God, "for a memorial" (Exodus 28:9-12).
Upon the ephod was the breastplate, fastened to it by rings and chains of twisted
gold, made to fold over into a square, a span in measurement, and blazing with
twelve gems, upon which were engraved, as upon the onyxes on the shoulders, the
names of the twelve tribes. All attempts to derive edification from the nature of
these jewels must be governed by the commonplace reflection that we cannot
identify them; and many of the present names are incorrect. It is almost certain that
neither topaz, sapphire nor diamond could have been engraved, as these stones
were, with the name of one of the twelve tribes (Exodus 28:13-30).
"In the breastplate" (that is, evidently, between the folds as it was doubled), were
placed those mysterious means of ascertaining the will of God, the Urim and the
Thummim, the Lights and the Perfections; but of their nature, or of the manner in
which they became significant, nothing can be said that is not pure conjecture
(Exodus 28:30).
Lastly, there was a mitre of white linen, and upon it was laced with blue cords a
gold plate bearing the inscription "HOLY TO JEHOVAH" (Exodus 28:36-37).
o mention is made of shoes or sandals; and both from the commandment to Moses
at the burning bush, and from history, it is certain that the priests officiated with
their feet bare.
The picture thus completed has the clearest ethical significance. There is modesty,
reverence, purity, innocence typified by whiteness, the grandeur of the office of
intercession displayed in the rich colours and precious jewels by which that
whiteness was relieved, sympathy expressed by the names of the people in the
breastplate that heaved with every throb of his heart, responsibility confessed by the
same names upon the shoulder, where the government was said to press like a load
(Isaiah 9:6); and over all, at once the condition and the explanation of the rest, upon
the seat of intelligence itself, the golden inscription on the forehead, "Holy to
Jehovah."
Such was the import of the raiment of the high priest: let us see how it agrees with
the nature of his office.
THE PRIESTHOOD.

What, then, are the central ideas connected with the institution of a priesthood?
Regarding it in the broadest way, and as a purely human institution, we may trace it
back to the eternal conflict in the breast of man between two mighty tendencies--the
thirst for God and the dread of Him, a strong instinct of approach and a repelling
sense of unworthiness.
In every age and climate, man prays. If any curious inquirer into savage habits can
point to the doubtful exception of a tribe seemingly without a ritual, he will not
really show that religion is one with superstition; for they who are said to have
escaped its grasp are never the most advanced and civilised among their fellows
upon that account,--they are the most savage and debased, they are to humanity
what the only people which has formally renounced God is fast becoming among the
European races.
Certainly history cannot exhibit one community, progressive, energetic and
civilised, which did not feel that more was needful and might be had than its own
resources could supply, and stretch aloft to a Supreme Being the hands which were
so deft to handle the weapon and the tool. Certainly all experience proves that the
foundations of national greatness are laid in national piety, so that the practical
result of worship, and of the belief that God responds, has not been to dull the
energies of man, but to inspire him with the self-respect befitting a confidant of
deity, and to brace him for labours worthy of one who draws, from the sense of
Divine favour, the hope of an infinite advance.
And yet, side by side with this spiritual gravitation, there has always been recoil and
dread, such as was expressed when Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look
upon God.
ow, it is not this apprehension, taken alone, which proves man to be a fallen
creature: it is the combination of the dread of God with the desire of Him. Why
should we shrink from our supreme Good, except as a sick man turns away from his
natural food? He is in an unnatural and morbid state of body, and we of soul.
Thus divided between fear and attraction, man has fallen upon the device of
commissioning some one to represent him before God. The priest on earth has come
by the same road with so many other mediators--angel and demigod, saint and
virgin.
At first it has been the secular chief of the family, tribe or nation, who has seemed
least unworthy to negotiate as well with heaven as with centres of interest upon
earth. But by degrees the duty has everywhere been transferred into professional
hands, patriarch and king recoiling, feeling the inconsistency of his earthly duties
with these sacred ones, finding his hands to be too soiled and his heart too heavily
weighted with sin for the tremendous Presence into which the family or the tribe
would press him. And yet the union of the two functions might be the ideal; and the

sigh of all truly enlightened hearts might be for a priest sitting upon his throne, a
priest after the order of Melchizedek. But thus it came to pass that an official, a
clique, perhaps a family, was chosen from among men in things pertaining to God,
and the institution of the priesthood was perfected.
ow, this is the very process which is recognised in Scripture; for these two
conflicting forces were altogether sound and right. Man ought to desire God, for
Whom he was created, and Whose voice in the garden was once so welcome: but
also he ought to shrink back from Him, afraid now, because he is conscious of his
own nakedness, because he has eaten of the forbidden fruit.
Accordingly, as the nation is led out from Egypt, we find that its intercourse with
heaven is at once real and indirect. The leader is virtually the priest as well, at
whose intercession Amalek is vanquished and the sin of the golden calf is pardoned,
who entered the presence of God and received the law upon their behalf, when they
feared to hear His voice lest they should die, and by whose hand the blood of the
covenant was sprinkled upon the people, when they had sworn to obey all that the
Lord had said (Exodus 17:11, Exodus 32:30, Exodus 20:19, Exodus 24:8).
Soon, however, the express command of God provided for an orthodox and edifying
transfer of the priestly function from Moses to his brother Aaron. Some such
division of duties between the secular chief and the religious priest would no doubt
have come, in Israel as elsewhere, as soon as Moses disappeared; but it might have
come after a very different fashion, associated with heresy and schism. Especially
would it have been demanded why the family of Moses, if the chieftainship must
pass away from it, could not retain the religious leadership. We know how cogent
such a plea would have appeared; for, although the transfer was made publicly and
by his own act, yet no sooner did the nation begin to split into tribal subdivisions,
amid the confused efforts of each to conquer its own share of the inheritance, than
we find the grandson of Moses securely establishing himself and his posterity in the
apostate and semi-idolatrous worship of Shechem ( 18:30, R.V.).
And why should not this illustrious family have been chosen?
Perhaps because it was so illustrious. A priesthood of that great line might seem to
have earned its office, and to claim special access to God, like the heathen priests, by
virtue of some special desert. Therefore the honour was transferred to the far less
eminent line of Aaron, and that in the very hour when he was lending his help to the
first great apostacy, the type of the many idolatries into which Israel was yet to fall.
So, too, the whole tribe of Levi was in some sense consecrated, not for its merit, but
because, through the sin of its founder, it lacked a place and share among its
brethren, being divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel by reason of the massacre of
Shechem (Genesis 49:7).
Thus the nation, conscious of its failure to enjoy intercourse with heaven, found an
authorised expression for its various and conflicting emotions. It was not worthy to
commune with God, and yet it could not rest without Him. Therefore a spokesman,

a representative, an ambassador, was given to it. But he was chosen after such a
fashion as to shut out any suspicion that the merit of Levi had prevailed where that
of Israel at large had failed. It was not because Levi executed vengeance on the
idolaters that he was chosen, for the choice was already made, and made in the
person of Aaron, who was so far from blameless in that offence.
And perhaps this is the distinguishing peculiarity of the Jewish priest among others:
that he was chosen from among his brethren, and simply as one of them; so that
while his office was a proof of their exclusion, it was also a kind of sacrament of
their future admission, because he was their brother and their envoy, and entered
not as outshining but as representing them, their forerunner for them entering. The
almond rod of Aaron was dry and barren as the rest, until the miraculous power of
God invested it with blossoms and fruit.
Throughout the ritual, the utmost care was taken to inculcate this double lesson of
the ministry. Into the Holy Place, whence the people were excluded, a whole family
could enter. But there was an inner shrine, whither only the high priest might
penetrate, thus reducing the family to a level with the nation; "the Holy Ghost this
signifying, that the way into the Holy Place hath not yet been made manifest, while
as the first tabernacle (the outer shrine-- Exodus 28:6) was yet standing" (Hebrews
9:8).
Thus the people felt a deeper awe, a broader separation. And yet, when the sole and
only representative who was left to them entered that "shrine, remote, occult,
untrod," they saw that the way was not wholly barred against human footsteps: the
lesson suggested was far from being that of absolute despair,--it was, as the Epistle
to the Hebrews said, " ot yet." The prophet Zechariah foresaw a time when the
bells of the horses should bear the same consecrating legend that shone upon the
forehead of the priest: HOLY U TO THE LORD (Zechariah 14:20).
It is important to observe that the only book of the ew Testament in which the
priesthood is discussed dwells quite as largely upon the difference as upon the
likeness between the Aaronic and the Messianic priest. The latter offered but one
Sacrifice for sins, the former offered for himself before doing so for the people
(Hebrews 10:12). The latter was a royal Priest, and of the order of a Canaanite
(Hebrews 7:1-4), thus breaking down all the old system at one long-predicted blow--
for if He were on earth He could not so much as be a priest at all (Hebrews 8:4)--and
with it all the old racial monopolies, all class distinctions, being Himself of a tribe as
to which Moses spake nothing concerning priests (Hebrews 7:14). Every priest
standeth, but this priest hath for ever sat down, and even at the right hand of God
(Hebrews 10:11-12).
In one sense this priesthood belongs to Christ alone. In another sense it belongs to
all who are made one with Him, and therefore a kingly priesthood unto God. But
nowhere in the ew Testament is the name by which He is designated bestowed
upon any earthly minister by virtue of his office. The presbyter is never called
sacerdos. And perhaps the heaviest blow ever dealt to popular theology was the

misapplying of the ew Testament epithet (elder, presbyter or priest) to designate
the sacerdotal functions of the Old Testament, and those of Christ which they
foreshadowed. It is not the word "priest" that is at fault, but some other word for
the Old Testament official which is lacking, and cannot now be supplied.
PARKER, "The Priest and His Robes
Exodus 28
The hand that sketched the architecture of the tabernacle is plainly visible here, for
here we have the same regard for proportion, beauty, fitness, and detail. There are
certain Divine ideas here which belong to all ages, and which subtly and with
wondrous precision confirm the unity of the whole Biblical plan. There is here
something infinitely more than ancient history. Christianity is here as certainly as
the oak is in the acorn. Shall we slightly vary the figure and compare this statement
to a bud ready to burst into the loveliest flower of the garden? Every detail is alive
with suggestion. Beyond Aaron, above him, and round about him is Another, who is
feebly adumbrated by this Divinely-attired priest.
We may perhaps collect most of the permanent doctrine of this chapter by
indicating a few manifest parallels:—The Jewish priesthood was Divinely instituted.
So is the Christian ministry.
"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" ( Exodus
28:1).
Priesthood is a Divine creation. The priest himself is a Divine election. The whole
idea of mediation is not human but Divine. Up to this time Moses had represented
the Divine sovereignty and purpose; but now we are coming into more delicate
divisions and distributions of human life and action, and another kind of man is
needed in the unfoldment of that most intricate and pregnant of all germs—the unit
which holds the mystery which we call human life. The priesthood is not to be
humanly accounted for. The priesthood cannot be humanly sustained. A man would
hesitate to go into this warfare at his own charges and for his own self-gratification,
in proportion as he feels the agony of the service that must be rendered. Who wants
to stand before his fellow-men to speak precepts of virtue, and to call to a
supernatural or highly spiritual life, when he knows that every word he speaks is
stained by the very breath that utters it? Who cares, being a true-minded Prayer of
Manasseh , having some earnestness of purpose, and being anxious to be really
healthy in soul, to stand before the people as a living contradiction, unable to touch
the sublimity of any prayer he offers, falling infinitely below every exhortation
which he urges upon the people? There is a mystery here. This arrangement is not
to be accounted for in any off-handed manner. There is a spirit in man—an
inspiration leading to office, duty, function, service,—a great marvel not to be trifled
with. It is because such forces are behind men, and above them, and on either hand
of them, that they go forward to be the offscouring of all people, to be contemned,

and mocked, and rebuked, and reminded of the discrepancies which mar the poor
union which ought to subsist between their work and themselves. We claim for the
Christian ministry a distinctly Divine institution and a distinctly Divine inspiration
day by day.
Then reading further on in the story we find that the Jewish priesthood had a
double function. So has the Christian ministry.
"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" ( Exodus 28:12).
Is that all? Is there to be a merely external manifestation or testimony? Read the
completing statement:—
"And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of
judgment upon his heart" ( Exodus 28:29).
Still pursuing the story, we find that the Jewish priesthood was identified with the
people. So is the Christian ministry.
"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: a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate,
upon the hem of the robe round about. 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" ( Exodus 28:33-35).
The meaning is that the people were to know what Aaron was about. He was to
announce himself; every motion of the body was proved by a tinkling and chiming
of the golden bells. Amid all the stir and rush and tumult of the day"s engagement
there came a sound—a sweet, mystic sound—of golden bells. What is the
meaning?—The priest is interested for us; he is going into the holy place; he is about
his sacred work; he is remembering us before God. The priest is not going into the
holy place to perform any magical arts of his own, to make up some black art or
mystery out of his own invention; he is not stealing away with shoes whose motion
cannot be heard, or with garments that do not rustle. We are to know where he
Isaiah , what he is doing. He cannot stir without our knowing it; the golden bells
report the actions and movements of the priest. If those bells were quieted, and if
Aaron stole about his work as if he were a sorcerer, or a magician, who had some
little trick of his own to play, the penalty was death. If the bells were not heard, the
priest must die. The priest is a public servant; he is not to be concealed behind a
curtain working out some black craft or indulging in some Eleusinian mystery. He is
a man of the people, he belongs to the people, he is the servant of the people; all that
concerns the people he must represent. How completely does the idea of the
Christian ministry fructify that seed-thought,—bring to sacred and gracious
maturity the opening purpose of the loving Father! The minister belongs to the

people. The minister is no conjuror. It is not only a mistake, but a wicked error to
clothe the preacher, whoever he may be, with any superstitious quality or charm.
We may be able to say—and must be,—"Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher
come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be
with him." That is right; words of that import may be addressed to every man who
vindicates his ministerial vocation; but the minister is the gathered-up people; he
represents the common wants of the day. When he folds his hands in public prayer
it is that he may speak of the burden and stress of a thousand lives; he must speak
the language of the people; there must be nothing whatever about his speech
separating him from the great, deep currents of popular life, necessity, and heart-
ache. The poorest hearer must feel as the preacher is speaking that the preacher is
speaking of him, to him, for him, and is his greater self—his speaking self,—the
tongue of the dumb, the eye of the blind, the completing life that takes up the
meanest existence and runs it into spheral completeness and beauty. This is the
ideal,—how far we fall short of it is another question. We are not now saying how
far we meet the standard and satisfy it, we are asking, What is the standard? and
magnifying the grace of God in the development of spiritual education.
We find that the Jewish people had a Urim and a Thummim. So has the Christian
Church.
"And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim
(literally translated: Light and Perfection); and they shall be upon Aaron"s heart,
when he goeth in before the Lord" ( Exodus 28:30).
What the Urim and the Thummim actually were no man has been able to find out.
Whether they were to be used for the purpose of ascertaining the Divine will in
critical and perplexing circumstances has been a question which has excited devout
attention; but whatever the Urim and the Thummim were, there can be no doubt as
to what our Urim and Thummim are. We are not left without light and perfection;
we are not destitute of means of discovering the Divine purpose in our life and
progress. Our Urim and Thummim are the Old and ew Testaments. Keep these in
the heart; be at home with them in all their wondrous variety of speech, of doctrine,
of Song of Solomon , of inspiration, and of instruction of every kind; and then you
never can stray far from the path providential that makes its own course straight up
to the God who started the mysterious outgoing. We have nothing to do with
incantation; we do not go to consult the witch of Endor, the sorcerer, or the
conjuror; we ask no questions at forbidden places. The whole life-course is mapped
out in the Old Testament and in the ew. The Testaments are never to be separated;
they are to be read together, they explain one another; torn asunder, they lose their
unity and their music; brought together, you bring the flower to the root, you bring
the noonday to the dawn, you unite things, forces, ministries that ought never to be
dissevered. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Scripture given by
inspiration is profitable for all the necessities of life. If we stray, it is not for want of
light; if we persist in obeying our own perverted instincts and impulses, we must not
be surprised that we end in the bog of despair or in the wilderness of destitution. Do
not move without consulting the oracle Divine. Let our motto be, "To the law, and to

the testimony," and what cannot be confirmed by the spirit of the book is unworthy
to be admitted into our life as an inspiring and directing force.
We find that the Jewish arrangement had one supreme object. So has the Christian
life.
"And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of
a signet, HOLI ESS TO THE LORD" ( Exodus 28:36).
This motto is written in the book in large capitals. The dimmest eye can see the
signet. What typography has done for the page the Holy Spirit is to do for the heart
and life. There must be no mistake about the language of our prayer, endeavour,
study, service, and aspiration. In the beginning they may be poor in expression, they
may struggle and halt a good deal and bring upon themselves the vexation of a
narrow and mocking criticism; but to the Divine eye they must be Song of Solomon ,
ordered as to represent the purpose of holiness, the meaning of God-likeness. In our
first, humblest, poorest prayer there must be the beginning, which, being developed
in God"s providence and grace, shall express the music of the eternal song. In our
first Christian efforts there may be much that those who look on could easily
contemn and easily minimise into something almost insignificant and trivial; but
there must be in them that which is like the grain of mustard seed which God can
recognise, and about which he will say, Let it grow in the right soil under the warm
sun, let it be nourished and rocked by the breezes of heaven, and even that little
thing shall become as a great and fruitful tree. What, then, is the object of all this
priesthood, all this ministry, church-building, and church-attendance? What is the
mystery of it all? The answer is sublime; no man need blush for it; the object we
have in view is HOLI ESS TO THE LORD and that is the meaning of every turn of
the hand; that is what we want to write. You can mock us; we are making but poor
writing of it; at present the work is done in a very feeble manner—none can know it
so truly as those know it who are trying to carry it out. We know we expose
ourselves to the contempt of the mocker, but if you ask us what we would
accomplish, what is the goal towards which we are moving, we take up these words.
We do not attempt to amend them; we cannot paint such beauty or add to the glory
of such lustre; our motto, our wish, our prayer, our end is HOLI ESS TO THE
LORD. We are not fanatics; we know the spirit of reason; we pay homage at the
altar of reason; we can think, compare; we can bring things together that are
mutually related; we can construct arguments and examine evidences and witnesses,
and if you ask us, as rational men—What would you be at? name your policy—this
is it: that we may be holy unto the Lord. We would so live that everything within
our sphere shall be inscribed with HOLI ESS TO THE LORD—yea, even upon the
bells of the horses would we write that sacred term, and not rest until the snuff-
dishes of the sanctuary are made of pure gold, until every breath is an odour from
heaven, every action of the human hand a sacrifice well-pleasing to God. This is our
object: we do not disavow it, we do not speak of it in ambiguous terms; we would be
holy unto the Lord.
And have we no ornaments? The ornament of the meek and quiet spirit is in the

sight of God of great price. And have we no garments of blue, and purple, and
beautiful suggestiveness? We have garments of praise; we are clothed with the Lord
Jesus. And have we no golden bells? We have the golden bells of holy actions. Our
words are bells, our actions are bells, our purposes are bells; wherever we move our
motion is thus understood to be a motion towards holy places, holy deeds, holy
character. We are not ashamed of this object. We know what small words can be
hurled against us by the mocker and the sneerer; but holiness is an object which can
neither be in-validated by argument nor forced down by violent assault; it stands
like a mountain of the Lord"s own setting, whose head is warmed with the sunshine
of Heaven"s eternal blessing. The priest has gone, Aaron has gone, all the beauteous
robes have fallen away and are no longer needed; but they have only fallen off in the
process of a philosophical as well as a Christian development. We need them no
longer, because we have come into higher services and we represent more spiritual
uses. There is a character that is far above rubies. There is a spirit which outshines
the diamond. There is a holiness of which star and sun and unstained snow are but
imperfect emblems. Do you see your calling then, brethren? There is no priest
amongst us now. There is one Mediator between God and Prayer of Manasseh , the
Man Christ Jesus. We have a ministry—a human, brotherly ministry—men who
explain to us as they may be enabled by the Holy Ghost the meaning of the Word
Divine; men who exhort us, and comfort us, and do what they can to make us
valiant in the day of danger, and serene in the hour of threatening and evil
expectation. We bless God for them. We know their voices. We see God in them,
above them, beyond them. They have what they have of treasure in earthen vessels,
the excellency of the power is of God. We are no more children, pleased with stones
that are precious, and rubies that are lustrous, and bells that are resonant; we are
no longer in that infantile place in God"s creation. We have left the emblematic, the
symbolic, the titular, and the initial, and now where are we? With Christ in the holy
place, living in his Spirit, hearing his word, worshipping at his Cross, and looking
straight up to him without a man between us. We are a royal generation, a holy
priesthood; we are all kings and priests. The Aaronic line is to us extinct, for the
Church of the Living God constitutes the priesthood of believers.
PETT, "Verse 1
(See the "The ew Priests And Their Garments" section of the Chapter Comments
for an introduction to this chapter.)
Exodus 28:1
“And bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from
among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office, even
Aaron, adab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.”
The choice was wise. Moses was unavailable, for he had a nation to lead through the
wilderness and could not give his time to the office of ‘the Priest’. He would always
be unique. He was Yahweh’s man. But Aaron was equally recognised by the people
as having been an instrument of God, and his relationship to Moses, and his part in
the deliverance, were equally recognised. Indeed in an age when the firstborn was
often seen as pre-eminent it might have been seen as appropriate that the elder

brother be appointed.
That Aaron as ‘the Priest’ was seen as holding a priesthood superior to that of his
sons comes out in the special garments which he was to wear. He was the leading
priest, called ‘the Priest’, a position described as the ‘great priest’ when
differentiation needed to be made and no name could be given because the reference
was general (Leviticus 21:10; umbers 35:25).
His sons acted as his assistants. adab and Abihu had been with him when they had
feasted before God in the Mount (Exodus 24:1), but would die (possibly struck by
lightning) because they offered ‘strange fire’ (with incense - compare Exodus 30:9)
before Yahweh, in disobedience to His commands (Leviticus 10:1-2). We know little
of the future of Ithamar (see 38:21; umbers 4:28; umbers 4:33), but Eleazar
would later become ‘the Priest’ ( umbers 20:25-26; umbers 26:3; umbers 26:63;
umbers 34:17; Joshua 14:1), and from him would be descended Zadok (1
Chronicles 6:8).
Much later the descendants of Ithamar would be ‘the Priest’ although we do not
know how it came about. It was possibly because a vacancy was left when there was
no adult son of the line of Eleazar. Eli, Ahimelech and Abiathar were all descended
from Ithamar (compare 1 Chronicles 24:3; 1 Samuel 22:20; 1 Kings 2:27), but with
Zadok the Priesthood returned to the house of Eleazar.
Thus five were appointed, the covenant number, of whom three would die because
of disobedience ( umbers 20:24; Leviticus 10:1-2), and one would simply fade from
the scene (but see Exodus 38:21; umbers 4:28; umbers 4:33). When God chooses
a man he must show himself worthy. Presumption may lead to his downfall.
It is significant that the four sons are divided into two sets of ‘two’, that is, two sets
of witnesses. The first two failed in their witness. The second two carried it on.
one, except Eliezer, was ever titled ‘the Priest’, but he appears to have taken over
the role before Aaron’s death, possibly because of Aaron’s great age ( umbers
16:39; umbers 19:3-4), after which he only is called ‘the Priest’ (e.g. umbers 26:1
and regularly), apart from a mention of Aaron in the designation of Eliezer as ‘son
of Aaron the priest’. See also Leviticus 6:22; Deuteronomy 10:6 for the idea of a sole
‘Priest’. The plural ‘priests’ can be applied to Aaron’s sons but not even then as a
specific title ( umbers 3:3; umbers 10:8). All are called ‘son(s) of Aaron, the
priest’.
In Leviticus ‘the priest’ is spoken of generally, either as himself acting, or as
possibly acting through his assistants (see Leviticus 6:22 which emphasises this
position). Later descendants called ‘the Priest’ are Phinehas (Joshua 22:30 - when
Eliezer has grown old), Eli (1 Samuel 1:9; 1 Samuel 2:11), Ahimelech (1 Samuel 21,
1, 2; 1 Samuel 2:11), Abiathar (1 Samuel 23:9; 1 Samuel 30:7 and often). Zadok is
also called ‘the Priest’ (2 Samuel 15:27; 1 Kings 1 (eight times); 2:35; 4:2; 1
Chronicles 16:39 (in contrast with ‘his brethren the priests’) 1 Chronicles 24:6) even
when Abiathar is still alive, and they are then coupled together as ‘the priests’ (2

Samuel 15:35; 2 Samuel 17:15; 2 Samuel 19:11). This may well be because when
Abiathar deserted to David (1 Samuel 23:9; 1 Samuel 30:7), Saul appointed Zadok
in his place. The tension between them was resolved when Abiathar supported
Adonijah and Zadok supported Solomon (1 Kings 1), resulting in Abiathar’s
downfall.
The responsibilities of the priests in general in Israel were fourfold.
1). They had the responsibility of maintaining the service of the Holy Place. This
included burning the incense each morning and evening, trimming and refilling the
lamps each evening, and replacing the showbread each Sabbath day.
2). They maintained the service of the courtyard of the Dwellingplace.. This
included the offering of sacrifices each morning and evening, and as required, and
blessing the congregation after the daily sacrifice. It also meant keeping the fire on
the brazen altar burning always for when sacrifices were brought to be offered, and
periodically removing its ashes.
3). They were responsible to inspect and appraise people and their sacrifices. These
included lepers coming for examination, wives accused of adultery, and things
offered to God or dedicated to the sanctuary.
4). Finally, they were to teach and counsel the people. It was their responsibility to
communicate the Law of Moses to the congregation and to pronounce on difficult
cases of law.
“The Priest” had the additional responsibility of overall supervision, responsibility
to ensure that the ordinances were correctly carried out, responsibility for the use of
the Urim and Thummim and especially responsibility for officiating solely in unique
situations like the Day of Atonement when he, and he alone, entered the Most Holy
Place, the Holy of Holies.
The word used for ‘priest’ is ‘cohen’, which more rarely signified a mediator, a chief
representative when it was also used of chief representatives of a king (see 2 Samuel
8:18; 2 Samuel 20:26; 1 Kings 4:5). But the ‘priest’ was mainly the representative of
Yahweh and the mediator between man and his God.
PULPIT, "THE HOLY GARME TS. The special object of the present chapter is to
prescribe the form, materials, colour, etc; of the holy garments—or the attire of
those who were to minister in the tabernacle at the time of their ministration. As the
service of the tabernacle was about to be committed to Aaron and his sons, their
selection for this office is mentioned in Exodus 28:1, and their investiture and
consecration briefly touched in Exodus 28:41. Otherwise the whole chapter is
concerned with the attire That of Aaron is first prescribed (Exodus 28:4-39). It
consists of an ephod (Exodus 28:6-12); a breastplate (Exodus 28:13-30); a robe
(Exodus 28:31-35); a mitre (Exodus 28:36-38); a coat, or tunic; and a girdle (Exodus
28:39). The dress of his sons follows. It comprises drawers (Exodus 28:42), tunics,
girdles, and caps or turbans (Exodus 28:40). Incidentally it is mentioned in Exodus
28:43, that drawers are also to be worn by Aaron; and, in conclusion, the neglect of
this ordinance in the case of either Aaron or his sons is forbidden under penalty of
death

Exodus 28:1
Take thou unto thee. Literally, "Make to draw near to thee." Moses had hitherto
been of all the people the one nearest to God, the medium of communication. He was
now to abdicate a portion of his functions, transferring them to his brother and his
brother's sons. By this act he would draw them nearer to him than they were before.
It is worthy of remark that he makes no remonstrance or opposition, but carries out
God's will in this matter as readily and willingly as in all others. (See Le Exodus 8:4-
30.) From among the children of Israel. The LXX. react "And from among the
children of Israel," as if others besides the family of Aaron had been admitted to the
priesthood. But this is contrary to the entire tenor of the later narrative. The
existing Hebrew text is correct. adab and Abihu, and again, Eleazar and Ithamar,
are always coupled together in the Pentateuch (Exodus 24:1; Le Exodus 10:1,
Exodus 10:12; etc.), while a marked division is made between the two pairs of
brothers. It is probably the sin and early death of the two elder (Le Exodus 10:1-2)
that causes the separation. Of Ithamar after the death of his brothers, nothing is
known. Eleazar became high priest ( umbers 34:17; Joshua 4:1; Joshua 16:4; etc.).
2 Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron
to give him dignity and honor.
CLARKE, "For glory and for beauty - Four articles of dress were prescribed for
the priests in ordinary, and four more for the high-priest. Those for the priests in general
were a coat, drawers, a girdle, and a bonnet. Besides these the high-priest had a robe, an
ephod, a breastplate, and a plate or diadem of gold on his forehead. The garments, says
the sacred historian, were for honor and for beauty. They were emblematical of the office
in which they ministered.
1. It was honorable. They were the ministers of the Most High, and employed by him
in transacting the most important concerns between God and his people, concerns
in which all the attributes of the Divine Being were interested, as well as those
which referred to the present and eternal happiness of his creatures.
2. They were for beauty. They were emblematical of that holiness and purity which
ever characterize the Divine nature and the worship which is worthy of him, and
which are essentially necessary to all those who wish to serve him in the beauty of
holiness here below, and without which none can ever see his face in the realms of

glory. Should not the garments of all those who minister in holy things still be
emblematical of the things in which they minister? Should they not be for glory
and beauty, expressive of the dignity of the Gospel ministry, and that beauty of
holiness without which none can see the Lord? As the high-priest’s vestments,
under the law, were emblematical of what was to come, should not the vestments
of the ministers of the Gospel bear some resemblance of what is come? Is then the
dismal black, now worn by almost all kinds of priests and ministers, for glory and
for beauty? Is it emblematical of any thing that is good, glorious, or excellent? How
unbecoming the glad tidings announced by Christian ministers is a color
emblematical of nothing but mourning and wo, sin, desolation, and death! How
inconsistent the habit and office of these men! Should it be said, “These are only
shadows, and are useless because the substance is come.” I ask, Why then is black
almost universally worn? why is a particular color preferred, if there be no
signification in any? Is there not a danger that in our zeal against shadows, we
shall destroy or essentially change the substance itself? Would not the same sort of
argumentation exclude water in baptism, and bread and wine in the sacrament of
the Lord’s Supper? The white surplice in the service of the Church is almost the
only thing that remains of those ancient and becoming vestments, which God
commanded to be made for glory and beauty. Clothing, emblematical of office, is
of more consequence than is generally imagined. Were the great officers of the
crown, and the great officers of justice, to clothe themselves like the common
people when they appear in their public capacity, both their persons and their
decisions would be soon held in little estimation.
GILL, "And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother,.... Called
so, because in these he was to minister in the holy place, and perform holy service; and
because typical of the holy human nature of Christ our great High Priest, and of his
spotless righteousness, and of the garments of sanctification, both outward and inward,
that all believers in him, who are made priests unto God, are arrayed with: Aaron and his
sons being appointed priests, their garments are first described before their work and
even before their consecration to their office; and there were some peculiar to Aaron, or
the high priest, and different from those of his sons, or the common priests; and which
are first treated of, as the breastplate, the robe of ephod, and the plate of gold; besides
these, there were four more, common to all the priests, as the coat, the breeches, the
girdle, and bonnet. Now whereas some of the Heathen priests performed their office,
and offered their sacrifices, naked, which was very shameful and abominable, as
Braunius (o) from various authors has shown, though this was not done by them all: in
opposition to such a filthy practice, and to show his detestation of it, the Lord orders his
priests to be clothed, and that in a very splendid manner, with garments
for glory and beauty; that is, with glorious and beautiful ones, and which would make
his priests look so: and this was done, partly to point out the dignity of their office to
themselves, that they might take care to behave suitable to it, and keep up the honour
and credit of it; and partly to make them respectable unto men, and be honoured by
them, none being clothed as they were, as Aben Ezra observes; but chiefly because they
were typical of the glory and beauty of Christ's human nature, which was as a garment
put on, and put off, and on again, and in which he officiated as a priest, and still does;
and which is now very glorious, and in which he is fairer than any of the children of men;
and of the garments of salvation, and robe of righteousness, in which all his people, his

priests, appear exceeding glorious and beautiful, even in a perfection of beauty.
HE RY 2-5, " The priests' garments appointed, for glory and beauty, Exo_28:2.
Some of the richest materials were to be provided (Exo_28:5), and the best artists
employed in the making of them, whose skill God, by a special gift for this purpose,
would improve to a very high degree, Exo_28:3. Note, Eminence, even in common arts,
is a gift of God, it comes from him, and, as there is occasion, it ought to be used for him.
He that teaches the husbandman discretion teaches the tradesman also; both therefore
ought to honour God with their gain. Human learning ought particularly to be
consecrated to the service of the priesthood, and employed for the adorning of those that
minister about holy things. The garments appointed were, 1. Four, which both the high
priest and the inferior priests wore, namely, the linen breeches, the linen coat, the linen
girdle which fastened it to them, and the bonnet or turban; that which the high priest
wore is called a mitre. 2. Four more, which were peculiar to the high priest, namely, the
ephod, with the curious girdle of it, the breast-plate of judgment, the long robe with the
bells and pomegranates at the bottom of it, and the golden plate on his forehead. These
glorious garments were appointed, (1.) That the priests themselves might be reminded of
the dignity of their office, and might behave themselves with due decorum. (2.) That the
people might thereby be possessed with a holy reverence of that God whose ministers
appeared in such grandeur. (3.) That the priests might be types of Christ, who should
offer himself without spot to God, and of all Christians, who have the beauty of holiness
put upon them, in which they are consecrated to God. Our adorning, now under the
gospel, both that of ministers and Christians, is not to be of gold, and pearl, and costly
array, but the garments of salvation, and the robe of righteousness, Isa_61:10; Psa_
132:9, Psa_132:16. As the filthy garments wherewith Joshua the high priest was clothed
signified the iniquity which cleaved to his priesthood, from which care was taken that it
should be purged (Zec_3:3, Zec_3:4.), so those holy garments signified the perfect
purity that there is in the priesthood of Christ; he is holy, harmless, and undefiled.
JAMISO 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.
CALVI , "2.And thou shalt make holy garments. These external ornaments
denoted the want of those which are true and spiritual; for if the priest had been
absolutely and entirely perfect, these typical accessories would have been
superfluous. But God would shew by this symbol the more than angelical brightness
of all virtues which was to be exhibited in Christ. Aaron was defiled by his own
corruption, and therefore unworthy to appear in the presence of God; in order,

then, that he might be a fit peacemaker between God and man, he put off his
ordinary garments, and stood forth as a new man. Hence the holy garments were,
first of all, supposed to conceal his faults; and, secondly, to represent the
incomparable adornment of all virtues. The latter may indeed be in some measure
applied to the pastors of the Church; nor will the comparison be absurd, if we say
that no others are worthy of so excellent an honor, except those in whom surpassing
and extraordinary virtue brightly manifests itself. But we must chiefly recollect
what I have said, viz., that in these garments the supreme purity and wondrous
glory of Christ were represented; as if God should promise that the Mediator would
be far more august than the condition of man could produce. He therefore declares
that they shall be “for glory and for beauty.” We shall speak more fully hereafter,
what I will touch upon now, as to the wisdom of the artificers, viz., that all who from
the foundation of the world have invented arts useful to the human race, have been
imbued with the Spirit of God; so that even heathen authors have been compelled to
call them the inventions of the gods. But inasmuch as in this Divine work there was
need of rare and unwonted skill, it is expressly spoken of as a peculiar gift of the
Spirit.
ELLICOTT,"(2) Holy garments.—Though holiness is, strictly speaking, a personal
quality, yet all nations have felt it right to regard as “holy,” in a certain modified
sense, all those material objects which are connected with religion and employed in
the worship of God. Hence we hear, both in Scripture and elsewhere, of “holy
places,” “holy vessels,” “holy books,” “holy garments.” These last are required
especially for the ministrants in holy places, who need to be marked out by some
evident signs from the body of the worshippers. In Egypt the ministering priests in
temples always wore peculiar dresses; and probably there was no nation in the time
of Moses which, if it possessed a class of priests, did not distinguish them by some
special costume, at any rate when they were officiating. The natural instinct which
thus exhibited itself, received Divine sanction by the communications which were
made to Moses in Sinai, whereby special dresses were appointed both for the high
priest and for the ordinary priests.
For glory and for beauty.—These words have great force. God would have His
priests richly, as well as decently, apparelled, for two objects—(1) For glory—to
glorify them—to give them an exalted position in the eyes of the nation, to cause
them to be respected, and their office to be highly regarded; (2) for beauty—to make
the worship of the sanctuary more beautiful than it would otherwise have been, to
establish a harmony between the richly-adorned tabernacle and those who
ministered in it; to give to the service of the sanctuary the highest artistic, as well as
the highest spiritual, perfection. The relation of art to religion is a subject on which
volumes have been written, and which cannot be discussed here; but God’s regard
for “beauty” is here brought prominently before us, and no honest exegesis can
ignore the pregnant fact that when God was pleased to give directions for His
worship upon earth, they were made subservient, not only to utility and
convenience, but to beauty. Beauty, it would seem, is not a thing despised by the
Creator of the universe.

COKE, "Exodus 28:2. Thou shalt make holy garments—for glory and for beauty—
Holy garments, or garments separated and set apart for the sole use of the priests,
are directed to be made for glory and for beauty; that is, very glorious and
beautiful; not only that the high-priest might appear in a manner something worthy
the solemn character of representative of the Almighty King of the Jews; but also,
that the people's minds might be impressed with a due reverence to the dignity of
his office, as well as of the character which he sustained: for it should be
remembered, that as the tabernacle or temple was the court of Jehovah, the King of
Israel; so the high-priest sustained the character of the vice-roy or immediate
representative of that great King: and hence many writers have observed, that the
glorious and beautiful garments were symbolical of the real glories and perfections
of JEHOVAH, the present King and future MESSIAH of the Jews. Philo tells us,
that the law dressed up the priests to the venerableness and honour of a king: and in
Josephus we have a remarkable relation, that when Alexander the Great was
advancing to besiege Jerusalem, the high-priest of the Jews in his sacerdotal robes
went forth to meet him at the head of the sacred order, all clothed in their holy
vestments; the majesty of which spectacle struck Alexander with such reverence,
that he bowed down, and saluted the high-priest: upon which Parmenio asked him,
How it came to pass that, when all others adored him, he should adore the high-
priest of the Jews? To whom he replied, "I did not adore him, but that GOD who
has honoured him with his high-priesthood; for I saw this very person in a dream,
in this very habit, when I was at Dios in Macedonia." See more in Josephus, Antiq.
B. 11: ch. 8.
ISBET, "PRIESTLY ROBES
‘And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for
beauty.’
Exodus 28:2
I. The garments peculiar to the high-priest were four: the ephod, with its ‘curious
girdle,’ the breastplate, the robe of the ephod, and the mitre.
I. The garments were made of linen, typical of the human nature which Christ
wears still in His glorified state.
II. They were carefully fastened together, signifying the complete unity which there
is in all Christ’s work for His people.
III. They were robes, not of war, but of peace, indicating that our Saviour’s warfare
is accomplished, and that He is now set down in the calm and quiet of His holy,
peaceful functions.
IV. The robe of the ephod represents the perfect robe of the obedience of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
V. Aaron bearing the names of the people before the Lord on his ephod is a picture

of Christ bearing the names of His people in holy remembrance before God.
VI. The breastplate teaches that Christ not only bears His people on His shoulders
for strength, but lays them separately on His heart for love.
VII. The high-priest wore a mitre with this inscription graven upon it, ‘Holiness to
the Lord.’ Jesus Christ, in His very character and being, as our Representative, is
standing before God, and emblazoned upon His front is His own proper title:
‘Holiness to the Lord.’ ot for Himself—He needs it not—but for us! He bears the
iniquity of our holy things. For us the golden letters run ‘for glory and for beauty’
upon the mitre of Jesus.
Illustrations
(1) ‘The shoulders are the place of strength, so that as our great High Priest goes in,
He bears our names, representing us, one by one, on the place of strength; and there
they are borne up and carried, there we typically dwell between His shoulders, there
we are carried all day long, and there is the assurance of perfect supply in our most
utter weakness. So that, like Paul, when we see our names there we may glory in our
weakness, because it will only show forth the perfection of His strength.’
(2) ‘The holiness of the raiment implies that separation to office can be expressed by
official robes in the Church as well as in the State: and their glory and beauty show
that God, who has clothed His creation with splendour and with loveliness, does not
dissever religious feeling from artistic expression.’
PETT, "Verses 2-4
The Priestly Garments (Exodus 28:2-4)
Exodus 28:2
“And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for
beauty.”
The garments made for Aaron are now to be described. They are to be ‘for glory
and for beauty’. They are unique and are to separate him off as holding a splendid
office, a thing of beauty, distinguished from all others in his being ‘sanctified’, set
apart as holy, as belonging to God, as God’s supreme representative to His people,
as God’s mediator between God and man. They were to reveal to the people a hint
of Yahweh’s own glory and beauty, and that this one acted before God on their
behalf, and came to them from God. He was a shadow of the Greater Who was yet
to come.
So God was concerned that men should honour ‘the priest’ as His representative
and mediator, and through his clothing God revealed some small hint of His own
glory and beauty. Aaron was called on to reveal ‘the beauty of holiness’ (Psalms
29:2; Psalms 96:9; 1 Chronicles 16:29), the beauty of total dedication and separation
to God. His failure to fully do so led to his death ( umbers 20:24).

But it should be noted that only one had such garments as are described in what
follows, because of his unique position, because uniquely he represented God, and
he represented Israel (Exodus 28:38 see also Leviticus 16). On the other hand, his
sons also wore special robes ‘for glory and for beauty’ (Exodus 28:40). They too
were mediators, for one man could not bear the responsibility alone. And they
possibly even wore the full garments when acting as ‘the Priest’, if such occasion
ever arose before the death of Aaron. Eleazar would do so, and would inherit them
from Aaron (Leviticus 16:32).
Today the One Who has a right to these garment ministers in Heaven. We have ‘the
high priest’ eternal in the heavens (Hebrews 7:26; Hebrews 9:11; Hebrews 9:24-28;
Hebrews 10:12; Hebrews 10:21). There is now only One Mediator between God and
man. It is questionable therefore whether any should wear such garments on earth.
To do so is to make a claim that is not justified. There is now only One Who
represents God before His people. All others come as suppliants and humble
servants to God, as the chief of sinners. There was never any suggestion that the
Prophets or Apostles should have such clothing. Indeed they often wore camel’s hair
or rags. And if not they who else is justified in doing so? For to wear such clothing is
to turn men’s eyes from God and from the Saviour of the world, to exalt a man.
Anything that thus exalts man is to be abhorred.
Men love such clothing for it exalts them. The motive for them may initially be pure,
but man’s heart is such that it soon turns what is good into what is supremely evil,
and man becomes exalted, and enjoys his exaltation, rather than exalting God. They
actually begin to mistakenly see themselves as especially holy.
Exodus 28:3
“And 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.”
To Israel the ‘heart’ was seen as the seat of the intellect and of all wisdom. And
those who made Aaron’s garments were to be those whose hearts had been filled
with the Spirit of wisdom, revealed by the expertise of their work. There seems little
doubt here that they were to be seen as not just talented but as inspired by God in a
special way. His own Spirit would inspire their spirits. For these garments were
special, and they set apart Aaron in holiness before God so that he could fulfil the
priestly office. They were to be seen therefore as, in a real but secondary sense,
made by the Spirit of God. And yet even these had to be ‘sanctified’ by the shedding
of blood (Exodus 29:21), as had Aaron.
Exodus 28:4
“And these are the garments that they shall make, a breastpouch, and an ephod,
and a robe, and an under-robe of patterned work, a turban and a girdle. And they
shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, and his sons, that he may

minister to me in the priest’s office.”
The garments are summarised and will be dealt with in more detail. They number
six, the intensification of three, expressing full completeness. They are ‘holy’
garments for they set apart firstly the leading priest (‘the priest’) and then these
other priests for a unique task, men who are set apart for mediation between God
and man.
PULPIT, "Holy garments have provoked an extreme aversion and an extreme
affection at different periods of the world's history. In Moses' time probably no one
thought of raising any objection to them. Priestly dresses of many different kinds
were worn in Egypt, and some costume other than that of ordinary life, was
probably affected by the priest class of every nation. Without entering into any
elaborate "philosophy of clothes," we may say that the rationale of the matter would
seem to be that expressed with great moderation by Richard Hooker—"To solemn
actions of royalty and justice their suitable ornaments are a beauty. Are they in
religion only a stain?" (See Eccl. Pol. 5.29, § 1.) The garments ordered to be made
for Aaron and his sons (Exodus 28:41), are said to have been for glory and for
beauty.
1. "For glory." To exalt the priestly office in the eyes of the people—to make them
look with greater reverence on the priests themselves and the priestly functions—to
place the priests in a class by themselves, in a certain sense, above the rest of the
nation.
2. "For beauty." As fit and comely in themselves—suitable to the functions which
the priests exercised—in harmony with the richness and beauty of the sanctuary
wherein they were to minister. God, himself, it would seem, is not indifferent to
beauty. He has spread beauty over the earth, fie will have beauty in his earthly
dwelling-place. He requires men to worship him "in the beauty of holiness" (Psalms
29:2; Psalms 96:9; 1 Chronicles 16:29). He ordains for his priests rich and splendid
dresses "for glory and for beauty."
BI, "Holy garments for Aaron.
The vestments of our High Priest
The vestments appointed by God for the high priest when he went into the holy place
were, besides those which he wore in common with the other priests, four: the ephod,
with its “curious girdle”; the breastplate; the robe of the ephod; and the mitre.
1. And speaking of these garments generally, you will notice that it was God’s
especial command that they should all be made of linen, which, being a material of a
very simple and natural kind, has always been understood by the Church to be
typical of that human nature which Christ wears still in His glorified state, and in
which, as man, we are distinctly to understand that He now executes, as our
Representative, all the services of His exalted Priesthood.
2. And, further, it is to be observed generally, that all the garments were carefully
fastened together so as to be one. The girdle binding the ephod, and the ephod the
robe, and the breastplate carefully joined to the ephod by chains of gold; signifying,

again, the complete unity which there is in all Christ’s work for His people, so that it
cannot be divided; for if we have Him in one of His offices so, necessarily, we hold
Him in all. A blessed truth I there is no such thing as anything partial in the work of
Jesus; no partial pardon; no partial peace! If you have one promise, you have every
promise!
3. And yet, once more, generally, you will see that (unlike the description of our
Saviour’s garments in the 59th chapter of Isaiah, and unlike that which is provided
for the believer in the 6th chapter of Ephesians)all these are robes, not of war, but of
peace. Indicating that the warfare is now accomplished, and that our Saviour, having
triumphed over His enemies and ours, is now set down in the calm and quiet of His
holy, peaceful functions. A thought which should be one of unselfish joy to the
Christian.
4. The robe of ephod represents the perfect robe of the obedience of the Lord Jesus
Christ, which He wore as man, and which He will always present to the Father for
our sakes. Its seamless fabric denotes the perfectness and the unity of the
righteousness which He has wrought.
5. The ephod itself was a closer vestment—long behind, and short in front—which
was worn over the robe, and fastened by clasps, or “ouches,” over the shoulders; it
was also “for beauty and for glory”—“of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and
fine-twined linen, with cunning work,” costly and magnificent. Upon each shoulder,
in the “ouches,” was placed an onyx stone, and on either onyx stone were engraven
the names of six of the tribes of the children of Israel, placed according to their
seniority. Concerning this engraving, God was very express: “With the work of an
engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet,” that is, very accurately, very
deeply, very beautifully, “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. 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.” And, then, the ephod was girt about with a girdle of the
same kind. Here, then, we have our great High Priest continually standing in heaven,
and always of necessity bearing, as part of His own glory, the names of all His people
in holy remembrance before God. He both remembers us, and causes us to be
remembered. We are held in perpetual remembrance. The weakest and the
strongest—the greatest saint with the unworthiest and guiltiest sinner—we are all
remembered: everything which goes to make our name is there: the smallest work,
the secret sorrow that the world knows nothing of: it is all in the memorial: our
prayers, and tears, and sighs—they are all gone there! they are all rivetted there!
There they are! They are knit into the dignity of Jesus, into the glory and the
excellency of Jesus!
6. The breastplate teaches that Christ not only bears His people on His shoulders for
strength, but lays them separately on His heart for love. He identifies His interest
with ours. It becomes a dear and fond thing to Him to have us upon His breast, that
He may save us and magnify us for ever! We live always in His love, and God sees us
there; in that love, loves us—unloveable though we be—for the love He has to us.
And, living on His heart, each one in his own proper place and order, we hold in Him
safe and privileged intercourse.
7. The high priest wore a mitre of linen, with this inscription, “Holiness to the Lord.”
Now observe the comfort of this thought. Here we all are assembled, in our holy
devotions before the mercy seat of God, but every prayer we have put up this day is

stained, and every service is unclean before Him “who chargeth His angels with
folly”! Presently, your petitions will go up in your own bedroom; and the very
supplication, in which you ask for pardon, only goes to increase the amount of the
guilt that has to be pardoned. It is all unclean! The brand of sin, the degradation of
sin, is everywhere! But He, in His very character and being, as our Representative, is
standing before God; and high emblazoned upon His front is His own proper
righteous title, “Holiness to the Lord”—not for Himself, He needs it not, but for us!
He “bears the iniquity of our holy things”—what a thought! even as if we were the
holy, we poor worms—as if we were the holy—we stand before God: “Holiness to the
Lord.” A poor sinner, incapable of one pure thought, lifts himself up in Christ, and
looks in the face of God, and stands there, in his High Priest—“Holiness to the
Lord”;—and God recognizes His own eternal counsel, and acknowledges the
unworthiest services of the poorest sinner to be—“Holiness to the Lord.” (J.
Vaughan, M. A.)
The priestly garments
They signified—
1. The function to be glorious and excellent.
2. The fitness of their persons to that office.
3. The glory of the true High Priest, Jesus Christ, of whom Aaron was but a figure.
For all the glistering show of these priestly garments set forth the more angelical
brightness of all the virtues which should shine in Jesus Christ. The priestly garments
appointed by God were ten in number; of which four belonged to the inferior priests
(Exo_28:40; Exo_28:42).
1. A linen garment. Which signified the white garment of Christ’s righteousness and
innocency; which they were to appear in before the Lord, if they would be acceptable
in their persons and duties. Noting to us by the way, that every godly minister wears
a white linen garment, not woven and made by men, but by God; not without him,
but within him; not a shadow or ceremony, but the substance and truth, to which all
shadows give place. Nay, there is no private man that is godly, but he must wear this
white linen garment, having put it on in the laver of regeneration: as Gal_3:27.
2. A girdle (verse 40). Which signifies constancy and stability in the truth, both in
our High Priest, Jesus Christ, who was not a reed shaken, but a firm rock: as also in
His members, who are commanded to stand fast, their loins girt with verity (Eph_
6:14). Hence follows, that the minister’s word must be yea and nay; his course must
be constantly gracious and watchful. And for private Christians (Heb_13:9).
3. A bonnet (verse 40). A symbol and sign to them of God’s protection still covering
them in their faithful service: signifying to us the Lord’s cover and faithful protection
both over our head, and over His member’s for His sake.
4. The breeches (verse 42). Putting more comeliness upon the uncomely parts.
Signifying to them and us—
(1) What reverence we ought to use in the service of God; far removing thence
every uncomely thing.
(2) Shadowing out the true and perfect holiness, with which Christ’s humanity

was clothed; and not only with that, but with the majesty of His Deity, which
highly graced and honoured the despised and frail humanity, which had no form
nor beauty (Isa_53:2).
(3) Not darkly representing that care and respect which our Lord and Saviour
Christ hath of His inferior, base, and despised both ministers and members
through the world (Isa_41:14). To the high priest belonged six peculiar garments:
I. First the ephod (verse 4), in which—
1. The matter. It was not wool or silk, but linen, which riseth out of the earth (Eze_
44:17). Signifying that holy flesh of Christ which veiled His Deity as a garment; and
that it was taken not from heaven, but from His mother on earth, as the matter of
that garment grew immediately out of earth.
2. The form. It was a long white garment: signifying the long white garment of
Christ’s absolute righteousness; white, innocent and unspotted; and long, to cover all
our nakedness, without patching of merits.
3. The ornament of it. In it were set two onyx stones, and in them the names of the
twelve tribes of Israel engraven, which Aaron carried upon his shoulders;
signifying—
(1) That the names of the godly are not lightly written, but fast engraven in the
love and memory of Christ as those names were engraven in very hard stones.
(2) That Christ doth still carry His Church on His shoulders; lifting them up out
of dust and misery, and bearing them upon the shoulders of His power and
providence, as on eagles’ wings (Isa_40:31).
II. The second garment peculiar to the high priest was called the breastplate of
judgment (verse 15), the most precious part of all his garments.
1. In respect of the twelve costly and glittering stones, which were set in four rows,
according to the number of the tribes (verse 17-22). In which—
(1) The shining of these stones signified the shining purity and innocency of
Jesus Christ, both in Himself and in His members. If they be pure as the sun, fair
as the moon, what is He?
(2) Their price of great value and worth signified what a price the Lord Jesus
valued His Church at.
(3) Their place or situation. They are set in the pectoral, and Aaron must carry
them on his heart: signifying that Christ hath as much care of His Church, as if it
were enclosed in His heart; lets out His blood to make room in His heart for
them.
(4) Their number; twelve, according to all the tribes: noting that there is room in
the heart of Christ for every one of the elect. None can anticipate or prevent the
other. With Him is plentiful redemption. The former without the latter shall not
be perfected (Heb_11:40).
(5) Their order. They stand in four rows in a comely quadrangle: signifying the
comely order that Christ hath established in the Church: some in higher places,
some in lower, some in one rank and office, and some in another, as those stones,
but all stand seemly and fitly. And this order we must maintain, keeping our
ranks as they did.

(6) The figure. The foursquare (verse 16), signifying the stability and firmness of
the Church, as a foursquare, turn it any way ‘tis firm. Satan and all deceivers shall
not pick one stone out of Christ’s pectoral. The gates of hell shall not prevail
against him that is fixed in that rock and stone of Israel.
(7) Their use. That Aaron, who before bare the names of Israel on his shoulders
before the Lord, might now bear them on his heart continually for a
remembrance before the Lord, when he goeth into the holy place (verse 29).
Signifying—
(a) The ardent love of Jesus Christ towards His Church, who bears it not only
on His shoulders as a shepherd, or only in His arms as a nurse; but upon His
heart, and in His heart, never to forget our good.
(b) Bearing of the names continually before the Lord on His heart signifieth
the continual mindfulness and intercession of Jesus Christ for His Church in
that heavenly sanctuary (Heb_7:25). By virtue of which all our prayers get
audience and acceptance.
(8) The quantity. As all the names of Israel were gathered into a narrow
compass: so Jesus Christ our Mediator shall gather together into one all the
dispersed sons of God, and present them before God as the most beautiful and
precious parts of the world (Joh_11:52). (T. Taylor, D. D.)
The garments of the priesthood, and their significance
In almost every modern nation there are some remnants of the ancient custom of
representing office by garments of peculiar material, shape, and colour. History registers
the decline of the custom, but not its birth and growth; for it was as powerful as ever in
the earliest age which has transmitted to us its records. In the time of Moses, both kings
and priests in every country were clothed in a garb not only distinctive but emblematic.
In interpreting the significance conveyed by the garments of the Levitical priesthood, it
will be convenient to treat first of the four pieces worn by priests of ordinary rank, and
then of those peculiar to their chief. Is there, then, no significance in the fact that this
official costume consisted of four pieces? As four limits the colours of the tapestry, the
ingredients of the incense, the spices of the holy anointing oil, the composite parts of the
cherubs, we conclude that the same signature of the kingdom of God was designedly
impressed on the official costume of those who were elected to draw near to Jehovah.
This judgment is confirmed by the recurrence of four as the number of pieces additional
to the dress of the ordinary priests which the head of the order was required to wear in
the performance of official duty. The numerical signature of the Tabernacle was thus
impressed on the official garments of its priesthood. The garments of the priests of
ordinary rank were all of pure white except the girdle. The drawers, the coat, and the
bonnet were of shesh, bleached, but not dyed. White raiment was emblematic of ethical
purity. It was “the righteousness of the saints.” As worn by the priest, it signified that
those who were admitted to intimacy with the Holy One of Israel must be pure in heart
and life. The material also contributed something to the significance of the dress. The
garments must all be of linen; and in the vision of Ezekiel the directions given for the
official raiment of the priests add to the requirement of linen the express prohibition of
anything woollen. The reason of the requirement lies, doubtless, in the greater
cleanliness possible in a warm climate to one whose garments are exclusively of this
material. Not only was the costume of a priest significant in its material, colour, and

number of pieces, but each of the four garments of which it was composed contributed
an element peculiar to itself.
The coat, or tunic, was first in importance, as it was in size. Reaching from the neck to
the ankles, it was merely coincident, as a covering of the person, with the whole
costume; so that the other three garments were supplements to this, rather than its
equals. Its import, as might be expected, is also nearly the same as that of the whole
dress. As the entire costume of four pieces, by means of its material and its dominant
colour, was suggestive of holiness, so was the coat in particular, as it invested the person
from the neck to the ankles with linen white and shining as light. Moreover, this garment
was woven in one piece to represent, by this sort of integrity, moral wholeness or
holiness. The tunic of the priest was also woven so as to exhibit checks like the pattern
called damask; for such is the meaning of the descriptive adjective which the English
translators incorrectly regarded as equivalent to “broidered.” The coat was therefore
covered throughout with four-sided figures of small size. Bahr thinks that these were
symbols of like import with the precious stones in the breastplate of the high priest; as if
every member of the sacerdotal family bore on his person visible signs that as a priest he
was the representative of the tribes of Israel, these symbols designedly having, in the
case of the subordinate priests, only a reflection of the glory and beauty of those which
distinguished the head of the order. A girdle of some kind was in ancient times, as it is
even now, essential to the completeness of an oriental costume; and, by means of
diversity in material, size, shape, and ornamentation, was easily made a badge of office.
The girdle of the Hebrew priest seems to have been, more than any other article of his
attire, an official badge. According to the traditional law of the Hebrews, the priest must
remove his girdle when he ceased to officiate, but might, if more convenient, continue to
wear the other official garments through the day. How the girdle of the priest symbolized
his office as an attaché of the Tabernacle, is evident when we consider its peculiar
ornamentation. Like the other garments it was of white linen; but, unlike them, it was
interwoven with threads of blue, purple, and crimson. The four colours of the Tabernacle
signified that the wearer belonged to the institution. This badge of office certified that he
had a right to enter the habitation where these significant colours were dominant. The
Arab wears on his head a cap similar to the Turkish fez, which he calls a tarbush. The
Bedouin spreads over it a handkerchief folded so that three of the four corners hang
down on the back and shoulders, and binds it in place with a twisted rope of goat’s hair
or camel’s hair, reaching around his head. The Syrian Arab, if he wishes any addition to
his tarbush, ties a handkerchief over it, or winds around it a shawl of wool, silk, or
cotton, so as to form a turban. The oriental turban has exhibited both in modern times
and in the remotest antiquity, a great variety of form, material, and colour. By means of
this diversity it has served to distinguish between men of different nations, and of
different classes in the same nation.
As an ancient Assyrian king was distinguished by a head-dress of a peculiar shape and
ornamentation, as a descendant of Mohammed is known by the colour of his turban, so
the dignity of the Hebrew priest, as an attendant on Jehovah in His holy habitation, was
symbolized by a turban peculiar to his order in its material, its colour, and perhaps its
shape. The priests must wear drawers while officiating, to cover their nakedness; and
neglect to do so was to be punished with death, even if no exposure of the person
resulted. The covering was therefore symbolic. It was a removal from the significant
tableau in which the priest was engaged, of those parts of his person which, as excretory,
were especially representative of defilement. The significance of the costume of the
Hebrew priest cannot be fully seen by one who overlooks the fact that it left his feet
uncovered. An oriental does not wear a shoe or sandal for protection from cold, but from

filth, and lays aside at least the outermost covering of his feet when he enters a house,
because he will not need such protection in such a place, and because his shoe might
bring filth into the house. The costume of the high priest consisted of the four pieces
worn by his subordinates, and of four others peculiar to him as the head of the order.
Over the tunic he wore the robe of the ephod, the significance of which resulted from its
blue colour and the ornamental fringe which hung from its border at the bottom. To
understand the meaning of this fringe see Num_15:38-39. The ornaments were intended
to remind the wearer of the commandments of Jehovah, and were connected with his
garment, whatever its colour, by a cord or ribbon of blue, to signify the heavenly origin
of that which he was to keep in remembrance. But this fringe, in the case of the high
priest, consisted of tassels in the shape of pomegranates, alternated with little golden
bells. If, as seems probable, the pomegranates symbolized the law in its totality as
including every specific requirement, it is at least a plausible conjecture that the bells
with which they alternated signified that the high priest, or rather the covenant people
whom he represented, were not only to remember the commandments of Jehovah, but
by obeying to proclaim them. So far as they remembered and obeyed it, the Word of the
Lord sounded out from them. The specifications for the ephod make its shoulder-pieces
so prominent that the Greek and Latin versions give it names in those languages which
characterize it as a shoulder-garment. But the shoulder as the seat of strength was, in the
early times, when the strongest ruled, the seat of authority, and the most appropriate
position for an emblem of government. We infer, then, that the ephod was a symbol of
rank; and from the materials of which it was made, that it invested the wearer as a badge
of royalty. This garment was provided for the high priest as the representative of the
holy nation, that the jewels on its shoulders, and the threads of beaten gold woven into it
throughout, might signify that they were kings as well as priests.
The breastplate of judgment was closely connected in significance with the ephod,
indicating that the wearer was a ruler endowed with wisdom for the decision of
important questions relating to the public welfare. He wore it on his heart because the
heart was regarded as the seat of wisdom. The head-dress of the high priest was
distinguished from that of his subordinates not only by its shape, but by its plate of gold
bearing the inscription, “Holiness to Jehovah.” This plate, peculiar to him as the head of
the priesthood, and of the nation as a kingdom of priests, was another badge of rank,
and equivalent in meaning to a crown. The inscription, peculiarly important from its
position on the forehead, proclaimed that the high priest, through his election, his
physical faultlessness, his separation from common life, his investment with the robes of
office, and his consecration, was so holy that he might not only approach Jehovah, but
could take away the sins of his people (verse 38). Their iniquity was taken away, and they
were accounted holy because their representative was holy. (E. E. Atwater.)
The robes of glory and beauty
Aaron had not in himself the proper qualifications for shadowing forth the Lord Jesus,
the great High Priest; so the requisite beauty and glory were put on him symbolically.
Arrayed in those beautiful, costly, and Divinely-appointed garments, he was symbolically
what Jesus Christ is in reality, and he could minister about the Tabernacle as a type of
Him who is the true Minister and the ever-living Saviour. These garments were said to
be “for glory and for beauty” (verse 2). They were very costly and very beautiful, and
everything belonging to them was significant in some way of the manifold excellencies
and glories of the blessed Jesus. They are so many glasses which God has given to us, by

which we may see Jesus in various aspects, as manifested to us in all His moral
comeliness, and beauty, and spiritual excellences. I love to see Jesus as set forth here,
because He is so lovely. “He is altogether lovely” (Son_5:16). And yet even here we do
but see through a glass darkly; we only know Him in part; we do not see Him face to face
(1Co_13:12). He is here looking forth at the windows, and showing Himself through the
lattice (Son_2:9), and it is very blessed to see Him thus; but it will be much better to see
Him as He is, with no window or lattice between Him and ourselves (Php_1:23; 1Jn_
3:2). (G. Rodgers.)
3 Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given
wisdom in such matters that they are to make
garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he
may serve me as priest.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:3
The spirit of wisdom - See Exo_31:3 note. What may be especially noticed in this
place is, that the spirit of wisdom given by the Lord is spoken of as conferring practical
skill in the most general sense.
Garments to consecrate him - A solemn recognition of the significance of an
appointed official dress. It expresses that the office is not created or defined by the man
himself Heb_5:4, but that he is invested with it according to prescribed institution. The
rite of anointing was essentially connected with investiture in the holy garments Exo_
29:29-30; Exo_40:12-15. The history of all nations shows the importance of these forms.
CLARKE, "Whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom - So we find that
ingenuity in arts and sciences, even those of the ornamental kind, comes from God. It is
not intimated here that these persons were filled with the spirit of wisdom for this
purpose only; for the direction to Moses is, to select those whom he found to be expert
artists, and those who were such, God shows by these words, had derived their
knowledge from himself. Every man should be permitted as far as possible to follow the
bent or direction of his own genius, when it evidently leads him to new inventions, and
improvements on old plans. How much has both the labor of men and cattle been
lessened by improvements in machinery! And can we say that the wisdom which found
out these improvements did not come from God? No man, by course of reading or study,
ever acquired a genius of this kind: we call it natural, and say it was born with the man.

Moses teaches us to consider it as Divine. Who taught Newton to ascertain the laws by
which God governs the universe, through which discovery a new source of profit and
pleasure has been opened to mankind through every part of the civilized world? No
reading, no study, no example, formed his genius. God, who made him, gave him that
compass and bent of mind by which he made those discoveries, and for which his name
is celebrated in the earth. When I see Napier inventing the logarithms; Copernicus, Des
Cartes, and Kepler contributing to pull down the false systems of the universe, and
Newton demonstrating the true one; and when I see the long list of Patentees of useful
inventions, by whose industry and skill long and tedious processes in the necessary arts
of life have been shortened, labor greatly lessened, and much time and expense saved; I
then see, with Moses, men who are wise-hearted, whom God has filled with the spirit of
wisdom for these very purposes; that he might help man by man, and that, as time rolls
on, he might give to his intelligent creatures such proofs of his Being, infinitely varied
wisdom, and gracious providence, as should cause them to depend on him, and give him
that glory which is due to his name.
How pointedly does the Prophet Isaiah refer to this sort of teaching as coming from
God, even in the most common and less difficult arts of life! The whole passage is worthy
of the reader’s most serious attention. “Doth the ploughman plough all day to sow? doth
he open and break the clods of his ground? When he hath made plain the face thereof,
doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal
wheat, and the appointed barley, and the rye, in their place? For His God Doth Instruct
Him to discretion, and doth teach him. For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing-
instrument, neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are
beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. Bread corn is bruised; because he
will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his
horsemen. This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel,
and excellent in working,” Isa_28:24-29.
But let us take heed not to run into extremes here; machinery is to help man, not to
render him useless. The human hand is the great and most perfect machine, let it not be
laid aside. In our zeal for machinery we are rendering all the lower classes useless; filling
the land with beggary and vice, and the workhouses with paupers; and ruining the
husbandmen with oppressive poor-rates. Keep machinery as a help to the human hand,
and to lighten the labor, but never let it supersede either.
This principle, that God is the author of all arts and sciences, is too little regarded:
Every good gift, and every perfect gift, says St. James, comes from above, from the
Father of Lights. Why has God constructed every part of nature with such a profusion of
economy and skill, if he intended this skill should never be discovered by man, or that
man should not attempt to examine his works in order to find them out? From the works
of Creation what proofs, astonishing and overwhelming proofs, both to believers and
infidels, have been drawn both of the nature, being, attributes, and providence of God!
What demonstrations of all these have the Archbishop of Cambray, Dr. Nieuwentyt, Dr.
Derham, and Mr. Charles Bonnet, given in their philosophical works! And who gave
those men this wisdom? God, from whom alone Mind, and all its attributes, proceed.
While we see Count de Buffon and Swammerdam examining and tracing out all the
curious relations, connections, and laws of the Animal kingdom; - Tournefort, Ray, and
Linne, those of the Vegetable; - Theophrastus, Werner, Klaproth, Cronstedt, Morveau,
Reamur, Kirwan, and a host of philosophical chemists, Boerhaave, Boyle, Stahl,
Priestley, Lavoisier, Fourcroy, Black, and Davy, those of the Mineral; the discoveries
they have made, the latent and important properties of vegetables and minerals which
they have developed, the powerful machines which, through their discoveries, have been

constructed, by the operations of which the human slave is restored to his own place in
society, the brute saved from his destructive toil in our manufactories, and inanimate,
unfeeling Nature caused to perform the work of all these better, more expeditiously, and
to much more profit; shall we not say that the hand of God is in all this? Only I again say,
let machinery aid man, and not render him useless. The nations of Europe are pushing
mechanical power to a destructive extreme. He alone girded those eminent men, though
many of them knew him not; he inspired them with wisdom and understanding; by his
all-pervading and all-informing spirit he opened to them the entrance of the paths of the
depths of science, guided them in their researches, opened to them successively more
and more of his astonishing treasures, crowned their persevering industry with his
blessing and made them his ministers for good to mankind. The antiquary and the
medalist are also his agents; their discernment and penetration come from him alone. By
them, how many dark ages of the world have been brought to light; how many names of
men and places, how many customs and arts, that were lost, restored! And by their
means a few busts, images, stones, bricks, coins, rings, and culinary utensils, the
remaining wrecks of long-past numerous centuries have supplied the place of written
documents, and cast a profusion of light on the history of man, and the history of
providence. And let me add, that the providence which preserved these materials, and
raised up men to decipher and explain them, is itself gloriously illustrated by them.
Of all those men (and the noble list might be greatly swelled) we may say the same that
Moses said of Bezaleel and Aholiab: “God hath filled them with the Spirit of God, in
wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge; and in all manner of workmanship, to
devise cunning works; to work in gold and in silver, and in brass, in cutting of stones,
carving of timber, and in all manner of workmanship;” Exo_31:3-6. “The works of the
Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein;” Psa_111:2.
GILL, "And thou shall speak unto all that are wise hearted,.... That have
knowledge and understanding in mechanic arts, particularly in making garments; and it
required men of more than ordinary skill to be employed in making these, because they
were uncommon ones, and required a good deal of thought and judgment, and care and
application, to make them exactly as they should be:
whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom; for besides a common
understanding of things, these required a peculiar gift from God, which some men, as
Bezaleel and Aholiab had:
that they may make Aaron's garments, to consecrate him to put upon him at
the time of his consecration; and indeed this was one way, by which, as well as by
sacrifices, that he was consecrated, see Exo_29:1,
that he may minister unto me in the priest's office for the priests, without having
these garments on, might not minister in their office; for when these garments were off,
as they were when they were out of their service, they were as other men, as laymen; see
Gill on Eze_42:14.
ELLICOTT, "(3) Thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted.—By “all that are
wise hearted” we must understand all that had the special knowledge which would
enable them to give effectual aid in the production of such garments as were about

to be commanded. The Hebrews regarded the heart as the seat of knowledge, with
perhaps neither more nor less scientific accuracy than underlies our own current
modes of speech whereby the heart is made the seat of the affections.
Whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom.—Few passages in the Bible are more
antagonistic than this to the general current of modern thought. God speaks of
Himself as having infused His Spirit into the hearts of men, in order to enable them
to produce satisfactory priestly garments. Moderns suppose such things to be quite
beneath the notice of the Creator of the universe. But it has to be remembered, on
the other hand, (1) that God is the fountain whence all knowledge is derived; (2)
that He alone knows what is beneath Him and what is not beneath Him; and (3) that
dress is not a wholly insignificant matter, or so much would not have been said in
Scripture about it (Genesis 3:21; Genesis 37:3; Genesis 41:42; Leviticus 8:7-9;
Leviticus 16:4; umbers 15:38, &c.). Garments intended “for glory and for beauty”
(Exodus 28:2) required artistic power in those who were to make them; and artistic
power, like all other intellectual excellence, is the gift of God.
To consecrate him.—Investiture in the holy garments was a part of the ceremony of
consecration. (See Leviticus 8:7-9; Leviticus 8:13.)
COKE, "Exodus 28:3. All that are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit
of wisdom— These two clauses depend one upon the other: the meaning is, all the
wise in heart, whom I have made so, by filling them with the spirit of wisdom. Spirit,
in the Hebrew, is often used for an affection or quality of the mind; as umbers 5:14
the spirit of jealousy: Isaiah 19:14 a perverse spirit. The Hebrews were accustomed
to consider God, most justly, as the Author of all wisdom, and the Giver of every
good gift: to him, therefore, they justly ascribed every useful invention and every
beneficial art; see Isaiah 28:26. Le Clerc has well observed, that Seneca (in his 4th
Book, De Beneficiis) has a fine sentiment to the same purpose: "It is God who has
invented so many arts; for those things which we invent are no more our own than
the increase of our bodies. As the secret kind of God has implanted seeds in the
body, whereby it springs up to a proper growth in all the stages of life; so he has
implanted in the minds of men the seeds of all arts, and, being the great Master,
calls them forth as he pleases."
To consecrate him— See an account of this consecration in the next chapter.
PULPIT, "Wise-hearted. In modern parlance the heart is made the seat of the
affections and emotions, the brain of the intellect. But the Hebrew idiom was
different. There the heart was constantly spoken of as the seat of wisdom. (See
below, Exodus 31:6; Exodus 35:10, Exodus 35:25; Exodus 36:1, Exodus 36:2; Job
9:4; Proverbs 11:29, etc.) The spirit of wisdom might seem to be scarcely necessary
for the work of constructing a set of priestly garments; but where "glory and
beauty" are required, high artistic power is needed; and this power is regarded by
the sacred writers, as indeed it is by most of those who have written on the human
understanding—notably Plato and Aristotle—as a very important part of the
intellect. Techne, says Aristotle, involves theoria, as well as aesthesis and genesis,

requires, i.e; a knowledge of high abstract truths, as well as the perceptive faculty
which we commonly call "taste," and the constructive one known as "power of
execution.'' (See Eth. ic. 6.4, § 4.) It is, with him, one of the five chief intellectual
excellences. To consecrate him. Investiture in the holy garments was made a part of
the ceremony of consecration (Exodus 29:5-9; Le Exodus 8:7-9, Exodus 8:13), as it is
in the English Ordinal in the consecration of a bishop.
4 These are the garments they are to make: a
breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a
turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred
garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so
they may serve me as priests.
CLARKE, "Breastplate - ‫חשן‬ choshen. See Clarke on Exo_25:7 (note).
Ephod - ‫.אפד‬ See Clarke’s note on Exo_25:7.
Robe - ‫מעיל‬ meil, from ‫עלה‬ alah, to go up, go upon; hence the meil may be considered
as an upper coat, a surtout. It is described by Josephus as a garment that reaches down
to the feet, not made of two distinct pieces, but was one entire long garment, woven
throughout. This was immediately under the ephod. See Clarke on Exo_28:31 (note),
etc.
Broidered coat - ‫תשבץ‬ ‫כתנת‬ kethoneth, tashbets, what Parkhurst translates a close,
strait coat or garment; according to Josephus, “a tunic circumscribing or closely
encompassing the body, and having tight sleeves for the arms.” This was immediately
under the meil or robe, and answered the same purpose to the priests that our shirts do
to us. See Clarke on Exo_28:13 (note).
Mitre - ‫מצנפת‬ mitsnepheth. As this word comes from the root ‫צנף‬ tsanaph, to roll or
wrap round, it evidently means that covering of the head so universal in the eastern
countries which we call turban or turband, corrupted from the Persian doolbend, which
signifies what encompasses and binds the head or body; and hence is applied, not only
to this covering of the head, but to a sash in general. As the Persian word is compounded
of dool, or dawal, a revolution, vicissitude, wheel, etc., and binden, to bind; it is very likely

that the Hebrew words ‫דור‬ dur, to go round, and ‫בנט‬ benet, a band, may have been the
original of doolbend and turband. It is sometimes called serbend, from ser, the head, and
binden, to bind. The turban consists generally of two parts: the cap, which goes on the
head; and the long sash of muslin, linen, or silk, that is wrapped round the head. These
sashes are generally several yards in length.
A girdle - ‫אבנט‬ abnet, a belt or girdle; see before. This seems to have been the same
kind of sash or girdle, so common in the eastern countries, that confined the loose
garments about the waist; and in which their long skirts were tucked up when they were
employed in work, or on a journey. After being tied round the waist, the two ends of it
fell down before, to the skirts of their robes.
GILL, "And these are the garments which they shall make,.... Some for Aaron
and some for his sons, some peculiar to the high priest, and others in common to him
and other priests:
a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a
girdle; of each of which, with others, there is a more particular account in this chapter,
and will be observed in their order:
and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons: as
those before mentioned, with some others not mentioned; some for Aaron only, and
others that were to be worn by his sons also:
that he may minister unto me in the priest's office; these were absolutely
necessary to the execution of the priestly office, and an essential qualification for it, and
without which it was not lawful to serve in it.
CALVI , "4.And these are the garments. Here again I must remind my readers,
that they should abandon all subtle speculations, and be contented with simplicity. I
might repeat many plausible allegories, which perhaps would find more favor with
some than a sound knowledge of facts. If any should delight in this kind of child’s
play, let him only read what Jerome wrote to Fabiola; in which he collected almost
everything that he possibly could from the writings of others; but nothing will be
found except dull trifling, the folly of which it is painful even to report, much more
to refute. Those who are conversant with my writings, are aware that I do not
willingly find fault with the opinions of others; but when I reflect how dangerous
are those itching ears, with which many are troubled, I am obliged to prescribe this
remedy. Six principal parts of the dress are enumerated. What the Greeks call the
λογεῖον, and the Latins the pectorale, was like a square breastplate attached by
small chains, so as to be connected with the ephod. Inclosed in it were twelve stones
to represent the tribes of Israel; and the Urim and Thummim were also annexed to
it. But what its form might be, cannot be certainly declared from the words of
Moses; and since even the Jews also differ among themselves, let us be satisfied with
its comparison to a breastplate. I have no objection to the opinion, that its name
(162) was derived from strength, or a treasure. But this is worthy of the utmost

attention, that the priest bore the sons of Abraham as it were upon his heart, not
only that he might present them to God, but that he might be mindful of them, and
anxious for their welfare. The twelve precious stones were by no means given to be
symbols of the twelve tribes as a cause for awakening their pride, as if they were so
highly esteemed on the score of their own dignity or excellence; but they were thus
reminded that the whole value, in which believers are held by God, is derived from
the sanctity of the priesthood. Therefore, let us learn from this figure, that:,
however vile and abject we may be in ourselves, and so altogether worthless refuse,
yet inasmuch as Christ deigned to ingraft us into this body, in Him we are precious
stones. And to this Isaiah seems to allude in the passage before cited, where,
speaking of the restoration of the Church, which was to take place under the reign
of Christ, he says, “Behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy
foundations with sapphires; and I will make thy windows with carbuncles, and all
thy borders with pleasant stones;” for immediately after the exposition follows,
“And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord.” (Isaiah 54:11.) Therefore what
was to be fulfilled in Christ, was typified by the external sign under the Law; viz.,
that though we sojourn in the world, yet are we united with Christ by faith, as if we
were one with Him; and, besides, that He takes care for our welfare, as if He bore us
enclosed in His heart; and, finally, that when our heavenly Father regards us in
Him, He esteems us above all the wealth and splendor of the world.
As to the Urim and Thummim, it appears probable to me that they were two
conspicuous marks on the breastplate, corresponding to these names; for the
supposition of some of the Jews, (163) that the ineffable name of God was placed
beneath its texture, is not free from foolish and dangerous superstition. I pass over
other fancies, which are equally frivolous; nor am I anxious to know what was the
form of either of them; the fact itself is sufficient for me. By the Urim, therefore, or
splendors, I doubt not but that the light of doctrine, wherewith the true Priest
illuminates all believers, was represented; first, because He is the one “light of the
world,” without which all things are full of darkness; and because in Him “are hid
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (John 8:12; Colossians 2:3.) Hence did
Paul justly glory that he knew nothing but Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 2:2,) since
His priesthood sufficiently and more than sufficiently enlightens us. As then the
people were admonished that their eyes should be directed to the splendor of the
priest, so now we must diligently remember what Christ Himself teaches, that “he
that followeth him shall not walk in darkness.” (John 8:12.) On the other hand, the
Thummim, which signifies perfections, was a symbol of the perfect and entire purity
which is only to be sought in Christ; for He would not have been a meet high priest
unless He had been perfect, free from every spot, and deficient in nothing which is
required unto complete holiness. It is not, then, an improper distinction, that the
Urim refers to the light of doctrine, and the Thummim to the life; and this is indeed
in some measure applicable to the pastors of the Church, who ought to shine both in
sound doctrine and in integrity of life. But it was God’s design to shew that neither
of these things is to be sought anywhere except in Christ; since from Him we obtain
both light and purity, when He deigns to make us partakers of them according to
the measure of His free bounty. Whence it follows, that they who seek for the least
spark of light or drop of purity out of Christ, plunge themselves into a labyrinth,

where they wander in mortal darkness, and inhale the deadly fumes of false virtues
unto their own destruction.
What the Scripture sometimes relates, as to the inquiries made by Urim and
Thummim, it was a concession made by God to the rudeness of His ancient people.
The true Priest had not yet appeared, the Angel of His Almighty counsel, by whose
Spirit all the Prophets spoke, who, finally, is the fountain of all revelations, and the
express image of the Father; in order then that the typical priest might be the
messenger from God to man, it behooved him to be invested with the ornaments of
Christ. Thus even then believers were taught in a figure, that Christ is the way by
which we come to the Father, and that He also brings from the secret bosom of His
Father whatever it is profitable for us to know unto salvation, hence that fiction of
the Jews is contradicted, that the responses were given in this way: if a question was
asked respecting a particular tribe, that the stone which represented it was lighted
up; and that the colors of the stones were changed according as God refused or
assented. For even if we allow that the Urim and Thummim were the rows of
precious stones themselves, still this imagination is altogether unmeaning. But, as I
have said, by the very form of the breastplate God would testify that the fulness of
wisdom and integrity was contained in it; for which reason it is called “the
breastplate of judgment,” i.e., of the most perfect rectitude, which left nothing to be
desired; for the word ‫משפט‬ mishphot, often signifies in Scripture whatsoever is well
and duly ordered. The interpretation which some give, that “judgment” means
“inquiry,” because the priest only asked for responses when he had the breastplate
on, is too restricted, and is even proved to be erroneous by sundry passages. Let this
then be deemed settled, that this honorable appellation is meant to express a correct
and infallible rule (ordinem.) Because the breastplate was, as it were, a part of the
ephod, it is therefore sometimes comprehended in that word; in which it may be well
also to observe, that this peculiar ephod of the high priest’s was different from the
others, of which mention is made elsewhere; for all of the sacerdotal lineage wore an
ephod in the performance of religious duties. (1 Samuel 14:3.) Even David, when he
danced before the Ark, wore his ephod, (2 Samuel 6:14;) and this custom is still
retained by the Jews at their chief festivals. The rest I will introduce presently in
their proper places.
ELLICOTT, "(4). These are the garments.—The garments peculiar to the high
priest are taken first, and described with great elaboration in thirty-six verses (4-
39). The most conspicuous was the breastplate, described in Exodus 28:13-30, and
here mentioned first of all. ext to this came the peculiar vestment called the
“ephod,” a sort of jerkin or waistcoat, upon which the breastplate was worn
(described in Exodus 28:6-12). Under the ephod was the long robe of blue, called
“the robe of the ephod,” which may be considered as the main garment, and which
is described in Exodus 28:31-35. Upon his head the high priest wore a “mitre” or
turban (described in Exodus 28:36-38); and inside his “robe” he wore a linen shirt
or tunic, secured by a girdle (Exodus 28:39). Underneath the tunic he wore linen
drawers (Exodus 28:42-43). othing is said as to any covering for his feet; but it is
probable that they were protected by sandals.

5 Have them use gold, and blue, purple and
scarlet yarn, and fine linen.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:5
With the exception of the gold, the materials were the same as those of the tabernacle-
cloth, the veil of the tabernacle and the entrance-curtain of the tent Exo_26:1, Exo_
26:31, Exo_26:36; Exo_25:4. The gold was made into thin flat wires which could either
be woven with the woolen and linen threads, or worked with the needle. In regard to the
mixture of linen and woollen threads in the High priest’s dress, see Lev_19:19.
GILL, "And they shall take,.... The Targum of Jonathan adds, out of their substance;
that is, those that were wise hearted, and had knowledge and skill in making such
garments; these were to take, not out of their own personal substance, but they were to
take or receive from Moses what the people freely offered for such service, Exo_36:3,
gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen; pieces of gold, which
they beat into thin plates, and drew into wires, and which they worked into stuffs,
woollen or linen, or both, of the colours here mentioned; all which were made use of in
the ephod, girdle, breastplate, &c. see Exo_39:3 and had a mystical significance in them.
ELLICOTT, "(5) They shall take gold, and blue.—Heb., the gold and the blue,
&c.—i.e., they (the wise-hearted men of Exodus 28:3) shall receive (from Moses) the
(necessary) gold, blue, &c., for the construction of the vestments. It is to be noted
that the materials are the same as those employed for the vail and curtains of the
sanctuary (Exodus 26:1; Exodus 26:31; Exodus 26:36), but with the further addition
of gold and precious stones (Exodus 28:9; Exodus 28:17-21).
COKE, "Exodus 28:5. And they shall take gold, and blue, &c.— For a full account
of the manner in which these were used, see ch. 39:
REFLECTIO S.—The altar being prepared, they who must minister to it are
appointed with their robes.
1. Aaron and his sons. His descendants are preferred to Moses's own children. God
chooses his own servants. ote; It is bad to intrude into the ministry without a

divine call. o man may take this office, but he who is called of God, as was Aaron.
2. Their garments must be glorious and beautiful, not only in the preciousness of the
materials, but also in the exquisiteness of the work. These magnificent garments
signify, (1.) the transcendent excellence and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. (2.) The
beauty of holiness, which God puts on every believer when he is consecrated a priest
unto him. (3.) The eminence of gifts and graces which every gospel-minister should
possess.
PETT, "Verses 5-12
The Ephod (Exodus 28:5-12).
The ephod was made of costly material worked with gold, bluey-violet, purpley-red
and scarlet. It consisted of front and back pieces which reached from below the
shoulders to the hips and was held in place by two shoulder bands, and was tied
round the waist. Attached to it by gold fittings was the breastpouch of judgment (see
below). It was put on over the priestly robe to be described in Exodus 28:31-35.
Exodus 28:5-8
“And they shall take the gold, and the bluey-violet, and the purpley-red, and the
scarlet, and the fine linen, and they shall make the ephod of gold, of bluey-violet,
and purpley-red, scarlet and fine twined linen, the work of the skilled workman. It
shall have two shoulder pieces joined to its two ends. And the skilfully patterned,
cunningly woven band which is on it, to gird it on withal, shall be like its work, and
of the same piece, of gold, of bluey-violet, and purpley-red, and scarlet and fine
twined linen.”
The ephod was to be made by a skilled workman of the multicoloured materials
used for the curtains. The gold was probably gold thread interwoven after the
remainder had been done. The colours might be woven in a variety of patterns.
While the Egyptians preferred white with a little colour the Semites preferred
brighter colours.
The looms used would be Egyptian hand looms, which were not large and easily
transportable. The weaving skills had been brought from Egypt.
The two shoulder pieces joined the separate pieces of the ephod over the shoulder,
(and possibly was interwoven with the ephod all the way down to the band - see
Exodus 28:27-28 ) while the skilfully-patterned woven band around the waist seems
to have been attached to, or even woven into, the ephod and of a similar nature to
the cloth.
PULPIT, "Exodus 28:5
The materials of the priestly garments.
The materials for the priestly garments were to be limited to six—precious stones,

which are not here mentioned, as being ornamental, rather than essential, parts of
the apparel; a blue thread, known as "blue" (compare Exodus 25:4); a purple or
crimson one, known as "purple;" a scarlet one, known as "scarlet;" and a white
one, which is called "fine linen." These were the same materials as those used for
the veil (Exodus 26:31), and curtains (Exodus 26:1, Exodus 26:36) of the sanctuary;
but probably the fabric was of a more delicate quality. They shall take—i.e.,"
They," the wise-hearted men to whom the work was to be entrusted—"shall take,"
or receive from Moses—"the (necessary) gold, blue, purple," etc. In the original all
these words have the definite article prefixed.
The Ephod
6 “Make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple
and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the
work of skilled hands.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:6-12
The ephod - Exo_39:2-7. The Hebrew word has the same breadth of meaning as our
word vestment. The garment was worn over the shoulders, and was the distinctive
vestment of the High priest, to which “the breast-plate of judgment” was attached Exo_
28:25-28.
Cunninq work - Skilled work, or work of a skilled man Exo_35:35.
GILL, "And they shall make the ephod,.... This was the outermost garment of, all,
and was put over the robe; it was a short garment, reaching to the loins, as Kimchi (p);
or to the buttocks, as Abarbinel (q); and not to the heels or feet, as Jarchi (r), and
Maimonides (s); for Josephus (t) says it was but a cubit long, which was little more than
half a yard; he means that part of it which was distinct from the shoulder pieces, and
came down from thence: the hinder part of it covered the back, and reached to the
middle of the buttocks; and the forepart covered the breast and belly, and with shoulder
pieces under the arm holes was buttoned with onyx stones upon the top of the shoulders,
and was girt about the breast with a curious girdle: it had no sleeves, though Josephus
(u) says it had, as appears from the make of it; it was different from the linen ephod
worn by the common priests and others, and was a symbol of the human nature of

Christ, our great High Priest: it was made of
gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning
work; the stuff of which it was made was interwoven with threads of gold, and threads
of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and threads of linen, wrought with divers figures in a
curious manner, which looked very beautiful; and was a fit emblem of the glory,
excellency, and purity of Christ's human nature; of the various graces of the Spirit in it;
of his heavenly original; of his blood, sufferings, and death, and glorious exaltation; and
of its being a curious piece of workmanship wrought by the Lord himself, Heb_10:5.
HE RY 6-14, "Directions are here given concerning the ephod, which was the
outmost garment of the high priest. Linen ephods were worn by the inferior priests,
1Sa_22:18. Samuel wore one when he was a child (1Sa_2:18), and David when he danced
before the ark (2Sa_6:14); but this which the high priest only wore was called a golden
ephod, because there was a great deal of gold woven into it. It was a short coat without
sleeves, buttoned closely to him, with a curious girdle of the same stuff (Exo_28:6-8);
the shoulder-pieces were buttoned together with two precious stones set in gold, one on
each shoulder, on which were engraven the names of the children of Israel, Exo_28:9-
12. In allusion to this, 1. Christ our high priest appeared to John girt about the breast
with a golden girdle, such as was the curious girdle of the ephod, Rev_1:13.
Righteousness is the girdle of his loins (Isa_11:6), and should be of ours, Eph_6:14. He
is girt with strength for the work of our salvation, and is ready for it. 2. The government
is said to be upon his shoulders (Isa_9:6), as Aaron had the names of all Israel upon his
shoulders in precious stone. He presents to himself and to his Father a glorious church,
Eph_5:27. He has power to support them, interest to recommend them, and it is in him
that they are remembered with honour and favour. He bears them before the Lord for a
memorial (Exo_28:12), in token of his appearing before God as the representative of all
Israel and an advocate for them.
JAMISO 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 (Rev_1:13).
K&D 6-14, "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 ᅚπωµίς (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 Exo_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.)
ELLICOTT, "(6-12) The ephod was, as already observed ( ote on Exodus 28:4), a
sort of jerkin or waistcoat. It was made in two pieces, a front piece and a back piece,
which were joined together at the shoulders, apparently by a seam (Exodus 28:7).
The pieces descended to the waist; and there one or other of them was expanded
into a band, called “the curious girdle of the ephod,” which being passed round the
waist and fastened, kept both front and back pieces in place (Exodus 28:8). On
either shoulder was an onyx stone set in gold (Exodus 28:9-11), and engraved with
the names of six of the tribes.
COFFMA , "Verses 6-14
THE EPHOD
"And thou shalt make the ephod of gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine
twined linen, the work of the skillful workman. It shall have two shoulder-pieces
joined to the two ends thereof, that it may be joined together. And the skillfully
woven band, which is upon it, wherewith to gird it on, shall be like the work thereof
and of the same piece; of gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined
linen. And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the
children of Israel: six of the names on the one stone, and the names of the six that
remain on the other stone, according to their birth. With the work of an engraver in
stone, like the engraver of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones, according to
the names of the children of Israel; thou shalt make them to be enclosed in settings
of gold. 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. And thou shalt make
settings of gold; 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."
This was the principal element in the High Priest's costume, bearing not only the
memorial stones on the shoulders, but also the breastplate (next to be described)
with its four rows of memorial stones. The mention of the "two ends" indicates that

it was long enough to come down to about the knees both front and back, connected
with straps, to which there were affixed the onyx stone memorials at the shoulder
level. This arrangement permitted the adjustment of the straps to fit any sized
person. It consisted of a beautifully-woven tapestry of gold and the three colors so
predominately used throughout the whole tabernacle. The gold was apparently to be
woven separately into the completed tapestry.
"According to their birth ..." This meant either: (1) according to their chronological
ages; or (2) accordingly as they were born (a) of Jacob's legal wives, or (b) of his
concubines. Scriptural examples of either arrangement may be cited; but which was
to be used here is not given.
The old problem so often encountered in the O.T. of the same word having more
than one meaning is also apparent here. In context, it is clear enough that some kind
of garment is meant, an article of the "holy garments" designed for Aaron, the soon-
to-be-named high priest. There are instances, however, in the O.T., where, "an
image of some sort is indicated (Judges 8:24-37; 17:5; 18:14; and Hosea 3:4)."[8]
"To be stones of memorial ..." The symbolism of these indicated that when the High
Priest fulfilled his mission of entering the Holy of Holies he did so as a
representative of all Israel. These memorial stones were a reminder primarily to
Israel of this supplication upon their behalf, and also to Aaron in order that he
might not forget that his was a mission O BEHALF OF the whole nation. We
reject the notion that the purpose of these was "to remind God ... that God would
not forget to be gracious to Israel!"[9] It is true, however, that, "They served as a
kind of visible supplication of His gracious remembrance."[10]
Throughout this chapter the prevailing conception is that of a properly clothed and
anointed priesthood employed in supplicating God on behalf of others. The holy
church itself, at times, has been betrayed into the acceptance of this device of a
human priesthood, a system that may be identified generally as sacerdotalism. Here
at the outset of the O.T. sacerdotalism is a good place to note that these devices were
temporary, expedient, and served merely as types, shadows, copies and signs of the
great realities which replaced them in Christianity. There is O earthly priesthood
today in the church of God, despite some religious practices that might seem to
indicate that there is. As Fields put it:
We must beware of religions like Roman Catholicism and its descendants, that set
up a special class of individuals within the church as "priests." To adopt such a
system is to lapse back into the covenant of Moses! We live under a new and better
covenant, with a better priesthood (Hebrews 7:18-22). To revert to the system of the
law of Moses is to revert to condemnation (Galatians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 3:9).[11]
The ephod described here has been variously described as "a waistcoat,"[12] "a
short linen garment,"[13] "a very gorgeous robe,"[14] or "a kind of apron."[15]
Whatever it might be called, one thing is clear, the expensive beauty of the garment
must have made it indeed a beautiful and glorious element of the High Priest's

regalia.
COKE, "Exodus 28:6. The ephod— The high-priest's garments are first described,
the outermost of which was the ephod or super-humeral; which was a kind of close
garment or short vest without sleeves, which hung behind upon the back and
shoulders, and came down before upon the breast, somewhat in the nature of our
heralds' robes. It was joined by two shoulder-pieces; and this, which was
appropriated to the high-priest, was made of fine linen embroidered with gold, blue,
purple, and scarlet: the ephods worn by the common priests were made with linen
only; see 1 Samuel 2:18; 1 Samuel 22:18.
The ephod28:6-14
The ephod (a transliteration of the Hebrew word) was the most important and
outermost garment of the high priest. It was an apron-like piece of clothing that fit
over his robe ( Exodus 28:31-35).
"The duty of the high priest was to enter into the presence of God and make
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 (xix5); 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." [ ote: Keil and Delitzsch, 2:195.]
Josephus wrote that the names of Jacob"s six oldest sons were on the stone on the
right shoulder, and the names of his six youngest sons were on the stone on the left.
[ ote: Josephus, 3:7:5.]
The Ephod,
They shall make the ephod The word ephod signifies etymologically any "vestment"
or "garment;" but in its use it is confined to the special vestment here described, the
great object of which was to be a receptacle for the "breast-plate." The ephod was a
sort of jerkin or waistcoat, consisting of two pieces, one to cover the chest and the
other the back, joined together probably by a seam, above the shoulders, and united
at the waist by a band called "the curious girdle of the ephod." This band was of
one piece with the ephod, being woven on either to the front or the back part; it held
the other part in place, and was passed round the body and fastened either with a

clasp, or with buttons, or strings. Of gold, of blue, of purple, etc.—i.e; "of the same
materials as the curtains and veil of the sanctuary, with the addition of gold." The
gold was probably in the shape of gold thread, or wire of extreme tenuity, and was
introduced by the needle after the fabric bad been woven, as was commonly done in
Egypt. The white, blue, purple, and scarlet threads were doubtless woven into a
pattern of some kind; but it is impossible to say what the pattern was. In Egypt
patterns were not much affected, the dress worn being commonly white, with a
stripe sometimes at the edge; but the Semitic tribes, who bordered Egypt on the
East, affected gay colours and. varied designs, if we may trust the Egyptian wall-
paintings. With cunning work. Literally, "work of the skilled (workman)." Some of
the Hebrews had evidently carried on the trade of weaving in Egypt, and had
brought their looms with them. The Egyptian looms were hand-looms, and of no
great size; they admitted of easy transport.
BI 6-14, "The ephod.
The ephod
The ephod, with its “curious girdle” and the oynx stones upon its shoulder-pieces, was
the distinctive priestly garment. It hung upon the shoulders down to the waist, and was
formed of the most costly and beautiful materials, corresponding exactly to those
employed in the interior decoration of the holy place. The girdle was made of the same
materials, with the same combination of colours. As garments were associated in the
Hebrew mind with character, and the girdle with energy in work, we find in the
correspondence of both with the interior of the holy place, a memorial of the necessity
that those who enter the house of the Lord must be themselves holy and beautiful in
character, and be engaged in high and holy service. But the most important parts of the
ephod were the shoulder-pieces, on which were set two oynx stones, with the names of
the tribes engraven on them (see Exo_28:12). Here we have the idea of representation
clearly and beautifully symbolized. The shoulders, to a Hebrew mind, were the symbol of
strength; and the idea was, that when the high priest entered the holy place he did not go
alone, but carried with him on his strong shoulders the children of Israel whom he
represented; and the estimation in which the people were held was expressed in the
value of the precious stones on which the names were engraved, and the setting of pure
gold with which they were surrounded. (J. M. Gibson, D. D.)
The ephod
The ephod, with the breastplate and girdle fastened to it, and put upon the person of
Aaron, constituted him a worshipper; adorned with this he could draw near and worship
in the holy place. It was put on over the blue robe, and is supposed to have been much
shorter than that garment, reaching a little below the knees, whilst the blue robe reached
down to the feet. It fitted closely to the person, and was kept in its place by the girdle. It
was made of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen. These materials represent the
purity, loveliness, and glory of Christ as the Man Jesus Christ and the mighty God. It
would spangle with gold, and the colours would be so blended as to display their
richness and beauty in the best possible way. The four materials were the same as the
vail was made of, viz., fine linen, blue, purple, and scarlet, which represent the manhood
of Christ in all its perfection as such (Heb_10:19-20); but in the gold thread with which
that cloth was embroidered (Exo_39:3), I see the Godhead of the Lord, and the two are

so joined together that you cannot have one without the other. The back and front parts
of the ephod were joined at the shoulders, by means of the shoulder-pieces from which it
was suspended. In each shoulder-piece was a precious stone set in gold—an oynx stone,
a beautiful white and half-transparent stone. In these precious stones the names of the
twelve tribes of Israel were engraven. Aaron carried the names of his people upon his
shoulders. He presented them thus before the Lord, and when God looked down upon
Aaron, He saw the names of His people indelibly engraven in white stones. The shoulder
is the place of strength. The omnipotent strength of Christ is ours. He carries His
people’s burdens and themselves too (Isa_63:9; Isa_40:11; Isa_46:4; Psa_55:22). The
government is upon His shoulder, and the crown is upon His head. (G. Rodgers.)
7 It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two
of its corners, so it can be fastened.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:7
Compare Exo_39:4. The ephod consisted of two principal pieces of cloth, one for the
back and the other for the front, joined together by shoulder straps (see Exo_28:27
note). Below the arms, probably just above the hips, the two pieces were kept in place by
a band attached to one of the pieces. On the respect in which the ephod of the High
priest was held, see 1Sa_2:28; 1Sa_14:3; 1Sa_21:9; 1Sa_23:6-9; 1Sa_30:7. But an ephod
made of linen appears to have been a recognized garment not only for the common
priests 1Sa_22:18, but also for those who were even temporarily engaged in the service
of the sanctuary 1Sa_2:18; 2Sa_6:14; 1Ch_15:27.
GILL, "It shall have the two shoulder pieces thereof,.... Which were two pieces
that joined to the ephod, reaching from the arm holes to the shoulders both on the right
and left, coming from before and behind; and meeting on the shoulders, were buttoned
with two onyx stones, and covering the shoulders are called by this name:
joined at the two edges thereof; the two edges of the ephod; not sewed thereunto
with a needle, as Maimonides (w) and other Jewish writers think, but were woven along
with it, and in the weaving was of the same with it:
and so it shall be joined together; that is, the hinder and fore parts of the ephod in
the shoulder pieces of it, shall be joined together by the two onyx stones upon them,
hereafter mentioned, with which they were buttoned.

K&D, "Exo_Exo_Exo_Exo_28282828::::7777
“Two connecting shoulder-pieces shall it have for its two ends, that it may be bound together.”
If we compare the statement in Exo_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 (Exo_28:31, Exo_28:32), the opening for the head would certainly have been mentioned, as
it is in the case of the latter (Exo_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 Exo_28:25 (?
27), reaching down on both sides from the shoulders to the girdle (Exo_28:8).
The two shoulder-pieces thereof, Literally, "Two shoulder-pieces." There is no
article, and no possessive pronoun. At the two edges thereof. Literally, "at its two
ends." A union of the back and front flaps of the dress by a seam at the top of the
shoulder seems to be intended. Female dresses were made in this way among the
Greeks, but fastened with a brooch or buckle.
8 Its skillfully woven waistband is to be like it—of
one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and
with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely
twisted linen.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:8

The curious girdle ... - Rather: the band for fastening it, which is upon it, shall be
of the same work, of one piece with it. This band being woven on to one of the pieces of
the ephod, was passed round the body, and fastened by buttons, or strings, or some
other suitable contrivance.
CLARKE, "The curious girdle of the ephod - The word ‫חשב‬ chesheb, rendered
here curious girdle, signifies merely a kind of diaper, or embroidered work; (see Clarke’s
note on Exo_26:1); and it is widely different from ‫אבנט‬ abnet, which is properly
translated girdle Exo_28:4. The meaning therefore of the text, according to some, is this,
that the two pieces, Exo_28:7, which connected the parts of the ephod at the shoulders
where the onyx stones were set, should be of the same texture with the ephod itself, i.e.,
of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, embroidered together. But others
suppose that some kind of a girdle is meant, different from the abnet, Exo_28:39, being
only of plain workmanship.
GILL, "And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it,.... Which was
worn along with it, and went out from it like two thongs, as Jarchi says, which girt the
ephod close to the back and breast:
shall be of the same; of the same matter as the ephod, and woven in the same
manner, and together with it:
according to the work thereof; wrought with the same coloured, curious, and
cunning work:
even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; and from
the gold in it, it was called a golden girdle, to distinguish it from others, and with it the
priest was girt under the arm holes about the paps, to which the allusion is, Rev_1:13
and is an emblem of the close union of the human nature of Christ to his divine which is
the effect of his love to his people; which, as it is seen in his incarnation, so more
especially in his sufferings and death; and it may denote his strength to do his work as a
priest, his readiness to perform it, and his faithfulness and integrity in it; righteousness
being the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
ELLICOTT, "(8) The curious girdle.—The word khésheb, which is thus translated,
means properly “device,” “ornamental work,” and has not in itself the sense of
“belt” or “girdle.” Still, there is no reason to doubt that the khêsheb of the ephod
was in fact a girdle, as Josephus calls it (Ant. Jud., iii. 7, §4), though named from the
peculiar skill displayed in its patterning. Josephus says it was “a girdle dyed of
many hues, with gold interwoven in it.”
Shall be of the same.— ot sewn on, but woven continuously with the front or back
piece.
COKE, "Exodus 28:8. The curious girdle of the ephod— The word rendered girdle

here, as many critics have observed, is different from that so rendered in the 4th and
39th verses, and signifies, properly, texture or embroidery; and therefore, both here
and in the other places where it occurs, it ought to be so rendered: and I apprehend,
that this verse informs us of the materials of the two shoulder-pieces, which were of
great consequence, as they contained the two stones of memorial, and therefore
Moses is directed to make them of the same materials with the ephod itself; so that
the verse might be rendered, and the texture of that which is upon the ephod, like
the work of the ephod itself, shall be of gold, &c. The LXX understand it in this
manner. Houbigant renders it, textura limbi, the texture of the edge which is upon
it, shall be, &c.
The curious girdle. Josephus says of the ephod, ζώνῃ περισφίγγεται βάµµασι
διαπεποικιλµένῃ χρυσοῦ συνυφασµένου, "it is fastened with a girdle dyed of many
hues, with gold interwoven in it." Hence its name, khesheb, which means properly
"device" or "cunning work." Of the ephod. Rather "of its girding"—i.e.
"wherewith it (the ephod) was to be girded." Shall be of the same. Compare above,
Exodus 25:19. The girdle was to be "of one piece" with the ephod, woven on to it as
part of it, not a separate piece attached by sewing. According to the work thereof.
Rather, "of like workmanship with it."
9 “Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the
names of the sons of Israel
GILL, "And thou shall take two onyx stones,.... called from the colour of a man's
nail, which they to resemble: the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan call them stones of
beryl, and so the Syriac version; the Septuagint, stones of emerald, and the Arabic
version, crystal stones: but, according to Josephus (x), they were sardonyx stones, and in
which Brannius (y) thinks he was right:
and grave on them the names of the children of Israel; the names of the twelve
sons of Jacob, six on one stone and six on the other, as often mentioned, for which onyx
stones are very fit; and they must be very large to have so many letters graved upon
them; for there is no reason to believe the initial letters of their names only were
engraved, but their whole names at length. In the Museum at Dresden is an oriental
onyx which cost 48,000 dollars; it is of an oval figure, and its longest diameter is almost

six inches, and in such an one might easily be engraved so many names: and Wagenseil
makes mention of one in the possession of the bishop of Bamberg, in which were
represented Christ sitting, and teaching his twelve apostles standing round him, of
which he has given the figure (z): the onyx stone being of the colour observed, was a fit
emblem of Christ in his human nature, and if the sardonyx, of him in both his natures;
and as the twelve tribes of Israel were a figure of the church, their names being on two
stones may denote both the Jewish and Gentile churches; these being precious stones on
which they were engraven, may signify how valuable the church and its members are to
Christ; and being alike there, their being equally loved of God, chosen in Christ,
redeemed by his blood, interested in all the blessings of his grace, and shall enjoy the
same glory; and their names being there, the distinct knowledge had of them by name,
and being in ouches of gold, their dignity and safety, as afterwards declared.
K&D, "Exo_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.
CALVI , "9.And thou shalt take two onyx-stones. That the connection between the
priest and the people might be made more plain, God not only placed on his breast
the memorials of the twelve tribes, but also engraved their names on his shoulders.
Thus all occasion of envy was removed, since the people would understand that this
one man was not separated from the others for the sake of private advantage, but
that in his one person they were all a kingdom of priests, which Peter teaches to
have been at length really fulfilled in Christ, (1 Peter 2:5;) as Isaiah had foretold
that there should be priests of God, and Levites brought from the Gentiles, (Isaiah
66:21;) to which John makes allusion in the Apocalypse, where he says that we are
all priests in Christ, (Revelation 1:6.) But we must remember the reason why our
High Priest is said to bear us on His shoulders, for we not only crawl on earth, but
we are plunged in the lowest depths of death; how then should we be able to ascend
to heaven, unless the Son of God should raise us up with Him; ow, since there is no
ability in us unto eternal life, but all our powers of mind and body lie prostrate, we
must be borne up by His strength alone. Hence then arises our confidence of
ascending to heaven, because Christ raises us up with Him; as Paul says, we “sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” (Ephesians 2:6;) however weak then we
may be in ourselves, herein is all our strength, that we are His burden. Therefore in
this old type was prefigured what Paul teaches, that the Church is “his body,” and
“the fullness of him,” (Ephesians 1:22.) It remains that each of us, conscious of our
own weakness, should rest on Christ; for when in foolish arrogance we exalt
ourselves, we do not suffer ourselves to be lifted up by Him, to be borne and
sustained by His power. Let the proud then, by lifting themselves on high, fall down
in ruin, whilst Christ supports us upon His shoulders. These stones are called
“stones of memorial;” and again, “for a memorial” to the children of Israel; as is
also afterwards repeated of the twelve stones; which some expound, that “God may

be mindful of the children of Israel;” others, that “the priest himself may remember
them;” others, that “the children of Israel may remember that God is reconciled to
them for the sake of the one Mediator;” but I simply interpret it, that they were a
monument of the mutual agreement between God and them; as if God would shew
by a visible sign that He embraced them and received them into His sanctuary, as
often as they were offered in this manner.
ELLICOTT, "(9) Two onyx stones.—The shôham of the Hebrews has been
regarded by some as the emerald, by others as the beryl; but it is probably either the
stone usually called the onyx, or that variety which is known as the sardonyx—a
stone of three layers—black, white, and red. (See Joseph., Ant. Jud., iii. 7, § 5.)
Emeralds could not have been cut by any process known at the time. Onyx and
sardonyx were used from a very early period, as stones for signets, both in Egypt
and elsewhere.
And grave on them the names of the children of Israel.—That gem-engraving was
practised from a remote antiquity both in Egypt and in Babylonia appears from the
remains found in those countries. The signet cylinders of Chaldæan kings are
regarded by the best Assyriologists as going back, at least, to B.C. 2,000. The signets
of Egyptian monarchs reach, at any rate, to the twelfth dynasty, which is perhaps
nearly as early. The hardest kinds of stone—diamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire,
topaz—defied the art of the time; but stones of the second class—sard, carnelian,
onyx, beryl, jasper, lapis lazuli—readily yielded to the engraver’s tools. There is no
difficulty in supposing that among the Israelites were to be found persons who had
been engaged in Egyptian workshops during the servitude, and were acquainted
with Egyptian art in all its principal departments. The “names” to be engraved were
doubtless the “tribe” names, as explained by Josephus.
COKE, "Exodus 28:9. Thou shalt take two onyx-stones— See Genesis 2:12. Moses
was to cause the names of the twelve tribes of Israel to be engraved, as letters or
devices are cut in a seal, Exodus 28:11 on two onyx-stones; six ranked according to
their seniority on each stone, Exodus 28:10 and these stones were to be set in ouches
of gold: the original word signifies, small edges, or pieces of metal, which enclose
and hold fast a seal, or any thing set in that manner. These stones were to be
fastened upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be borne by the high-priest, for a
memorial that he always appeared before God in behalf of the whole people of
Israel. See Isaiah 9:6. In Exodus 28:29 this reason is also given for his wearing the
breast-plate; and Le Clerc thinks that three things were chiefly denoted by these
names, which the high-priest wore on his shoulders and near his heart: first, the
union of all the tribes in one common wealth; secondly, their union in one religion
and priesthood; thirdly, the wearing of these names on his shoulders and near his
heart, served to remind the priest, that the care of the public religion rested, as it
were, upon his shoulders, and was, of all concerns, to be next his heart. See ch.
Exodus 30:16. Leviticus 2:2 from whence, as well as from umbers 10:9-10 and Acts
10:4 it appears, that the word memorial refers also to GOD. For thus Christ
appears, Revelation 1:13 ever living to make intercession for his people. He presents

their names, not merely engraven on stones of onyx, but more deeply on his heart in
characters of divine love. With respect to the chains mentioned in the 14th verse, we
shall see their use hereafter.
PETT, "Exodus 28:9-12
“And you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the children
of Israel, six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on
the other stone, according to their birth. With the work of an engraver in stone, like
the engraving of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones. You shall make them to
be enclosed in settings of gold. And 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.”
The actual type of stones has been much disputed with onyx, beryl, emerald and
sardonyx all having been suggested. The onyx is black and white, the sardonyx
black and white with a layer of red. A large sardonyx was very expensive. It was an
excellent stone for engraving. Engraving was an art well known in Egypt. It is no
argument against this to say that slaves would not have learned engraving and
weaving. They were not always slaves in Egypt, and even when they were slaves
those who were skilled in such things would have been treasured and encouraged in
order to bring profit for their masters.
The stones were to be engraved with the names of the twelve sons of Jacob and
placed in gold settings on the shoulder of the ephod so as to bring the names of the
twelve tribes before Yahweh. When Aaron entered the Sanctuary the whole of Israel
in effect went with him and were brought to Yahweh’s attention.
“According to their birth” may indicate order of age, or it may refer to the six sons
of Leah on one stone and the remainder on the other (compare Genesis 37:2).
PULPIT, "Two onyx stones. The correctness of this rendering has been much
disputed. The LXX. give σµάραγδος, "emeraid." as the Greek equivalent in the
present passage, while many argue for the beryl (Winer, Rosenmuller, Bollermann),
and others for the sardonyx. This last rendering has the support of Josephus and
Aquila. The sardonyx is, in fact, nothing but the best kind of onyx, differing from
the onyx by having three layers—black, white, and red—instead of two—black and
white—only. When large, it fetches a high price, as much as a thousand pounds
having been asked for one by a dealer recently. The probability is, that it is the stone
here intended. It is an excellent material for engraving. With respect to the
possibility of Moses having in the congregation persons who could engrave the
sardonyx, we may remark that the Egyptians cut stones quite as hard, from a date
long anterior to the exodus. Grave on them the names of the children of Israel.
Egyptian names are frequently found engraved on rings and amulets in hard stone;
these rings and amulets date from the time of the twelfth dynasty. The names here
intended are evidently the Israelite tribe names, which are reckoned as twelve, the
double tribe of Joseph counting as one only. (Compare umbers 1:10; Deuteronomy
33:13-17.)

10 in the order of their birth—six names on one
stone and the remaining six on the other.
GILL, "Six of their names on one stone,.... The names of the six eldest on the stone
upon the right shoulder:
and the other six names of the rest on the other stone: the names of the six
youngest on the stone upon the left shoulder; for these stones, as afterwards said, were
put on the shoulders of the priests:
according to their birth; the order of it; so that upon the first stone were engraven
the names of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, and Naphtali; and on the second stone
the names of Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin; and so they are
disposed by Jarchi, with whom Josephus agrees (a); though some Jewish writers, and
particularly Maimonides (b), place them otherwise; but this seems most agreeable to the
letter and sense of the text.
ELLICOTT, "(10) The other six names of the rest.—Heb., the remaining six names.
Either Levi was omitted, or Joseph’s name took the place of Ephraim’s and
Manasseh’s.
According to their birth—i.e., in the order of their seniority.
PULPIT, "The other six names of the rest. Literally, "The remaining six names."
According to their birth—i.e; in the order of seniority—or perhaps, in the order
observed in Exodus 1:2-4, where the children of the two legitimate wives are given
the precedence.
11 Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the

two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal.
Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings
BAR ES, "Exo_28:11
Like the engravings of a signet - Compare Exo_28:21, Exo_28:36. These words
probably refer to a special way of shaping the letters, adapted for engraving on a hard
substance. Seal engraving on precious stones was practiced in Egypt from very remote
times.
Ouches of gold - Gold settings formed not of solid pieces of metal, but of woven
wire, wreathed round the stones in what is called cloisonnee work, a sort of filigree, often
found in Egyptian ornaments. These stones, as well as those on the breastplate, were
perhaps in the form of ovals, or rather ellipses, like the cartouches, containing proper
names, in hieroglyphic inscriptions. The word “ouches” is used by Shakespeare, Spenser,
and some of their contemporaries in the general sense of “jewels.”
CLARKE, "Like the engravings of a signet - So signets or seals were in use at
this time, and engraving on precious stones was then an art, and this art, which was one
of the most elegant and ornamental, was carried in ancient times to a very high pitch of
perfection, and particularly among the ancient Greeks; such a pitch of perfection as has
never been rivaled, and cannot now be even well imitated. And it is very likely that the
Greeks themselves borrowed this art from the ancient Hebrews, as we know it flourished
in Egypt and Palestine long before it was known in Greece.
GILL, "With the work of an engraver in stone,.... Not in common but precious
stones: Moses was not to do this himself, as it could not be supposed he should, but he
was to employ an engraver, whose business it was, and one that was capable of doing it
in a professional manner:
like the engravings of a signet shall thou engrave the two stones with the
names of the children of Israel: as in signets or seals, by which impressions are
made on wax, the letters or figures are cut deep, that they might on the wax stand out; so
it seems the letters of the names of the children of Israel were cut in these stones: this
shows that engraving on precious stones is very old, and the ancients indeed are said to
excel in this art:
thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold; in beazils or sockets, such as
precious stones in rings are set in; these with the stones in them served as buttons to
fasten together the hinder and fore part of the ephod on the shoulder pieces of it.
K&D, "Exo_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.” ‫ב‬ ָ‫ה‬ָ‫ז‬ ‫ּות‬‫צ‬ ְ ְ‫שׁ‬ ִ‫,מ‬ from ‫ץ‬ ַ‫ב‬ ָ‫שׁ‬ to twist, is used in Exo_28:39 (cf. Psa_45:14)
for a texture woven in checks; and here it denotes not merely a simple gold-setting, but,
according to Exo_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.
ELLICOTT, "(11) The engravings of a signet.—Compare ote 2 on Exodus 28:9.
Signets had been already mentioned in Genesis 38:18; Genesis 38:25; Genesis 41:42.
Those of Egypt were for the most part rings, with cylindrical bezels turning upon an
axis. Those of Babylonia were cylinders, which were commonly worn by a string
round the wrist. The engraving of the Babylonian cylinders is frequently of a very
fine quality.
Thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.—The setting intended seems to
have been a sort of open or filigree work, such as is very common in Egyptian
ornaments of the time. The term “ouche”—more properly “nouch”—is derived
from the old French “nouche,”a buckle or clasp (see Skeat’s Etymol. Dict., §5).
PULPIT, "With the work of an engraver. Rather, "an artificer." The engravings of
a signet. Signets in Egypt were ordinarily rings, on the bezel of which the name of
the owner was inscribed. Some were of solid gold; others with cylindrical bezels of
glass or hard stone. On the early use of such signet rings in Egypt see Genesis 41:42.
Cylinders, strung round the wrist and engraved with a name and titles, were
common in Mesopotamia from b.c. 2000. Ouches of gold. Settings in open-work or
filagree seem to be intended—a kind of setting which is very common in Egyptian
ornaments.
12 and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the
ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel.
Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a
memorial before the Lord.

BAR ES, "Exo_28:12
Upon the shoulders - i. e. upon the shoulder pieces of the ephod. See Exo_28:7.
Upon his two shoulders - Compare Isa_9:6; Isa_22:22. The high priest had to
represent the Twelve tribes in the presence of Yahweh; and the burden of his office could
not be so aptly symbolized anywhere as on his shoulders, the parts of the body fittest for
carrying burdens.
CLARKE, "Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord - He was to
consider that he was the representative of the children of Israel; and the stones on the
ephod and the stones on the breastplate were for a memorial to put Aaron in
remembrance that he was the priest and mediator of the twelve tribes; and, speaking
after the manner of men, God was to be put in mind of the children of Israel, their wants,
etc., as frequently as the high priest appeared before him with the breastplate and the
ephod. See Exo_28:29.
GILL, "And thou shall put the stones upon the shoulders of the ephod,....
That is, the shoulder pieces of it; these stones were put there, the names of the twelve
sons of Israel being engraven on them, and they, set in rims or sockets of gold, and
serving for buttons to the shoulder pieces: but chiefly the design of them was
for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: not to put the Israelites in
mind of the merits of their ancestors, as the Targum of Jonathan; for none of their works
were meritorious, and some were not good, and not worthy of remembrance; but rather
to put Aaron or the high priest in mind to pray and make intercession for the twelve
tribes, whose names were on the stones; or rather to put God himself in remembrance of
his promises made unto them, and that they were his dear, special, and peculiar people;
just as the rainbow was to be a memorial to the Lord of the covenant he made with all
flesh, and which is to be understood after the manner of men:
and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders
for a memorial; signifying his presentation of them to the Lord when he appeared
before him on the mercy seat; his intercession for them, and his patient bearing all their
infirmities and weaknesses; in which he was a type of Christ, who presents all his people
to his divine Father, makes intercession for them, and bears all their burdens, the care
and government of them being upon his shoulders, Isa_9:6.
HE RY, "Exo_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. Exo_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 (Isa_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 (Exo_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.
ELLICOTT, "(12) For stones of memorial unto the children of Israel.—Rather, for
the children of Israel. The intention was that the stones should be “stones of
memorial” to God, on behalf of Israel; should remind God that the high priest
represented all the tribes, and pleaded before Him on their behalf, and in their
name. The tribes were represented doubly in the costume of the high priest, by the
onyx stones and by the stones of the breastplate.
MACLARE , "THE AMES O AARO ’S BREASTPLATE
Exodus 28:12, Exodus 28:29.
Every part of the elaborately prescribed dress of the high priest was significant. But
the significance of the whole was concentrated in the inscription upon his mitre,
‘Holiness to the Lord,’ and in those others upon his breastplate and his shoulder.
The breastplate was composed of folded cloth, in which were lodged twelve precious
stones, in four rows of three, each stone containing the name of one of the tribes. It
was held in position by the ephod, which consisted of another piece of cloth, with a
back and front part, which were united into one on the shoulders. On each shoulder
it was clasped by an onyx stone bearing the names of six of the tribes. Thus twice, on
the shoulders, the seat of power, and on the heart, the organ of thought and of love,
Aaron, entering into the presence of the Most High, bore ‘the names of the tribes for
a memorial continually.’
ow, I think we shall not be indulging in the very dangerous amusement of unduly
spiritualising the externalities of that old law if we see here, in these two things,
some very important lessons.
I. The first one that I would suggest to you is-here we have the expression of the
great truth of representation of the people by the priest.
The names of the tribes laid upon Aaron’s heart and on his shoulders indicated the
significance of his office-that he represented Israel before God, as truly as he
represented God to Israel. For the moment the personality of the official was
altogether melted away and absorbed in the sanctity of his function, and he stood
before God as the individualised nation. Aaron was Israel, and Israel was Aaron, for
the purposes of worship. And that was indicated by the fact that here, on the
shoulders from which, according to an obvious symbol, all acts of power emanate,
and on the heart from which, according to most natural metaphor, all the outgoings
of the personal life proceed, were written the names of the tribes. That meant, ‘This

man standing here is the Israel of God, the concentrated nation.’
The same thought works the other way. The nation is the diffused priest, and all its
individual components are consecrated to God. All this was external ceremonial,
with no real spiritual fact at the back of it. But it pointed onwards to something that
is not ceremonial. It pointed to this, that the true priest must, in like manner, gather
up into himself, and in a very profound sense be, the people for whom he is the
priest; and that they, in their turn, by the action of their own minds and hearts and
wills, must consent to and recognise that representative relation, which comes to the
solemn height of identification in Christ’s relation to His people. ‘I am the Vine, ye
are the branches,’ says He, and also, ‘That they all may be one in us as Thou,
Father, art in Me, and I in Thee.’ So Paul says, ‘I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in
me.’ ‘The life which I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God,’
So Christ gathers us all, if we will let Him, into Himself; and our lives may be hid
with Him-in a fashion that is more than mere external and formal representation, or
as people have a member of Parliament to represent them in the councils of the
nation-even in a true union with Him in whom is the life of all of us, if we live in any
real sense. Aaron bore the names of the tribes on shoulder and heart, and Israel was
Aaron, and Aaron was Israel.
II. Further, we see here, in these eloquent symbols, the true significance of
intercession.
ow, that is a word and a thought which has been wofully limited and made shallow
and superficial by the unfortunate confining of the expression, in our ordinary
language, to a mere action by speech. Intercession is supposed to be verbal asking
for some good to be bestowed on, or some evil to be averted from, some one in whom
we are interested. But the Old Testament notion of the priest’s intercession, and the
ew Testament use of the word which we so render, go far beyond any verbal
utterances, and reach to the very heart of things. Intercession, in the true sense of
the word, means the doing of any act whatsoever before God for His people by Jesus
Christ. Whensoever, as in the presence of God, He brings to God anything which is
His, that is intercession. He undertakes for them, not by words only, though His
mighty word is, ‘I will that they whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am,’
but by acts which are more than even the words of the Incarnate Word.
If we take these two inscriptions upon which I am now commenting, we shall get, I
think, what covers the whole ground of the intercession on which Christians are to
repose their souls. For, with regard to the one of them, we read that the high priest’s
breastplate was named ‘the breastplate of judgment’; and what that means is
explained by the last words of the verse following that from which my text is taken:
‘Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the
Lord.’ Judgment means a judicial sentence; in this case a judicial sentence of
acquittal. And that Aaron stood before God in the Holy Place, ministering with this
breastplate upon his heart, is explained by the writer of these regulations to mean
that he carried there the visible manifestation of Israel’s acquittal, based upon his
own sacrificial function. ow, put that into plain English, and it is just this-Jesus
Christ’s sacrifice ensures, for all those whose names are written on these gems on
His heart, their acquittal in the judgment of Heaven. Or, in other words, the first
step in the intercession of our great High Priest is the presenting before God for ever
and ever that great fact that He, the Sinless, has died for the love of sinful men, and

thereby has secured that the judgment of Heaven on them shall now be ‘no
condemnation.’ Brethren, there is the root of all our hope in Christ, and of all that
Christ is to individuals and to society-the assurance that the breastplate of judgment
is on His heart, as a sign that all who trust Him are acquitted by the tribunal of
Heaven.
The other side of this great continual act of intercession is set forth by the other
symbol-the names written on the shoulders, the seat of power. There is a beautiful
parallel, which yet at first sight does not seem to be one, to the thought that lies here,
in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, where, addressing the restored and perfected
Israel, he says, speaking in the person of Jehovah: ‘I have graven thee upon the
palms of My hands.’ That has precisely the same meaning that I take to be conveyed
by this symbol in the text. The names of the tribes are written on His shoulders; and
not until that arm is wearied or palsied, not till that strong hand forgets its cunning,
will our defence fail. If our names are thus written on the seat of power, that means
that all the divine authority and omnipotence which Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of
the Father, wields in His state of royal glory, are exercised on behalf of, or at all
events on the side of, those whose names He thus bears upon His shoulders. That is
the guarantee for each of us that our hands shall be made strong, according to the
ancient prophetic blessing, ‘by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.’ Just as a
father or a mother will take their child’s little tremulous hand in theirs and hold it,
that it may be strengthened for some small task beyond its unbacked, uninvigorated
power; so Jesus Christ will give us strength within, and also will order the march of
His Providence and send the gift of His Spirit, for the succour and the strengthening
of all whose names are written on His ephod. He has gone within the veil. He has left
us heavy tasks, but our names are on His shoulders, and we ‘can do all things in
Christ who strengthened us.’
III. Still further, this symbol suggests to us the depth and reality of Christ’s
sympathy.
The heart is, in our language, the seat of love. It is not so in the Old Testament.
Affection is generally allocated to another part of the frame; but here the heart
stands for the organ of care, of thought, of interest. For, according to the Old
Testament view of the relation between man’s body and man’s soul, the very seat
and centre of the individual life is in the heart. I suppose that was because it was
known that, somehow or other, the blood came thence. Be that as it may, the
thought is clear throughout all the Old Testament that the heart is the man, and the
man is the heart. And so, if Jesus bears our names upon His heart, that does not
express merely representation nor merely intercession, but it expresses also personal
regard, individualising knowledge. For Aaron wore not one great jewel with ‘Israel’
written on it, but twelve little ones, with ‘Dan,’ ‘Benjamin,’ and ‘Ephraim,’ and all
the rest of them, each on his own gem.
So we can say, ‘Such a High Priest became us, who could have compassion upon the
ignorant, and upon them that are out of the way’; and we can fall back on that old-
fashioned but inexhaustible source of consolation and strength: ‘In all their
affliction He was afflicted’; and though the noise of the tempests which toss us can
scarcely be supposed to penetrate into the veiled place where He dwells on high, yet
we may be sure-and take all the peace and consolation and encouragement out of it
that it is meant to give us-that ‘we have not a High Priest that cannot be touched

with a feeling of our infirmities,’ but that Himself, having known miseries, ‘is able to
succour them that are tempted.’ Our names are on Christ’s heart.
IV. Then, lastly, we have here a suggestion of how precious to Aaron Israel is.
Jewels were chosen to symbolise the tribes. Bits of tin, potsherds, or anything else
that one could have scratched letters upon, would have done quite as well. But ‘the
precious things of the everlasting mountains’ were chosen to bear the dear names.
‘The Lord’s portion is His people’; and precious in the eyes of Christ are the souls
for whom He has given so much. They are not only precious, but lustrous, flashing
back the light in various colours indeed, according to their various laws of
crystallisation, but all receptive of it and all reflective of it. I said that the names on
the breastplate of judgment expressed the acquittal and acceptance of Israel. But
does Christ’s work for us stop with simple acquittal? Oh no! ‘Whom He justified
them He also glorified,’ And if our souls are ‘bound in the bundle of life,’ and our
names are written on the heart of the Christ, be sure that mere forgiveness and
acquittal is the least of the blessings which He intends to give, and that He will not
be satisfied until in all our nature we receive and flash back the light of His own
glory.
It is very significant in this aspect that the names of the twelve tribes are described
as being written on the precious stones which make the walls of the ew Jerusalem.
Thus borne on Christ’s heart whilst He is within the veil and we are in the outer
courts, we may hope to be carried by His sustaining and perfecting hand into the
glories, and be made participant of the glories. Let us see to it that we write His
name on our hearts, on their cares, their thought, their love, and on our hands, on
their toiling and their possessing; and then, God helping us, and Christ dwelling in
us, we shall come to the blessed state of those who serve Him, and bear His name
flaming conspicuous for ever on their foreheads.
PULPIT, "Stones of memorial unto the children of Israel. Rather "for the children
of Israel"—stones, i.e. which should serve to remind God that the high priest
represented the twelve tribes, officiated in their name, and pleaded on their behalf.
13 Make gold filigree settings
CLARKE, "Ouches of gold - ‫משבצת‬ mishbetsoth, strait places, sockets to insert the
stones in, from ‫שבץ‬ shabats, to close, enclose, straiten.
Socket, in this place, would be a more proper translation, as ouch cannot be traced up
to any legitimate authority. It appears sometimes to signify a hook, or some mode of

attaching things together.
GILL, "And thou shalt make ouches of gold. Or sockets of gold, to put the two
onyx stones in, Exo_28:11 for of other ouches we read not, excepting the enclosings, in
which the twelve stones of the breastplate were set, Exo_28:20 and these are again
mentioned because of the chains to be fastened to them, of which in the following verse.
K&D, "Exo_28:13-14
There were also to be made for the ephod two (see Exo_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.
ELLICOTT, "Verse 13
(13) Ouches of gold.—“Buttons” or “rosettes” of similar open-work to that which
formed the setting of the onyx stones upon the shoulders of the ephod (Exodus
28:11). These “buttons” must have been sewn on to the ephod.
Verses 13-30
2. THE BREASTPLATE.
(13-30) The space devoted to the “breastplate” is indicative of its high importance. It
was the most costly, most magnificent, and most conspicuous of the high priest’s
garments, while at the same time it was the most mysterious. Externally it was a
blaze of gold and jewels; internally it held those strange and precious objects known
as “the Urim and the Thummim” (Exodus 28:30), by means of which the Divine will
was made known to the high priest, and through him to the people. The basis of the
garment was a linen fabric of similar materials and workmanship with the ephod
(Exodus 28:15), square in shape, about nine inches each way, and “doubled,” so as
to form internally a bag or pocket. Upon this linen groundwork were fastened
twelve “stones,” or jewels, set in an open-work of gold, and arranged in four rows,
three in each (Exodus 28:17-21). These stones covered probably the greater portion
of the external surface of the breastplate. To its two upper corners were attached
two rings of gold, which were made fast by means of gold chains to buttons (“
ouches”) on the upper part of the ephod; and to its two lower corners were attached
similar rings, which were fastened by a lace to rings of the same material on the
lower part of the ephod (Exodus 28:13-14; Exodus 28:22-28).
PETT, "Verses 13-30
The Breastpouch of Judgment (Exodus 28:13-30).

This Breastpouch of Judgment was so-called (Exodus 28:5; Exodus 28:29-30)
because it had within it the Urim and the Thummim by which decisions were
reached before Yahweh. It was like a 23 centimetre (nine inch) bag, was foursquare,
and also contained on it twelve semiprecious stones, in four rows of three, on which
were the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. It would be attached to the ephod
when Aaron was preparing to go in to the Holy Place before Yahweh.
This double emphasis on the names of the twelve tribes stresses how important this
was seen to be. As we have already pointed out, when Aaron entered the Holy Place
the whole of Israel was seen as entering with him. He was their representative in the
fullest sense. Every Israelite (and the foreigners who had united with them and
become members of different tribes) would see themselves as entering with Aaron.
Exodus 28:13-16
“And you shall make catches of gold, and two chains of pure gold. You shall make
them like ropes, of intertwined work, and you will put the intertwined chains on the
catches. And you shall make a breastpouch of judgment, the work of the skilful
workman. You shall make it like the work of the ephod. You shall make it of gold, of
bluey-violet, and purpley-red, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. It shall be
foursquare and double. Its length shall be a span and its breadth shall be a span.”
This breastpouch was to be made of the same materials as the ephod and the
curtains. There was no idea of contrasting colours or artistic beauty, except for the
skilful workmanship, possibly due to the limitations of their resources. It was to be
doubled to form a pouch to contain the Urim and Thummim, and was to be
foursquare, indicating its perfection, and about half a cubit (say, 23 centimetres or
nine inches). It would be fastened to the shoulderstraps of the ephod by two golden
chains which were intertwined like golden ropes, and connected to the pouch by the
catches.
The word for ‘breastspouch’ is ‘choshen’ and is etymologically obscure. There is
little agreement about its meaning apart from the fact that the context makes it
reasonably clear. It was hung on the breast and was in the form of a foursquare
pouch.
PULPIT, "THE BREAST-PLATE. It has been noticed that the ephod had for its
main object or purpose to be a receptacle for the breast-plate which was attached to
it after it had been put on, and formed its principal ornament. The Hebrew word
khoshen, which is translated "breast-plate," means "ornament;" and the khoshen
must certainly have been the most striking and brilliant object in the whole attire of
the high priest. Externally, it did but repeat the symbolism of the ephod, exhibiting
the high priest as the representative of the twelve tribes, whose names were
engraved upon its twelve stones, as well as upon the onyxes of the ephod. Internally,
it had, however, another, and a deeper import. It contained within it the Urim and
the Thummim (Exodus 28:30), by means of which God was consulted, and signified

his will to his people. This must be regarded as its main end and use. It was from the
decisions thus given that it received the name of "the breastplate (or ornament) of
judgment."
Exodus 28:13
Ouches of gold. "Buttons" according to one view (Cook): "sockets," according to
another (Kalisch): "rosettes," according to a third (Keil). Some small ornament of
open-work (see the comment on Exodus 28:11), which could be sewn on to the
ephod, and whereto a chain might be attached, seems to be intended. The object was
to fasten the "breast-plate" firmly to the ephod.
14 and two braided chains of pure gold, like a
rope, and attach the chains to the settings.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:14
Rather, two chains of pure gold shalt thou make of wreathen work, twisted like cords.
They were more like cords of twisted gold wire than chains in the ordinary sense of the
word. Such chains have been found in Egyptian tombs.
GILL, "And two chains of pure gold at the ends,.... The use of which was to hang
the breast plate on, after described; one end of them was fastened to rings on the ouches
in the shoulder pieces, and the other end to rings on the breastplate, and thus it hung:
of wreathen work shall thou make them; these chains were not made after the
manner of circles or ringlets coupled together, as chains usually are, but of golden wires
twisted together as a rope is twisted
and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches; to the ouches on the shoulder
pieces of the ephod, in which the onyx stones were set, very probably to rings that were
in these ouches.
ELLICOTT, "(14) Chains . . . at the ends.—Rather, chains of equal length, or,
perhaps, of wreathen work.
Of wreathen work.—Heb., after the manner of a rope. Such chains are often seen
round the necks of Persian officials in the Persepolitan sculptures, and appear also
to have been used by the grandees of Egypt. They were composed of a number of

gold wires twisted together. The chains spoken of in this place are the same as those
mentioned in Exodus 28:22-25. Their object was to attach the two upper corners of
the breastplate to the upper part of the ephod.
PULPIT, "At the ends. The meaning of the Hebrew word migaloth is very doubtful.
Jarchi and Rosemuller approve of the rendering of our translators. Geddes,
Boothroyd, and Dathe render "chains of equal length." Gesenius, Kalisch, Canon
Cook, and others, believe the true meaning to be "wreathed," or "of wreathen
work," so that the next clause, "after the manner of a rope," would be simply
exegetic. Of wreathen work. Literally, "after the manner of a rope." Cords of
twisted gold wire were frequently used, instead of chains, by the Egyptians.
The Breastpiece
15 “Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions—
the work of skilled hands. Make it like the ephod:
of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and
of finely twisted linen.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:15
The breastplate of judgment - The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered
“breastplate,” appears to be simply “ornament”. The term breastplate relates merely to
its place in the dress.
CLARKE, "The breastplate of judgment - ‫משפט‬ ‫חשן‬ choshen mishpat, the same as
the ‫חשן‬ choshen, see Exo_25:7, but here called the breastplate of judgment, because the
high priest wore it upon his breast when he went to ask counsel of the Lord, to give
judgment in any particular case; as also when he sat as judge to teach the law, and to
determine controversies. See Lev_10:11; Deu_17:8, Deu_17:9.
GILL, "And thou shall make the breastplate of judgment,.... Called a

"breastplate", because worn upon the breast of the high priest; and a breastplate "of
judgment", because it was to put him in mind that he should do justice and judgment in
the execution of his office, and that he should have at heart the judgment of the people of
Israel; and in difficult cases should ask it of God, and faithfully declare it to them: it was,
with the twelve stones in it, an emblem of the church and people of God, borne upon the
heart of Christ our great High Priest, who are made righteous by him, yea, the
righteousness of God in him, and are called by his name, the Lord our righteousness; the
judgment or government of whom is committed to him, and which he exercises, by
appointing laws and ordinances for them, by constituting and qualifying persons to act
under him, to explain those laws, and see them put in execution, by vindicating and
protecting them, and by the open justification of them at the last day:
with cunning work, after the work of the ephod thou shall make it; wrought
with divers figures in a very curious manner:
of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt
thou make it; a piece of stuff interwoven with threads of gold, or golden wires, and
with threads of yarn, of blue, purple, and scarlet colours, and with threads of fine twined
linen six times doubled; all which may signify the beautiful array of the saints, with the
several graces of the Spirit; and especially their being clothed with fine linen, called the
righteousness of the saints; that raiment of needlework, and clothing of wrought gold,
the righteousness of Christ, consisting of his obedience, sufferings, and death, fitly
expressed by these various colours.
HE RY, "The most considerable of the ornaments of the high priest was this breast-
plate, a rich piece of cloth, curiously wrought with gold and purple, etc., two spans long
and a span broad, so that, being doubled, it was a span square, Exo_28:16. This was
fastened to the ephod with wreathen chains of gold (Exo_28:13, Exo_28:14, Exo_28:22,
etc.) both at top and bottom, so that the breast-plate might not be loosed from the
ephod, Exo_28:28. The ephod was the garment of service; the breast-plate of judgment
was an emblem of honour: these two must by no means be separated. If any man will
minister unto the Lord, and do his will, he shall know his doctrine. In this breast-plate,
JAMISO 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.
K&D 15-16, "The second ornament consisted of the choshen or breastplate. Chosen
mishpat, λογειο˳ν τራν κρίσεωον (lxx), rationale judicii (Vulg.). ‫ן‬ ֶ‫ּשׁ‬‫ח‬ probably signifies an
ornament (Arab. pulcher fuit; Ges.); and the appended word mishpat, right, decision of

right, points to its purpose (see at Exo_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.
ELLICOTT, "(15) The breastplate of judgment.—The word khoshen does not
really signify “breastplate,” but “ornament.” It was the main ornament of the
priestly attire. It was called “the ornament of judgment” on account of its
containing the Urim and Thummim, whereby God’s “judgments” were made known
to His people. (See ote on Exodus 28:30.)
With cunning work.—Rather, of the work of the weaver. (Comp. Exodus 26:1;
Exodus 26:31; Exodus 28:6.)
THE BREASTPLATE
"And thou shalt make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skillfull 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. Four-square it shall be and
double; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof. And thou
shalt set in it settings of stones, four rows of stone a row of sardius, topaz, and
carbuncle shall be the first row; and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a
diamond; and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amythest; and the fourth
row a beryl, and onyx, and a jasper; they shall be enclosed in gold in their settings.
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. And thou shalt make upon the breastplate
chains like cords, of wreathen work of pure gold. And thou shalt make upon the
breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the
breastplate. And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on
the two ends of the breastplate. 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 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. And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and put them
on the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod underneath, in the forepart thereof, close by
the coupling thereof, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 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 skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the
breastplate be not loosed from the ephod. 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. And thou shalt put
in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummin; 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."
There is a great deal of repetition here with a view to making it virtually impossible
for the workmen to miss any important part of the design. It is clear that the
breastplate was to form an integral part of the ephod.
"The breastplate of judgment ..." is mentioned three times and was apparently
given this name because of the presence, in the "pouch" of the breastplate, of the
Urim and Thummin, by which God's judgments in certain matters were given to the
children of Israel.
"Breastplate ..." The current meaning of this word is "a piece of armor fitted over
the breast." "The meaning of the Hebrew word here rendered breastplate appears
to be simply an ornament. The term breastplate relates merely to its place in the
dress."[16]
The twelve precious stones mentioned here are, in a number of instances at least,
exactly the same as those in John's vision of the Celestial City, where they were
indicated as being the "twelve foundations" of it. Due to the uncertainty with
reference to some of the designations, Robert Jamieson affirmed that, "The precious
stones enumerated here are the same as the apocalyptic seer has represented as
being the foundations of the Celestial City."[17] It is also of great interest that the
Twelve Sons of Israel were engraved upon the stones here, and that the names of the
Twelve Apostles of Christ are engraved upon the foundations of the Eternal City.
The typical nature of the First Israel as it relates to the ew Israel is inherent in
such a fact as this, and a hundred others witnessing the same thing.
See my comments at Revelation 21:20 regarding the use of these stones in
connection with the signs of the Zodiac.
"The Urim and Thummin ..." We do not know what these were. They appear to
have been two objects already widely known, and apparently having been used to
determine in some manner God's will regarding certain questions that could have
been answered by some system of inquiry suggesting, to some at least, the casting of
lots, or dice. It is thought that only that type of question capable of being answered
"Yes" or " o." could have been resolved by their use. Fields gives this example of a
Scriptural account of their use:
The function of the Urim and Thummin is illustrated by umbers 27:21, where
Joshua was instructed to inquire (seek God for unrevealed information) before the
priest Eleazar through the Urim and Thummin. (This does not indicate that the
Urim and Thummin had magical power in themselves, but only that God used these
items as a vehicle of his truth).[18]
"It is impossible to know what the Urim and Thummin looked like, but there is little
doubt that they were used as sacred lots to determine the divine will in some
way."[19] Esses' opinion that, "They were eight-sided (octahedral) stones in which

semi-precious stones were set,"[20] is evidently a Jewish tradition, but without
proof. "They could apparently give only yes or no answers."[21] Honeycutt based
his conclusion upon 1 Samuel 14:38ff. Their use in Israel declined, and there is no
instance of their use after the times of David.[22] Even the meaning of these two
enigmatic words is lost. The Septuagint (LXX) rendered them as the equivalent of
"Manifestation and Truth"; the Vulgate translates it as the equivalent of "Doctrine
and Truth"; and "Lights and Perfections" is another learned guess. However, "The
truth seems to be that no theory on the subject can be more than a theory, quite
arbitrary and conjectural. either Scripture nor tradition furnishes any hint on the
matter."[23]
Despite the near unanimous opinion of scholars that the Urim and Thummin were
actually objects of some kind, the following quotation from John ewton in the 18th
century must be viewed as having some merit:
"They were something in Aaron's breastplate, but what, critics and commentators
are by no means agreed. It is most probable that they were only names given to
signify the clearness and certainty of Divine answers which were obtained by the
High Priest consulting God with his breastplate on, in contradistinction to the
obscure, enigmatical, uncertain, and imperfect answers of the heathen oracles."[24]
COKE, "Exodus 28:15. The breast-plate of judgement— This breast-plate of
judgement was the most superb and important of the high-priest's ornaments. It
was called the breast-plate of judgement, because the high-priest wore it upon his
breast when he went to ask counsel or judgement of the Lord, Exodus 28:29. The
word is rendered by the LXX λογειον, the oracle; but the exact meaning of the
original word is not determined. It was to be made of the same materials with the
ephod: it was to be four-square, a span long, and a span broad; a span, that is,
about nine inches; and it was to be double, most probably for the greater strength
and convenience, as it was to hold the weight of twelve precious stones, with the
names of the twelve tribes engraved upon them. It is not possible to determine
whether the names of these stones be properly rendered. There are writers* who
have laboured the subject very much, and to them we refer the reader desirous of
further satisfaction; observing, that our translation is generally thought as judicious
as any. In the description of the ew Jerusalem, Revelation 21:19-20 there seems to
be an allusion to these twelve stones in the high-priest's vestment.
* Lud. de Dieu, Braunius de Vest. Sac. Hebr.—Hill's Version of Theophrastus on
Stones, &c.
The breastplate28:15-30
The breastplate was a pocket of material of the same fabric as the ephod. Twelve
precious stones were fastened to the front of it, and two objects, the Urim and
Thummim, which were probably stones also, lay within it.

The12jewels represented the12tribes. Each one was unique. God later called the
Israelites His jewels ( Malachi 3:17). The high priest carried the tribes on his heart (
Exodus 28:30) as well as on his shoulders. The heart refers to the seat of feelings and
affections in the Old Testament.
"The purpose of the breastpiece was "for making decisions" ( Exodus 28:15). The
Urim and Thummim, deposited in the pouch, were sacred lots used as the "means of
making decisions" ( Exodus 28:30). The word "Urim" begins with the first letter of
the Hebrew alphabet and "Thummim" begins with the last letter, so the lots were
probably restricted to giving either positive or negative responses to questions asked
of them. Strengthening that likelihood is the fact that the phrase "Urim and
Thummim" is best translated into English as "curses and perfections," meaning
that if "Urim" dominated when the lots were cast the answer would be no but if
"Thummim" dominated the answer would be yes." [ ote: Youngblood, p127.]
EXPOSITOR'S DICTIO ARY, "Exodus 28:15; Exodus 28:17
Aaron had to wear upon his breast before the Lord twelve precious stones, not of
one sort, but each one reflecting the light differently from his neighbour. There was
one nearly black, whatever the diamond thought of him. But all the stones being set
equally upon the priest"s breast, no one of them might quarrel with another, saying,
"You are quite wrong, you are; you ought to reflect the light as I do. You will never
be admitted into the most holy place." Even the dark jasper reflected its measure of
light as freely as brilliant diamond. The former may have a meekness the latter has
not. Indeed, it is a known fact that the diamond is harder than any other stone. And
hardness is distance from life in proportion to the hardness.
One thing is clear, there is a tribe in Israel corresponding with each stone. And the
Lord requested that He might see the twelve stones upon Aaron"s breast, with the
names of the Twelve Tribes engraven on them, as often as he appeared before Him
to minister in the priest"s office ( Exodus 28:29).
Perhaps it was in virtue of his representing, impartially, every tribe of God"s
people, that he obtained Divine responses pertaining to every tribe. A man cannot
be the medium of truth to all the tribes of God, unless all truth has a place in him.
Learn, whether the priests and ministers of God ought not to comprehend in their
souls and characters considerable breadth and variety.
—Dr. Pulford, Quiet Hours.
PULPIT, "The breast-plate. As the khoshen was to be worn upon the breast
(Exodus 28:29), this name is appropriate; but it is not a translation of khoshen. Of
judgment. See the introductory paragraph to this section. Kalisch translates "the
breast-plate of decision." It was to be made, so far as its main fabric was concerned,
of exactly the same materials as the ephod. See Exodus 28:6.

BI 15-30, "The breastplate of Judgment.
The breastplate
A full description of the breastplate is given twice over in the Book of Exodus, and from
it we may gather certain useful lessons as to the Church in all ages.
I. There were twelve stones in the breastplate, each of them different, and each bearing a
different name. This shows what variety there is among believers. So long as the human
race differs so much in mental structure, we shall not be able to think alike, even in those
things that are spoken of in Holy Writ. There are differences with regard to worship,
differences in religious feelings and experiences; the stones are not alike, yet they are all
on the same breastplate.
II. This brings us to another truth—the unity of the Church, all differing, yet all on the
heart of Christ. The enemy has only to show himself, and men who differ amongst
themselves agree to drive him back.
III. They were all precious stones; not one was mean or contemptible. God’s Church has
ever been costly. No jewel is what it afterwards becomes when first found. Let not the
stone which sparkles in its setting sneer at that which only looks like a pebble. The
Master has chosen it; He knows that He has put within its rude exterior that which only
needs time and skill to make it “shine as the stars for ever and ever.”
IV. Why were those precious stones put upon the breastplate? They were not on the
mitre; they were upon the heart, teaching us that the Church is beloved. Every believer is
on the heart of God.
V. Great pains were taken to keep the Breastplate from being lost. It was not only
fastened to the shoulders by chains, but the bottom part of the breastplate was fastened
by two rings lashed to the two rings in the ephod. This tells us of the Church’s security.
(T. Champness.)
The breastplate
As the heart is the place of affection, and the shoulder the place of strength, Aaron had
to carry the names of his people on his heart, to show that he loved them, and on his
shoulder, to show that he was ever ready to serve them. The typical and spiritual
meaning of this is very sweet. Jesus Christ is our great High Priest, and the names of all
His people are not upon, but in, His heart. His omnipotent strength and His infinite love
are ours—ours for ever. He never forgets one of His people, nor fails to love them. They
are His jewels, His special treasures, His Father’s love-gifts, and He values them because
His Father gave them to Him. The time is coming when He will count up His jewels, and
it will then be found that not one soul given to Christ by the Father will be missing. As
every ray of light that fell upon Aaron would fall upon the names of Aaron’s people, so
every smile that God gives to Christ is given also to the people of Christ; for Christ and
His people are one, and God never looks upon Christ without seeing His people—all His
people, for they are in Him—loved as He is loved. (G. Rodgers.)
The topaz
The topaz is a beautiful jewel, of a bright orange or golden colour, though they are
sometimes found green, blue, and red. It is very hard, being next to the ruby in this

respect. I saw lately an account of a fine old topaz seal among the curiosities in a
museum in England. What is called the field of the seal was blue. On this there were
three arrows. On the top or crest of the seal was the head of a dragon on a crown. And
round the seal was this inscription or motto—“Sola bona quae honesta.” The meaning of
this is “Honesty, which is the only good thing.” And this, according to the old proverb,
might be rendered, “Honesty is the best policy.” The topaz is considered to represent
honesty. Most people think that if they don’t cheat when they get a chance, and don’t
steal from those about them, they are honest. True honesty means to give to all persons
whatever belongs to them. I want to speak of four different kinds of temptations, and to
show how this precious jewel, the Bible topaz, will be a safeguard to you against them all.
I. The first kind of temptation in which this jewel will be a safeguard to us are
temptations for the eye. You know when an army is besieging a walled city or fortress
how very careful those inside of it are to protect the gates. But our souls are like walled
cities or fortresses. Satan is the enemy trying to get in. And the eye is one of the gates of
entrance. We must guard this gate well if we want to keep our souls safe. Job said he had
“made a covenant with his eyes “not to look on anything that it was not right to look at.
David used to pray—“Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity.” And if we keep this
precious Bible jewel, the topaz of true honesty, about us, it will be a safeguard to us in
temptations. The first temptations from which it will save us are temptations for the eye.
II. The second kind of temptations in which this Bible jewel, the topaz of true honesty,
will be a safeguard to us are temptations for the ear. This is another of the principal
gates of entrance to the soul. And it is a very important gate. It ought to be most
carefully guarded. We receive a great deal of good, and a great deal of harm, through the
ear. If our souls are saved at last, they will be saved by what we hear; and if our souls are
lost at last, they will be lost by what we hear.
III. The third kind of temptations from which this jewel will save us are temptations for
the tongue. Oh, how much sin people commit by means of the tongue! If we could keep
from saying what is wrong, how nicely we should get along! Well, if we carry this Bible
jewel, the topaz of true honesty, about us all the time, it will keep us safe from these
temptations.
IV. The fourth and last kind of temptations we are to speak of from which this jewel
keeps us are temptations for the hand. I mean by this, the temptation to take or to keep
what does not belong to us. If we keep this jewel about us—that is, if we remember God’s
presence and try honestly to please Him—it will save us from ever taking or keeping
what does not belong to us. If you want to keep this jewel about you all the time, so as to
be kept from temptation, there is one text you must always remember. It is this, “Thou,
God, seest me.” Oh! pray God to write that text on your memory. (R. Newton, D. D.)
The emerald
The emerald is a jewel of a beautiful, soft, rich green colour. Ireland is called the
“Emerald Isle” because the grass which covers its hills and valleys is such a beautiful
green. When you look at this island from the deck of a vessel far off at sea, it looks like a
great jewel—a great emerald rising out of the ocean. The emerald stands, in value among
jewellers, next to the ruby. It is spoken of several times in the Bible. In old times people
used to think that the emerald had certain wonderful or magical powers. It was not true
that it had any such powers. But hope, which is the Bible jewel represented by the
emerald, does have them. I wish to speak of three of these powers. This will give us three

reasons why hope may be compared to an emerald.
I. And the first reason why hope may he compared to an emerald is because it makes us
industrious. People used to think that the emerald had the power of curing idleness or of
making men industrious. If it only had this power the emerald would be the most
valuable of all jewels. Then, when boys and girls were put to school, it would only be
necessary to hang an emerald round each one’s neck, and there would be no lazy
scholars. The owners of all our workshops and factories would want to have a good
supply of emeralds. I need not tell you, however, that the emerald never had any such
power as this. But hope, the beautiful Bible jewel, that which the emerald represents,
does have this power. If people hope to get rich they know that they must be industrious
and work hard.
II. Again, people used to think that the emerald had the power of taking away fear. And
this leads us to speak of the second reason why hope may be compared to an emerald,
because it makes us courageous. The Bible tells us that “hope maketh not ashamed”
(Rom_5:5). In one place in the Bible hope is compared to a helmet. And a soldier who
had his head covered with a good helmet would be very bold and courageous. He would
not be afraid when the arrows were flying thick around him. In another place in the
Bible hope is compared to an anchor (Heb_6:19). Suppose that you and I are at sea on
board a vessel. A storm is driving our vessel right on towards a rocky and dangerous
coast. If we have no anchor on board we may well be afraid, for pretty soon we shall be
dashed against the rocks and perish. But suppose we have a good anchor, and a strong
cable to hold it by on board our vessel. We drop our anchor in the sea. It sinks to the
bottom and is buried in the mud and sand, or takes hold of the rocks there. It keeps the
vessel from drifting towards the shore. We are safe. Our fear is gone. Let the winds blow,
and the waves roar ever so much, they can’t hurt us. The anchor gives us hope, and this
hope makes us bold or courageous. And it is just so when we become Christians. Then
we love Jesus. We have hope in Him. That hope is to our souls just like what the anchor
is to the sailor. It keeps us from being afraid.
III. Another strange power, which it used to be supposed the emerald had, was that of
taking away gloom and sadness from the minds of people. Of course this was a mistake.
It never had any such power. But this points out to us a third reason why hope may be
compared to an emerald. It is because it makes us cheerful. Hope is a bright, sunshiny
thing. You know how beautiful the rainbow is! Hope is sometimes compared to the
rainbow. And it may very properly be so compared, because it seems to paint in bright
colours the things it leads us to look for, and to put rainbows all about them. There is a
steam ferry-boat on the river Mersey in England. It runs from Liverpool to Birkenhead
and back. Several years ago passengers on that ferry-boat would sometimes see on a
warm bright day a poor crippled boy. His body was grown almost to a man’s size, but his
limbs were withered and helpless, and not bigger than the limbs of a child. He used to
wheel himself about in a small carriage, like those that boys use in their play. He had a
little musical instrument called a concertina, and on this he used to play some sweet
simple tunes. He never asked for anything, but yet very few of the passengers could hear
his touching music, or look at his honest, cheerful face, without dropping a penny or two
into his carriage. One day a lady was standing near, looking at him with great pity. She
thought how sad and lonely he must feel, unable to help himself, and with no prospect of
ever being any better in this world. She said to a lady who was with her, but not
intending that he should hear it—“Poor boy l what a sad life he has to lead; and nothing
in all the future to look forward to!” But he did hear it. And in stepping out of the boat
that lady saw a tear in his eye and a bright smile on his face trying to chase the tear away,
as he said—“I’m expecting to have wings some day, lady.” (R. Newton, D. D.)

The sapphire
I want to find out what this jewel stands for or represents. Well, when I come to read
about the sapphire, I find that in old times people used to think that if you carried one of
these jewels on your heart, or in your bosom, it would have the effect of making you
strong. And then we have only to ask ourselves which of the Bible jewels, or Christian
graces, is it which has the greatest power to make people strong? We see in a moment
that it is faith. And so we feel safe in saying that the sapphire stands for faith or trust in
God; Faith may be compared to the sapphire because it makes us strong. I wish to speak
of two things for which faith makes us strong.
I. In the first place, faith makes us strong to suffer.
II. The second reason why faith may be compared to the sapphire is because it makes us
strong to serve. Now, my dear children, if you want to have this Bible jewel, you must ask
Jesus to give it to you. You can’t find it. You can’t buy it. Your parents, or teachers, or
friends, can’t get it for you, or give it to you. Nobody but Jesus can give it to you. It is
only His grace that can put it in your hearts. If you pray earnestly to Jesus to give you a
believing, trusting heart, He will give it to you. This precious jewel, trust in Jesus, is all
we need to make us comfortable and happy here, and all we need to save our souls and
take us to heaven at last. It is faith, simple faith, or trust in Jesus, that saves us. (R.
Newton, D. D.)
The diamond
Every true Christian is a spiritual diamond, one of God s jewels. Let us look at this
diamond and see what there is about it on account of which a Christian may be
compared to it.
I. Its hardness. It is one of the hardest things in the world.
1. It will bear a great deal of rough handling without being scratched or injured at all,
And Christians are just like diamonds on this account. They can bear trial or hard
treatment without being injured by it.
2. It can make marks that cannot be rubbed out. When we become Christians, we are
like diamonds in this respect. One day the superintendent of a Sunday school in this
city was going along near Third and Dock Streets. He saw one of the large boys
belonging to his school coming out of a drinking-saloon. The boy’s name was George
Simpson. As the superintendent passed by he raised his finger, and shaking it gently,
he said, in a kind, but serious way, “Take care, George, take care.” Some ten or twelve
years passed away. He had forgotten all about it. But one day a very genteel-looking
man came up to him in the street, and, bowing to him, said, “I think, sir, this is Mr.
P., who used to be superintendent of such a Sunday school?” “That is my name, sir,
but I don’t remember you.” “Don’t you remember a boy named George Simpson who
used to belong to your school?” “No, I can’t recollect the name.” “Well, sir, don’t you
remember meeting him one day coming out of a drinking-place near the corner of
Third and Dock Streets, when you shook your finger at him, and said, ‘Take care,
George’?” “Oh, yes, I remember that.” “Well, sir,” said the young man, “I am George
Simpson, and I want to thank you for what you did and said that day. It was a little
thing, but it saved me from ruin. I was just beginning to go in the drunkard’s ways.

But something in your words and manner made a great impression on me. I gave up
drinking. Not long after, I joined the Church. Now I am living in the West, and am
quite well off; but, my dear sir, I owe it all to you.” Here you see how the
superintendent was like a diamond, making a mark that never can be rubbed out.
II. Its brightness. The most brilliant of all jewels. It gives up freely the rays of light that
God freely bestows upon it. And this is what makes it look so bright and beautiful. And
so you see that when Jesus said, “Freely ye have received, freely give,” it is about the
same as if He had said, “Be like the diamond, which gives back again so freely the light
which it receives”. A piece of coal does not reflect any light. All the light that falls on it is
swallowed up and kept to itself. This is what makes it look so black, so dark, and
disagreeable. Selfish, miserly people are like coal in this respect. They don’t reflect or
scatter about them anything they receive. Whatever God gives them they swallow up and
keep to themselves.
III. But there is a third thing connected with diamonds, on account of which Christians
may be compared to them, and that is the way to find out counterfeits. There are many
counterfeit diamonds. Men can make imitation diamonds. And these often look so very
much like the real that it is difficult to tell one from the other. And then God sometimes
makes stones that appear so much like diamonds that hardly one person out of twenty
can tell the difference between them. Sometimes even the merchants who are engaged in
buying and selling diamonds can hardly tell a real jewel from an imitation. There are one
or two tests, however. A real diamond can’t be scratched. Another way is by putting it
beside a true diamond and comparing them together. And so, if you wish to tell if a
person is a true Christian, you must compare him with Jesus, and see if he is like Him.
Jesus was gentle, loving, and kind. And the Bible says that “unless the same mind be in
us that was in Christ Jesus, we are none of His.” This means that unless we are like Him
we are not true Christians. And then there is another way by which you can tell a real
diamond from a counterfeit. If you put them in water, the diamond will still look bright
and shine; the counterfeit, instead of shining, will look dark and dull. The Bible
compares affliction or trial to water; and you can easily tell a true Christian from a
counterfeit by seeing how he acts when affliction comes upon him. (R. Newton, D. D.)
The agate
In old times people used to think that this jewel had the power of securing success. It
was supposed that if persons only had an agate with them they would be sure to get the
victory over their enemies. The agate was considered as the conqueror’s jewel. And now
what is the Bible jewel that will always give us the victory—that will make us “more than
conquerors through Him that hath loved us”? It is the grace of God. This is the Bible
jewel that we may compare to the agate. And there are two things over which this jewel,
the grace of God, will make us conquerors, if we have it in our hearts. Each of these
things begins with the letter S.
I. The first thing over which this Bible jewel, the grace of God, will make us conquerors
is sin. The Bible tells us that we are born in sin. Our hearts are full of sin. Unless we get
this sin driven out, and overcome, we never can be happy, either in this world or in the
world to come. We read a great deal in the Bible about the wrestling, and struggling, and
fighting, that Christians have to do. And the thing they have to fight against all the time
is sin. When two people are fighting, it generally happens that they keep on at it till
either one or the other of them gets the victory. And so it is in the great battle we have to
fight with sin. Either we must conquer it, or it will conquer us. But we never can conquer

sin ourselves. And there is nothing that will give us the victory over it but the grace of
God. This is the real agate, the Bible jewel, that will give us the victory.
II. The second thing over which this jewel will make us conquerors is satan. This is the
next S. Satan is the great tempter. The Bible tells us that he “goeth about as a roaring
lion, seeking whom he may devour” or destroy. The only way in which Satan can destroy
us, or do us any harm, is by tempting us to sin. And he cannot hurt us, even in this way,
unless we yield to the temptation. If we only have this Bible jewel, the grace of God, with
us, it will make us conquerors over Satan. And then, although he is so powerful and so
wicked, and although he tries so hard to injure us and keep us from getting to heaven, he
won’t be able to do us any harm. (R. Newton, D. D.)
The conqueror’s jewel
The greatest enemy with which we have to fight is sin. This enemy meets us in many
forms. But the form in which it gives us more trouble than any other is perhaps that of
selfishness. This is an evil that is very hard to conquer. Suppose we are walking in the
country, and meet a snake in the path; with the cane in our hand we strike it again and
again, till it lies still and motionless. We leave it, and go on our way, feeling sure that we
have killed the snake. But when we have finished our walk, and come back to the place
where we left the snake, we find it still alive and active. Then we say to ourselves,
“Snakes are hard to kill.” And it is just so with selfishness. It is a very difficult thing to
conquer it. If we wish to subdue it, and get the victory over it, we must be sure to have
this conqueror’s jewel, the grace of God. And there are three things that this jewel will
lead us to do in fighting against selfishness.
I. In the first place, it will lead us to pray against it. Prayer is necessary to our success in
everything we do. Jesus said to His disciples, “Without Me ye can do nothing.” And this
is as true now as it was then. It is as true of us as it was of the disciples. And it is
particularly true of the thing we are now considering. If we want to get the victory over
the selfishness of our own hearts, it is especially necessary for us to pray to Jesus to help
us.
II. The second thing that this conqueror’s jewel will lead us to do in getting the victory
over selfishness is to struggle against it. We must not think that praying is to take the
place of striving. God only helps those who strive to help themselves. Suppose that you
and I have to climb up a high mountain. We kneel down at the foot of the mountain, and
pray God to help us get up to the top of it. And then suppose we should sit down and
wait for God to send an angel to take us in his arms and carry us up to the top of the
mountain. Have we any right to expect that God would help us in that way? Not at all.
We might wait all our lives, but we never should get any help. If we want to get up the
mountain, we must begin to climb, and we must keep on climbing till we get to the top,
and while we are doing this God will help us. No soldier ever expects to gain the victory
over his enemies without a hard struggle. We have all read about the great victory which
the Duke of Wellington obtained over the Emperor Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo.
But he had to fight hard all day before he gained that victory. And so, if we want to get
the victory over our selfishness, we must struggle hard against it.
III. The third thing that this conqueror’s jewel will lead us to do in getting the victory
over selfishness is to remember the example of Jesus. Jesus came down from heaven to
do three things for us. The first was to fulfil God’s law for us. The second was to die for
our sins. The third was to show us how to live. The Bible tells us that “He left us an

example that we should follow His steps.” You know, when we are learning to write, our
teacher sets us a copy. Then we take the word or sentence that has been written for us,
letter by letter, and try to make others like them. And just in the same way the life of
Jesus is set before us as our copy. We are to keep it before us, and try to make our own
lives like His. Being a Christian means being like Jesus. Now it is said of Jesus that “He
pleased not Himself.” (R. Newton, D. D.)
The amethyst
The amethyst is a very precious jewel and very much admired. Its colour is a mixture of
blue and red. It is a rich purple, very much like the appearance of a bunch of ripe, dark-
coloured grapes. The name of this jewel comes from the Greek language, and it means
not to intoxicate, or not to make drunk. The amethyst is the temperance jewel. The boys’
and girls, and men and women, who make clear, cold, sparkling water their principal
drink, should take the amethyst as their favourite jewel. In old times people used to
think that if they only had a cup made out of an amethyst to drink from, they never
would get intoxicated. And if they only carried one of these jewels about them it would
have the same effect. They thought the amethyst was a charm against intemperance, and
a cure for it when men fell into this dreadful habit. What a blessed thing it would be if
this were so! Then this jewel would be worth its weight in gold, and ten times more than
that. But it cannot do this. It is only the Bible jewel, which the amethyst stands for, that
can do this. And what is the Bible jewel that may be compared to the amethyst? It is the
fear of God. This is the real temperance jewel. I wish to speak of three ways in which this
Bible jewel—the true amethyst—the fear of God—will be a temperance jewel to us.
I. In the first place it will keep us from learning to drink. You know what a dreadful
thing it is to be plunged over the Falls of Niagara. Nobody can go over there without
being killed. And if, when you are visiting the falls, you should see a person sailing in a
boat on the river above the falls, to see how near he could go without being drawn over,
you would think that a very dangerous position to be in. And so it would be. So long as a
person is on the river above Niagara he is always in danger of being drawn over. But if he
keep out of the river, he is free from danger. Now, to fall into intemperance is worse than
going over Niagara. And learning to drink intoxicating liquor is like sailing on the river
above Niagara. You are in danger at any time of being drawn over. This Bible gem, the
fear of God, is the true amethyst—the temperance jewel—in the first place, because it will
keep us from learning to drink.
II. It is so, in the second place, because it will keep us from tempting others to drink. It
is impossible to tell how much harm is done in this way. God has tried to stop this evil by
speaking about it in the Bible. He says in one place, “Woe unto him that giveth his
neighbour drink, that putteth the bottle to him” (Hab_2:15).
III. And then there is another reason why this Bible jewel, the fear of God, may be
compared to the amethyst—the true temperance jewel—and that is, it will lead us to stop
drinking even when we have got into the habit of doing so. When the habit of drinking is
once formed it becomes very strong. Nothing but this temperance jewel will enable any
one to break off from the habit of drinking. My dear young friends, you know that in
Switzerland there are great mountains, very high and very steep. Many of them have
there tops covered with ice and snow. Sometimes great masses of this ice and snow will
get loose and fall. In their fall they go rushing down the sides of the mountains with a
noise like thunder. These masses of falling ice and snow are called avalanches. If
travellers, or cottages, or even villages are in their path, they are swept away into instant

destruction. When an avalanche is once started, it never can be stopped till it gets to the
bottom of the mountain. Sometimes a very little is enough to start an avalanche. The
stepping of your foot upon it; the taking away of a loose stone; or even the jarring of the
air may do it. What a dangerous thing it is to loosen an avalanche and send it down the
mountain side, breaking and crushing everything before it! But drunkenness is worse
than an avalanche. And when any one gets into the habit of drinking he is loosening an
avalanche over his head which may at any time rush down upon him and kill him. Be
very careful how you do this. Don’t get into the habit of drinking, and then you will be
sure never to become a drunkard. (R. Newton, D. D.)
16 It is to be square—a span[a] long and a span
wide—and folded double.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:16
Doubled - To give it stability, or to form what was used as a bag for the Urim and
Thummim: the latter appears to be the more likely.
CLARKE, "Four-square it shall be - Here we have the exact dimensions of this
breastplate, or more properly breast-piece or stomacher. It was a span in length and
breadth when doubled, and consequently two spans long one way before it was doubled.
Between these doublings, it is supposed, the Urim and Thummim were placed. See
Clarke on Exo_28:30 (note).
GILL, "Four square it shall be, being doubled,.... That is, when it was doubled;
for the length of it, according to Maimonides (c), was a cubit, which is two spans, and so,
when it was doubled, was but one, and its length and breadth being alike, as follows:
a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof; a
square, which is the measure, the form of the new Jerusalem, the church of Christ, Rev_
21:16 and may denote the perfection, firmness, and immovableness of it, Psa_125:1.
Some have thought that this breastplate was doubled, in order to have something
enclosed in it: some imagine, that within this fold were put the Urim and Thummim,
which they suppose to be two words engraved on a stone, and different from the twelve
stones in it; others, that the name of Jehovah was written and put there, as the Targum
of Jonathan and Jarchi on Exo_28:30 and other Jewish writers, and others, fancy some
little images were put within these folds, the name with the teraphim, and supposed to
be the Urim and Thummim; but if these were hid in the folds, they could not be seen
when consulted; it is most probable there is nothing put within the double, which was

not done for any such use; but most likely that it might be strong to bear the weight of
the precious stones, put in ouches of gold upon it.
ELLICOTT, "(16) Foursquare it shall be.—On the idea of perfection connected
with the square, see ote on Exodus 27:1. But for this, twelve gems would probably
have been arranged in the shape of an oblong.
Doubled.—Symmachus translates khoshen by δόχιον, “a receptacle” or “bag;” and
if the Urim and the Thummim, being material objects, were to be “put in” it
(Exodus 28:30), such a construction would seem to have been absolutely necessary.
Hence the “doubling,” which would not have been needed merely for strength, since
linen corselets, stout enough to resist the blow of a sword, were among the
manufactures of Egypt, and could no doubt have been produced by the Hebrews.
A span.—The “span” was reckoned at half a cubit, or about nine inches.
PULPIT, "Four square … being doubled. It has been generally supposed that the
doubling was merely for the purpose of giving additional strength to the work,
which was to receive twelve heavy gems; but Gesenius and others are of opinion that
the object was to form a bag, in which the Urim and Thum-mira, which they regard
as material objects, might be kept. A span. Half a cubit, or about nine inches.
17 Then mount four rows of precious stones on it.
The first row shall be carnelian, chrysolite and
beryl;
BAR ES, "Exo_28:17
Settings - Ouches of “cloisonnec” work, like those mentioned in Exo_28:11.
A sardius - i. e. “the red stone.” The Sardian stone, or sard, was much used by the
ancients for seals; and it is perhaps the stone of all others the best for engraving.
Topaz - Not the stone now called the topaz: it may have been the chrysolite, a stone of
a greenish hue.
A carbuncle - More probably the beryl, which is a kind of emerald.

CLARKE, "Four rows of stones - With a name on each stone, making in all the
twelve names of the twelve tribes. And as these were disposed according to their birth,
Exo_28:10, we may suppose they stood in this order, the stones being placed also in the
order in which they are produced, Exo_28:17-20 : -
Four Rows of Stones
First Row
Sons of Leah
Sardius or Ruby Reuben ‫ראובן‬
Topaz Simeon ‫שמעון‬
Carbuncle Levi ‫לוי‬
Second Row
Emerald Judah ‫יהודה‬
Sapphire Issachar ‫יששכר‬
Diamond Zebulun ‫זבולן‬
Third Row
Sons of Bilhah, Rachael’s maid
Ligure or Jacinth Dan ‫דן‬
Agate Naphtali ‫נפתלי‬
Son of Zilpah, Leah’s maid
Amethyst Gad ‫גד‬
Fourth Row
Beryl or Crysolite Asher ‫אשר‬
Sons of Rachel
Onyx, or Sardonyx Joseph ‫יוסף‬
Jasper Benjamin ‫בנימין‬
In this order the Jews in general agree to place them. See the Jerusalem Targum on
this place, and the Targum upon Son_5:14; and see also Ainsworth. The Targum of
Jonathan says, “These four rows were placed opposite to the four quarters of the world;
but this could only be when laid down horizontally, for when it hung on the breast of the

high priest it could have had no such position. As it is difficult to ascertain in every case
what these precious stones were, it may be necessary to consider this subject more at
large.
1. A Sardius, ‫מדם‬ ,su odem, from the root adam, he was ruddy; the ruby, a beautiful
gem of a fine deep red color. The sardius, or sardie stones, is defined to be a
precious stone of a blood-red color, the best of which come from Babylon.
2. A Topaz, ‫פטדה‬ pitdah, a precious stone of a pale dead green, with a mixture of
yellow, sometimes of a fine yellow; and hence it was called chrysolite by the
ancients, from its gold color. It is now considered by mineralogists as a variety of
the sapphire.
3. Carbuncle, ‫ברקת‬ bareketh, from ‫ברק‬ barak, to lighten, glitter, or glister; a very
elegant gem of a deep red color, with an admixture of scarlet. From its bright lively
color it had the name carbunculus, which signifies a little coal; and among the
Greeks ανθραξ anthrax, a coal, because when held before the sun it appears like a
piece of bright burning charcoal. It is found only in the East Indies, and there but
rarely.
4. Emerald, ‫נפך‬ nophech, the same with the ancient smaragdus; it is one of the most
beautiful of all the gems, and is of a bright green color, without any other mixture.
The true oriental emerald is very scarce, and is only found at present in the
kingdom of Cambay.
5. Sapphire, ‫ספיר‬ sappir. See this described, Exo_24:10.
6. Diamond, ‫יהלם‬ yahalom, from ‫הלם‬ halam, to beat or smite upon. The diamond is
supposed to have this name from its resistance to a blow, for the ancients have
assured us that if it be struck with a hammer, upon an anvil, it will not break, but
either break them or sink into the surface of that which is softest. This is a
complete fable, as it is well known that the diamond can be easily broken, and is
capable of being entirely volatilized or consumed by the action of fire. It is,
however, the hardest, as it is the most valuable, of all the precious stones hitherto
discovered, and one of the most combustible substances in nature.
7. Ligure, ‫לשם‬ leshem, the same as the jacinth or hyacinth; a precious stone of a dead
red or cinnamon color, with a considerable mixture of yellow.
8. Agate, ‫שבו‬ shebo. This is a stone that assumes such a variety of hues and
appearances, that Mr. Parkhurst thinks it derives its name from the root ‫שב‬ shab,
to turn, to change, “as from the circumstance of the agate changing its appearance
without end, it might be called the varier.” Agates are met with so variously figured
in their substance, that they seem to represent the sky, the stars, clouds, earth,
water, rocks, villages, fortifications, birds, trees, flowers, men, and animals of
different kinds. Agates have a white, reddish, yellowish, or greenish ground. They
are only varieties of the flint, and the lowest in value of all the precious stones.
9. Amethyst, ‫אחלמה‬ achlamah, a gem generally of a purple color, composed of a strong
blue and deep red. The oriental amethyst is sometimes of a dove color, though
some are purple, and others white like diamonds. The name amethyst is Greek,
αµεθυστος, and it was so called because it was supposed that it prevented

inebriation.
10. The Beryl, ‫תרשיש‬ tarshish. Mr. Parkhurst derives this name from ‫תר‬ tar, to go
round, and ‫שש‬ shash, to be vivid or bright in color. If the beryl be intended, it is a
pellucid gem of a bluish green color, found in the East Indies, and about the gold
mines of Peru. But some of the most learned mineralogists and critics suppose the
chrysolite to be meant. This is a gem of a yellowish green color, and ranks at
present among the topazes. Its name in Greek, chrysolite, χρυσολιθος, literally
signifies the golden stone.
11. The Onyx, ‫שהם‬ shoham. See Clarke’s note on Gen_2:12; See Clarke’s note on Exo_
25:7. There are a great number of different sentiments on the meaning of the
original; it has been translated beryl, emerald, prasius, sapphire, sardius, ruby,
cornelian, onyx, and sardonyx. It is likely that the name may signify both the onyx
and sardonyx. This latter stone is a mixture of the chalcedony and cornelian,
sometimes in strata, at other times blended together, and is found striped with
white and red strata or layers. It is generally allowed that there is no real
difference, except in the degree of hardness, between the onyx, cornelian,
chalcedony, sardonyx, and agate. It is well known that the onyx is of a darkish
horny color, resembling the hoof or nail, from which circumstance it has its name.
It has often a plate of a bluish white or red in it, and when on one or both sides of
this white there appears a plate of a reddish color, the jewelers, says Woodward,
call the stone a sardonyx.
12. Jasper, ‫ישפה‬ yashepheh. The similarity of the Hebrew name has determined most
critics and mineralogists to adopt the jasper as intended by the original word. The
jasper is usually defined a hard stone, of a beautiful bright green color, sometimes
clouded with white, and spotted with red or yellow. Mineralogists reckon not less
than fifteen varieties of this stone: 1. green; 2. red; 3. yellow; 4. brown; 5. violet; 6.
black; 7. bluish grey; 8. milky white; 9. variegated with green, red, and yellow
clouds; 10. green with red specks; 11. veined with various colors, apparently in the
form of letters; 12. with variously coloured zones; 13. with various colors mixed
without any order; 14. with many colors together; 15. mixed with particles of agate.
It can scarcely be called a precious stone; it is rather a dull opaque rock.
In examining what has been said on these different precious stones by the best critics,
I have adopted such explanations as appeared to me to be best justified by the meaning
and use of the original words; but I cannot say that the stones which I have described are
precisely those intended by the terms in the Hebrew text, nor can I take upon me to
assert that the tribes are arranged exactly in the manner intended by Moses; for as these
things are not laid down in the text in such a way as to preclude all mistake, some things
must be left to conjecture. Of several of these stones many fabulous accounts are given
by the ancients, and indeed by the moderns also: these I have in general omitted because
they are fabulous; as also all spiritual meanings which others have found so plentifully in
each stone, because I consider some of them puerile, all futile, and not a few dangerous.
GILL, "And thou shalt set in it settings of stones,.... Or "fill in it fillings of stones"
(d); which shows that there were in it ouches, or sockets of gold, the hollows of which
were to be filled up with precious stones:
even four rows of stones; making a four square, and so filling up the measure of the

breastplate:
the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle; about these stones,
and those that follow, there is a great variety of interpretations of them, both among
Jews and Christians; and they seem to be little known: our translators upon the whole
seem to be as right as any in giving the names of them; the first of these, the "sardius", is
a red stone of a blood colour, as the "cornelian" or "ruby", and which some have thought
is here meant, and has its name either from the place where it has been found, Sardis or
Sardinia; or rather from its red colour; for "sered" signifies red in Eze_28:13 as Braunius
(e) has observed from Kimchi; and so Odem, which is the word here used, signifies, and
undoubtedly intends a stone of such a colour; and it is highly probable that this is the
Demium of Pliny (f), which is one of the three kinds of sardius in India; and the red is so
called from its redness, as the same Braunius observes. The second stone, the "topaz",
had its name, according to Pliny (g), from an island in Arabia, in the Red sea, called
Topazos; and the best topaz is the topaz of Cush or Arabia, as in Job_28:19. The topaz of
the ancients was of a green colour; and so the three Targums call this stone Jarken or
Jarketha, which signifies green; hence some have taken this to be the emerald, which is
of a fine green colour: the third stone is the "carbuncle", as we render it; whatever stone
is meant, it must be a bright and glittering one, like lightning, as the word signifies;
wherefore some have taken it to be the emerald, so the Septuagint and Braunius (h); it
being a very radiant and glittering stone, of a grass green, and very refreshing to the
sight; but Danaeus (i) says, that the carbuncle is that species of the ruby, which of all is
most beautiful and excellent, and darts out light like lightning to those that look at it at a
distance, and shines in the middle of the night and darkness, so that it enlightens places
near it, as if it were a sun:
this shall be the first row; now upon these three stones were engraven the names of
Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, as both the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem agree.
HENRY 17-19, "The tribes of Israel were recommended to God's favour in twelve
precious stones, Exo_28:17-21, Exo_28:19. Some question whether Levi had a precious
stone with his name or no. If not, Ephraim and Manasseh were reckoned distinct, as
Jacob had said they should be, and the high priest himself, being head of the tribe of
Levi, sufficiently represented that tribe. If there was a stone for Levi, as is intimated by
this, that they were engraven according to their birth (Exo_28:10), Ephraim and
Manasseh were one in Joseph. Aaron was to bear their names for a memorial before the
Lord continually, being ordained for men, to represent them in things pertaining to
God, herein typifying our great high priest, who always appears in the presence of God
for us. 1. Though the people were forbidden to come near, and obliged to keep their
distance, yet by the high priest, who had their names on his breast-plate, they entered
into the holiest; so believers, even while they are here on this earth, not only enter into
the holiest, but by faith are made to sit with Christ in heavenly places, Eph_2:6. 2. The
name of each tribe was engraven in a precious stone, to signify how precious, in God's
sight, believers are, and how honourable, Isa_43:4. They shall be his in the day he
makes up his jewels, Mal_3:17. How small and poor soever the tribe was, it was a
precious stone in the breast-plate of the high priest; thus are all the saints dear to Christ,
and his delight is in them as the excellent ones of the earth, however men may esteem
them as earthen pitchers, Lam_4:2. 3. The high priest had the names of the tribes both
on his shoulders and on his breast, intimating both the power and the love with which
our Lord Jesus intercedes for those that are his. He not only bears them up upon his
heart, as the expression here is (Exo_28:29), carries them in his bosom (Isa_40:11),

with the most tender affection. How near should Christ's name be to our hearts, since he
is pleased to lay our names so near his! and what a comfort it is to us, in all our
addresses to God, that the great high priest of our profession has the names of all his
Israel upon his breast before the Lord for a memorial, presenting them to God as the
people of his choice, who were to be made accepted in the beloved! Let not any good
Christians fear that God has forgotten them, nor question his being mindful of them
upon all occasions, when they are not only engraven upon the palms of his hands (Isa_
49:16), but engraven upon the heart of the great intercessor. See Son_8:6.
K&D 17-19. "“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, ᅎνθραξ,
carcunculus, the ruby or carbuncle, a fire-coloured stone; sappir, the sapphire, of a sky-
blue colour; jahalom, ᅺασπις 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,
ᅊχάτης, a composite stone formed of quartz, chalcedony, cornelian, flint, jasper, etc., and
therefore glittering with different colours; and achlaham, ᅊµέθυστος, 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 Gen_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.
ELLICOTT, "(17-19) Set in it settings of stones . . . There is always considerable
difficulty in identifying ancient with modern gems, the etymologies of the words
being frequently uncertain, the names (where they have survived) having sometimes
changed their meaning, and the opinions of early commentators, who might seem to
speak with some authority, being discrepant. In the present case, scarcely one of the
twelve stones can be said to be determined with certainty. 1. The ôdem, identified by
the LXX. and the Vulg. With the “sard,” has been regarded as the ruby, the
carbuncle, and the carnelian. Etymologically the word means “red,” or “the red
stone.” The ruby is certainly wrong, since ancient engravers could not cut it. Either
“sard” or “carnelian” is probably intended, both being common in Egypt. 2. The

pitdah is certainly not the topaz, which could no more be cut than the ruby. If the
word is derived, as supposed, from a root meaning “pale,” the chrysolite, which
resembles a pale topaz, but is far softer, may be meant. 3. The bârěketh is rendered
smaragdus, “emerald,” by the LXX. and Vulg.; but neither could the emerald be cut
by the ancient engravers. The word means “brightly flashing,” which tells us next to
nothing. “Beryl” and “a kind of corundum” have been suggested; but neither is
particularly sparkling. 4. The nôphek, translated ἃυθραξ by the LXX. and Josehus,
may well be the “carbuncle,” as is now generally supposed. It cannot, any more than
the ôdem, be the ruby. 5. The sappir one might have supposed by its name to be
certainly the “sapphire;” but this, again, is a gem which ancient engravers could not
cut. It would seem that here we have one of the cases where the name has been
transferred from one stone to another, the modern “lapis lazuli” being the gem
which was called “sapphire” by the ancients. 6. The yahălôm is certainly not the
“diamond,” which is the hardest of all gems. The LXX. and Vulg. translate by
“jasper” ( ἴασπις, jaspis); but this seems really to have been the twelfth stone. Other
renderings are mere conjectures, and the yahălôm must be regarded as unknown. 7.
The leshem, rendered “ligure” by the LXX., the Vulgate, Josephus, and our
translators, is probably the stone known to the ancients as lapis ligurius, but what
that stone was is a matter of great uncertainty. It has been regarded as amber, as
jacinth, and as tourmaline; but amber does not admit of engraving, while jacinth
and tourmaline are pure conjectures. This stone, then, must also be regarded as
unknown. 8. The shevo, rendered achates, “agate,” by the LXX. and the Vulg., is
generally allowed to have been that stone, which was well known to the ancients,
and widely used for engraving. 9. The akhlâmâh was regarded as the amethyst by
the LXX., the Vulgate, and Josephus; but it has been suggested that it may have
been “malachite” (Knobel); and there is no disproving the suggestion. Still the
amethyst, which is easily engraved, and was well known in Egypt, should find a
place in the present list, and may well have been intended by the akhlâmâh. 10. The
tarshish, by its name, should be a stone brought from Tarshish, which is either
Tarsus or Tartessus. Some suppose it to have been the beryl, some the chrysolite,
others the turquoise. There are really no sufficient grounds for identifying it with
any known gem. 11. The shôham has been already discussed (see ote on Exodus
28:9), and identified with the onyx, or the sardonyx. 12. The yâsh’peh should, by its
name, be the “jasper,” which was one of the stones most used in Egypt, and which
could scarcely have been absent from the present list. The LXX., however, translate
“onyx,” Josephus and the Vulgate “beryl;” so that here again there is uncertainty.
“And you shall set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones; a row of sardius,
chrysolite and beryl shall be the first row; and the second row a garnet, a lapis
lazuli, and an onyx; and the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; and the
fourth row a turquoise, a sardonyx and a jasper. They shall be enclosed in gold in
their settings. 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.”

We have named the stones in terms of those which it would be possible for ancient
engravers to engrave. (Such stones as emerald, sapphire and diamond would have
been impossible for them to even scratch with the tools they had). All are contained
in gold settings, marking their great holiness, They are of great value because God’s
people were of great value (Malachi 3:17), and each contains the name of one of the
tribes of Israel, engraved on them like a signet ring is engraved.
“Four rows.” Therefore four rows of three, making twelve in all. Four regularly
indicates ‘worldwideness’. Three represents completeness. Thus the priest was seen
as representing the whole of his world, with the twelve indicating the twelve tribes,
that is, all Israel.
PULPIT, "Settings of stones. These were similar to those of the two shoulder
stones—i.e. of filagree or cloisonne work—as appears from Exodus 39:13. The first
row of the stones is said to have been composed of a sardius, or sard, a topaz, and a
carbuncle. Of these names the first only would seem to be tolerably certain. The
second cannot be right, since the topaz was too hard a stone to be engraved by the
ancient engravers. We may conjecture that the chrysolite, a pale stone not unlike the
topaz, but far less hard, was the Genesis intended. The "carbuncle" is also thought
to be wrong; and the "beryl" is suggested by some; by others "a sort of precious
corundum." Emerald, to which the "smaragdus" of the LXX. and Josephus would
seem to point, cannot be right, since that stone is fully as hard as the topaz.
18 the second row shall be turquoise, lapis lazuli
and emerald;
BAR ES, "Exo_28:18
An emerald - Rather the garnet, which when cut with a convex face is termed the
carbuncle.
A sapphire - Not the stone now called the sapphire; the lapis-lazuli is most probably
meant.
A diamond - There is no trace of evidence that the ancients ever acquired the skill to
engrave on the diamond, or even that they were acquainted with the stone. The
“diamond” here may possibly be some variety of chalcedony, or (perhaps) rock crystal.
GILL, "And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

The first of these stones is by both the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan rendered an
"emerald", as by us; and which is described by Pliny (k) as of a green colour, exceeding
delightful and pleasant, and to which he gives the third place among precious stones;
though by many the stone here called Nophec is thought to be the carbuncle, and is so
rendered by the Septuagint; the carbuncle of the ancients is no other than what we call
the, "ruby"; and which Braunius (l) thinks is here meant, and so Abarbinel, which is just
making an exchange of the last stone of the first row for this; and De Dieu observes, that
if any chooses to render the preceding stone an emerald, as Braunius does, he must
render this a carbuncle or ruby; and if he renders that a carbuncle, then he must this for
an emerald. The next stone is "the sapphire", of which one would think there could be no
doubt, it is the very Hebrew word itself that is here used; which Ruaeus (m) says is of a
sky colour, and sparkles with golden spots or specks, with which agrees Job_28:6. The
third stone of this row is the "diamond" or adamant; and that this stone is meant seems
clear from its name Jahalom, which comes from a word which signifies to break; and
from hence a hammer has its name, because this stone pierces, cuts, and breaks other
stones, but cannot be broken itself. On these three stones were engraved, according to
the Jerusalem Targum, the names of the three tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun;
but more truly, according to the Targum of Jonathan, the names of the tribes of Judah,
Dan and Naphtali, and so Jarchi; for the names here, as on the onyx stones, were
according to the order of their birth.
19 the third row shall be jacinth, agate and
amethyst;
BAR ES, "Exo_28:19
A ligure - Amber, which came from Liguria.
GILL, "And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. The first of
these stones, the ligure or lyncurius, is said to be so called from the congealed urine of
the lynx (n), but rather from the spots of that creature; for, according to Danaeus (o), it
is the same stone with that called "stellina", from having many specks like stars spread
about in it. Braunius (p) takes the "jacinth" stone to be here meant, and so does
Ainsworth; see Rev_21:20, the second stone, the agate, is well known; and though now
of little account, was formerly in great esteem, as Pliny (q) asserts, and therefore may
well be thought to have a place among these stones. Pyrrhus king of Epirus had a very
famous one, in which, not by art, but by nature, were seen the nine Muses, and Apollo
holding an harp; the word for it here is "shebo", which comes from a word which
signifies to captivate; because, as De Dieu observes, this stone is easily captivated under
the hand of the artificer; there being no stone which so easily admits of engravings as
this. The last of this row is the "amethyst"; which stone has its name either from its

being of the colour of wine; or, as others, from its being a preservative from
drunkenness: the Hebrew word "achlamah" seems to come from a word which signifies
to dream; and this stone is supposed to cause persons to dream, as Aben Ezra, from one
of their wise men, relates. On these three stones, according to the Jerusalem Targum,
were written the names of the tribes of Dan, Naphtali, and Gad; but, according to the
Targum of Jonathan, Gad, Asher, and Issachar, which is much better, for a reason before
given.
20 the fourth row shall be topaz, onyx and jasper.
[b] Mount them in gold filigree settings.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:20
A beryl - Supposed to be a brilliant yellow stone, identified with what is now nown as
the Spanish topaz.
A jasper - Probably the green jasper.
GILL, "And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper,.... Whatever
stone is meant by the first in this row, it must be of a sea green colour; for "tarshish", the
word used, signifies the sea; and so the beryl, as Pliny (r) says, imitates the greenness of
the pure sea. Braunius (s) takes it to be the chrysolite that is meant; and so does
Ainsworth; and it is so rendered by the Septuagint; and this, according to Ruaeus (t), is
of a colour like the greenness of the sea: the "onyx" has its name from its being of the
colour of a man's nail, as observed before; but here "shoham" is thought by Braunius (u)
to be the "sardonyx", following Josephus, Jerom, and the Vulgate Latin version, which is
a compound of the sardian and onyx stones: the last is undoubtedly rightly rendered the
jasper, for the Hebrew word is "jaspeh": this stone is sometimes variegated with spots
like a panther, and therefore is called by Onkelos "pantere"; the most valuable is the
green spotted with red or purple:
they shall be set in gold in their enclosings; or be set and enclosed in ouches or
sockets of gold, as the two onyx stones upon the shoulder pieces of the ephod: there were
twelve of these ouches or sockets, which might be made out of one piece of gold, into
which the twelve above stones were put. These stones were, no doubt, brought out of
Egypt by the children of Israel, and were the gifts of their princes.
K&D, "“Gold borders shall be on their settings” (see at Exo_28:11 and Exo_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.
ELLICOTT, "(20) They shall be set in gold in their inclosings.—Or, in their
settings. Every gem was to be enclosed in its own setting of gold.
COKE, "Exodus 28:20. Gold, in their inclosings— Hebrew, fillings. In the 17th
verse it is said, Thou shalt set in it settings of stones; literally, shalt fill up fillings of
stones; i.e. shalt fill the sockets with stones, or set stones in the sockets or cavities
made to receive them; so, ch. Exodus 35:9 stones to be set is, in the Hebrew, stones
for filling up: (comp. ch. Exodus 39:10.) It appears from these verses, that the chains
mentioned Exodus 28:14 were to fasten the breast-plate to the two onyx-stones on
the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. Besides the two rings on the end of the breast-
plate, Exodus 28:23 two more were to be made, and put into the doubling next to the
ephod, Exodus 28:26 in which two corresponding rings were to be made, Exodus
28:27 and by means of these, the breast-plate was to be laced with a lace of blue to
the ephod, Exodus 28:28 and never to be parted from it. The reader will remember
the remark respecting the words curious girdle, made on Exodus 28:8 and those
who are desirous of an exact and critical discussion of Exodus 28:22-28 we refer to
Houbigant's notes.
21 There are to be twelve stones, one for each of
the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like
a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.
GILL, "And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel,
twelve, according to their names,.... And just so many are reckoned up in the
preceding verses, each of which had one or other of the names of the children of Israel
engraved on them, according to the order of their names in their birth. Some have
thought that Levi's name was omitted, but their reason for it seems not sufficient; for
why might not he bear the name of his own tribe, and represent that as well as the rest,
since the whole Israel of God is represented by his antitype?
like the engravings of a net, everyone with his name shall they be according
to the twelve tribes; not like the impression of a seal on wax, then the letters indeed

would have been protuberant, as some have thought; but these were like the engravings
of a seal, in which the letters or figures are cut within it: these twelve stones, with the
names on them, represent the twelve tribes of Israel, and they the whole spiritual Israel
of God; and being precious stones, show the excellency of the people of God, of what
value, and in what esteem they are with God and Christ, being their jewels and peculiar
treasure; and their names being in them, denote the special and particular knowledge
God has of them, their names being written in heaven in the book of life; and they are
called by name by the Lord; and being engraved as a signet, is an emblem of their being
set as a seal on the arm and heart of Christ, and of their being as dear and precious to
him as a signet on a man's right hand; and being set in ouches and enclosures of gold,
express both the dignity and excellency, and the careful preservation of them: these were
set in rows, as members of churches are, everyone in his order, rank, and station, 1Co_
12:18.
K&D, "“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 ‫ּו‬‫מ‬ ְ‫ל־שׁ‬ ַ‫ע‬ see at Gen_15:10.)
ELLICOTT, "(21) The stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel.—
Rather, the stones shall be according to the names, &c.—twelve, neither more nor
fewer.
Every one with his name . . . —Rather, each stone, according to its name (i.e., the
name engraved upon it), shall be (or, stand) for one of the twelve tribes.
22 “For the breastpiece make braided chains of
pure gold, like a rope.
GILL, "And thou shall make upon the breastplate chains at the ends,.... One
end of them to be put to the breastplate, and the other end to the ouches on the shoulder
pieces of the ephod, by which the breastplate hung from thence: the Targum of Jonathan
renders it, chains of a certain determined size, of length and thickness exactly alike; or
terminable ones, as it may be rendered, not circular like a locket, or chain of gold worn
about the neck, but that had ends to it: some interpret it chains, made like ropes, in the
same manner as cables are, twisted together; and such it is certain they were, by what
follows:

of wreathen work of pure gold; not of circles and ringlets of gold coupled together,
but of golden wires twisted together, as ropes are.
K&D 22-25, "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 Exo_
28:14; so that Exo_28:22 is to be regarded as a simple repetition of Exo_28:14, not
merely because these chains are only mentioned once in the account of the execution of
the work (Exo_39:15), but because, according to Exo_28:25, these chains were to be
fastened upon the rosettes notice in Exo_28:14, exactly like those described in Exo_
28:13. These chains, which are called cords or strings at Exo_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 (Exo_28:13), upon the front of it (see at Exo_26:9 and Exo_25:37).
ELLICOTT, "(22) Chains at the ends.—Rather, chains of equal length; or, chains of
wreathen work. (See ote on Exodus 28:14.)
Of wreathen work.—Heb., after the manner of ropes.
“And you shall make on the breastpouch chains, like ropes, of intertwined work of
pure gold. And you shall make on the breastpouch two rings of gold and shall put
the two rings on the two edges of the breastpouch, and you shall put the two
intertwined chains of gold on the two rings at the edge of the breastpouch, and the
other two ends of the two intertwined chains you shall put on the two catches, and
put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, on its front part.”
This describes the way in which the pouch is attached by golden chains of
interwoven gold cords to the shoulder straps of the ephod by means of catches. All
are of pure gold.
23 Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to
two corners of the breastpiece.

BAR ES, "Exo_28:23
On the two ends of the breastplate - The extremities spoken of here, and in the
next verse, must have been the upper corners of the square. The chains attached to them
Exo_28:25 suspended the breastplate from the ouches of the shoulder pieces Exo_28:9,
Exo_28:11-12.
GILL, "And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold,.... On the
upper part of it, above, toward the two shoulder pieces of the ephod; these were to put
one end of the chains into before mentioned:
and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate; the two upper
ends or corners of it, the right and left.
ELLICOTT, "(23) Two rings on the two ends—i.e., on the two upper corners of the
breastplate. The chains were to be passed through the two rings, which they were
then to unite with the “ouches” of the ephod. (See Exodus 28:13-14.)
24 Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the
corners of the breastpiece,
GILL, "And thou shalt put two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings,....
This expresses both how many chains were to be made, which is not before said, and the
use of them, or where they were to be put, as well as the use of the rings:
which are on the ends of the breastplate; the two uppermost ends or corners of it.
25 and the other ends of the chains to the two
settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of
the ephod at the front.

GILL, "And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten
in the two ouches,.... In which the two onyx stones were set on the shoulder pieces of
the ephod, and were as buttons to them; probably there were rings to those ouches, into
which these ends of the wreathen chains of gold, reaching from the breastplate, were
put; or however, by some means or other they were fastened to these ouches or sockets:
and put them in the shoulder pieces of the ephod before it; that is, on the
ouches upon them, as before observed: into that part or side of the ouches which was to
be the fore part of the ephod; so that the breastplate hung by these chains from the
shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the fore part of it, upon the breast of the high priest.
26 Make two gold rings and attach them to the
other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside
edge next to the ephod.
GILL, "And thou shall make two rings of gold,.... Two other rings besides those
before mentioned:
and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate; on the other two
ends or corners of it:
in the border thereof which is in the side of the ephod inward: these were at
the two lower ends of the breastplate, towards the ephod on the inside.
K&D, "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 Exo_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.
ELLICOTT, "(26) Thou shalt make two rings—i.e., “two other rings.” These were
to be put on the two lower corners of the breastplate, “in the border thereof,” or at
its extreme edge.

“And you shall make two rings of gold, and you shall put them on the two ends of
the breastpouch, on the edge of it which is towards the inward side of the ephod (or
‘which is on the edge of it on the inside of the ephod’). And you shall make two rings
of gold, and shall put them on the two shoulderpieces of the ephod underneath, in its
forepart, close by its coupling above the skilfully woven band of the ephod. And
they shall bind the breastpouch by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of
blue, that it may be on the skilfully woven band of the ephod, and that the
breastpouch be not loosed from the ephod.”
This is describing the attaching of the lower section of the breastpouch to the ephod
and to the band around the ephod. The attachment is by bluey-violet cord put
through golden rings which are attached to the ephod in the one case and the
shoulderpieces of the ephod in the other. This may suggest that the shoulderpieces
come very low and that the ephod is worn low down, or that the shoulderpieces are
not just attached to the top of the ephod but continue on down, attached to the
ephod and interwoven with it, even as far as the lower band. (Just as the band itself
is of one weaving with the ephod).
One purpose behind all this is to ensure that the breastpouch does not hang loose. It
is to be attached as part of the whole.
27 Make two more gold rings and attach them to
the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of
the ephod, close to the seam just above the
waistband of the ephod.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:27
“And two rings of gold shalt thou make and put them on the two shoulder pieces of the
ephod, low down in the front of it, near the joining, above the band for fastening it.” It
would seem that the shoulder pieces were continued down the front of the ephod as far
as the band (see Exo_28:8); the joining appears to have been the meeting of the
extremities of the shoulder pieces with the band. These rings were attached to the
shoulder pieces just above this joining.
GILL, "And two other rings of gold thou shalt make,.... This is the third pair of

rings ordered to be made, the two other pair were for the four ends or corners of the
breastplate, but this pair was for the ephod:
and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod; one on the right and the other
on the left:
underneath, towards the fore part thereof; underneath the ephod, yet towards
the fore part of it; or rather on the fore part of it, though so as the rings could not be
seen:
over against the other coupling thereof; either so as to answer to the other
coupling of the breastplate to the shoulder pieces of the ephod above; or to the rings at
the ends of the breastplate below, with which these were to be coupled with a lace of
blue; and so the word "other" here supplied may be left out:
above the curious girdle of the ephod; just above that these rings in the ephod
were, to answer to the rings in the lower ends of the breastplate.
K&D 27-28, "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 (‫ח‬ַ ִ‫י‬
Niphal of ‫ח‬ ַ‫ח‬ָ‫,ז‬ in Arabic removit), i.e., that it might keep its place above the girdle and
against the ephod without shifting.
ELLICOTT,"(27, 28) Two gold rings were also to be sewn on to the ephod, low
down and in front, so as just to appear above the “curious girdle of the ephod,” and
the lower rings of the breastplate were to be laced to these rings by a “lace of blue.”
The breastplate was thus securely attached to the ephod, and showed above the
“curious girdle” without covering it.
28 The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to
the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting
it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not
swing out from the ephod.

BAR ES, "Exo_28:28
The curious girdle of the ephod - The band for fastening it (see Exo_28:8 note).
GILL, "And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof,.... By the rings
at the lower ends of it, as it was by the rings at the upper ends of it to the shoulder pieces
of the ephod; or "lift it up", so some interpret it (w) as if it was said, they shall lift up the
breastplate to join it with the ephod that is above it:
unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue; this blue lace was put both into
the rings of the breastplate and into the rings of the ephod, and so being tied in a knot,
fastened them together, as the shoulder pieces of the ephod and the breastplate were
coupled above, with wreathen chains of gold put into rings: now this was done:
that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod: that the breastplate might
be above it, or else the lace of blue:
and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod: but be kept tight and
close to it by the wreathen chains above, and by the knots of blue lace below; which may
denote the conjunction of the prophetic and priestly offices in Christ; the former being
signified by the breastplate of judgment, in which the Urim and Thummim were, and the
latter by the ephod; or else the union of the saints to Christ, the bond of which is
everlasting love, from which there can be no separation; this union can never be
dissolved, his people can never be loosed from him, they are members of his body, and
one spirit with him.
HE RY, "
JAMISO , "
K&D, "
SIMEO , "AARO ’S BREAST-PLATE
Exodus 28:29-30. And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the
breast-plate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a
memorial before the Lord continually. And thou shalt put in the breast-plate 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.
LITTLE do men in general imagine what treasures of knowledge are contained in
the Old Testament. There is not any thing revealed concerning Christ in the ew
Testament, which was not prefigured in the Mosaic ritual. As every thing relating to
his life and death may be clearly seen in the prophets, so every thing relating to his
office and character may be learned from the ceremonial law. Even the ornaments
of the high-priest were intended to shadow forth some of the most important offices
which our blessed Lord sustains. That particular ornament which we propose to

notice at present, is the breastplate of judgment: respecting which we shall point
out,
I. Its primary use—
It will be proper, before we speak of its use, to shew what the breast-plate was—
[The priest wore an ephod, (a kind of short coat without sleeves,) made of fine linen,
richly embroidered. The breastplate was a piece of fine linen, which, when doubled,
was a span square. Upon that were placed twelve precious stones, each of them
having the name of one of the tribes (according to their seniority) engraven upon it.
This was worn upon the breast, over the ephod: and the high-priest was to wear it
whenever he went into the presence of God: and it was called “the breast-plate of
judgment,” because God, by means of it, communicated his mind and judgment to
him respecting the children of Israel.
Within this breast-plate were placed the Urim and the Thummim. What these were,
we are not informed. Many have thought, that they were not distinct from the
stones: and that the terms Urim and Thummim merely designated the use to which
those stones were applied. But the language of the text, especially when confirmed
by Levit. 8:8, leaves no doubt, but that the Urim and Thummim were distinct from
the breastplate, and were “put into” it after it was made. It is no objection to say,
that the one is sometimes mentioned without the other, or, that we know not who
made the Urim and Thummim, or what they were. It is sufficient for us to know,
that they were added to the breast-plate, and that they were appointed for a very
important purpose.]
The particular use of the breast-plate shall now be distinctly declared—
[The breast-plate thus formed, was to be worn by the high-priest, whenever he
performed the duties of his office. It was suspended from his shoulders by two
golden chains, fixed to two onyx-stones; on which, as well as on the twelve stones,
were engraven all the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, six on each stone; and
both the one and the other were “for a memorial before the Lord continually [ ote:
2.].” We must understand this as spoken after the manner of men. We are not to
suppose that God needs to be reminded of his people; but the sight of their names,
whenever the high-priest came into his presence, was (so to speak) to remind him,
that he had a people who were to be the objects of his peculiar care.
The Urim and Thummim were for a different purpose. They were, in some way or
other, to communicate answers to the high-priest, whenever he consulted God upon
any matter relating to the civil or religious concerns of the nation. To inquire how
the answers were given, whether by a secret suggestion to the mind of the high-
priest, or by an audible voice, or in any other way, is vain: we should be contented
to be ignorant about those things whereon God has not seen fit to inform us. That
the Urim and the Thummim were consulted, and not only by the high-priest, but by
others without him; and that specific answers were obtained from God; is certain.

Joshua [ ote: umbers 27:21.], and those who succeeded him in the government of
Israel [ ote: Judges 1:1.], sought instruction from God through the medium of
these. The eleven tribes had the mind of God repeatedly made known to them in the
same way, when they desired to be informed, whether they were to wage war against
the offending tribe of Benjamin [ ote: Judges 20:18; Judges 20:23; Judges 20:27-
28.]. David in various straits took counsel of God in this way, and had such
information conveyed to him as was impossible for any but the omniscient God to
impart [ ote: 1 Samuel 23:9-12; 1 Samuel 30:7; 1 Samuel 8.]. Saul asked counsel in
the same way; but could not obtain an answer, because he had provoked God to cast
him off [ ote: 1 Samuel 28:6.]. At the time of the Babylonish captivity the Urim and
the Thummim were lost, and were never afterwards recovered [ ote: Ezra 2:63;
ehemiah 7:65.] ; till Christ, whom they typified, came to instruct us in all things
that can at all conduce to our real welfare.
The very names, Urim and Thummim, serve in a great measure to designate their
particular use. Their import is, Lights and Perfections: and they were for the
express purpose of conveying light to those who consulted them, even such light as
would perfectly and infallibly direct their way.
Thus, as the breast-plate of judgment consisted of two different parts, so it was
intended for two different uses; the stones in it were for a memorial before God; and
the Urim and Thummim that were in it, were for the obtaining of instruction from
God.]
But we shall have a very inadequate notion of the breast-plate, unless we
understand,
II. Its typical intent—
Few are so ignorant as to need to be informed, that Christ is our great High-Priest.
ow the breast-plate, of which we have been speaking, was designed to represent,
1. What Christ is doing for us—
[Christ, in the execution of his priestly office, was to “enter into the holy place,”
there “to appear in the presence of God for us.” Accordingly, after his resurrection,
he ascended to heaven, that he might there complete the work he had begun on
earth. On his heart are engraven the names of all his people: on his shoulders he
also bears them all: not one of them is forgotten by him: he presents them all before
his Father, and is “their memorial before God continually.” God cannot even look
upon his Son without being reminded, that there is in this lower world a people who
need his incessant care. He sees at one view all their states, and all their
circumstances. He sees how dear they are to his Son, who bears them ever on his
heart; who sympathizes with them in their afflictions, and desires to have them
extricated from all their difficulties. Were he disposed to be unmindful of them, he
could not cast them out of his thoughts, or be deaf to the intercessions of our great
High-Priest.

Here then is the security of all the children of Israel: “they have a great High-Priest,
who is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God,” who has undertaken their
cause, and is their Advocate with the Father, and “who is therefore able to save
them to the uttermost, because he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”]
2. What Christ will do in us—
[In Christ “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” There is no case
wherein we may not consult him; nor any, wherein he will not vouchsafe to direct
our steps. How he will answer us, we will not presume to say: he has ten thousand
ways of making known his will, and of over-ruling our purposes, without at all
infringing the liberty of our will, or altering the general dispensations of his
providence. It is sufficient for us to know, that “the meek he will guide in judgment,
the meek he will teach his way;” and that “whatsoever we ask of him he will do, that
the Father may be glorified in the Son.” From the consideration of his being our
great and compassionate High-Priest, we are encouraged to come boldly to the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help us in the time of
need [ ote: Hebrews 4:14-16.] ; and we are sure, that, if we come unto God through
him, “we may ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us.” We need not say, This
is so great a matter, that it would be presumptuous in me to ask it; nor, This is so
small, that it would be unworthy of his attention: for, whether it be great or small,
he would spread it before his heavenly Father, and obtain for us an answer of peace:
his light should dispel our darkness, and his perfections dissipate our fears: the
weakest should not be left to faint [ ote: Isaiah 40:29-31.], nor the most ignorant to
err [ ote: Isaiah 35:8.].]
In this subject we may find abundant matter,
1. For reproof—
[When we come into difficult circumstances, we are too apt to imagine, like the
Church of old, that “God hath forsaken and forgotten us.” But if God reproved
them by declaring, that “a nursing mother could sooner forget her sucking child
than he could forget them, since they were engraven on the palms of his hands
[ ote: Isaiah 49:14-16.],” how much more are we reproved by this typical
representation of Christ, on whose shoulders we are supported, and on whose heart
we are engraved! O let such unbelieving fears be put away! Let us “know in whom
we have believed, that He is able to keep that which we have committed to him.” Let
us remember, that, whilst he retains his priestly office, and his Father retains his
regard for him, “he will not suffer one of his little ones to perish.”]
2. For encouragement—
[Our trials may be numerous, and our difficulties urgent: but our High-Priest is
ever at hand, to inquire of God for us. or does he need to be informed by us, what
to ask; for he “knoweth what is in man,” and sees at the same time all the devices of

our enemy. If only we lift up our hearts to him, his effectual aid shall be instantly
obtained; for he is with us, to know our desires; and with God, to interest him in our
favour. Let us then be encouraged to cast our care on him: and let us make him,
what God has intended he should be to us, “our wisdom, and righteousness, our
sanctification, and redemption [ ote: 1 Corinthians 1:30.].”]
29 “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he
will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his
heart on the breastpiece of decision as a
continuing memorial before the Lord.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:29
See Exo_28:12; the same names engraved on the stones of the breastplate were worn
over the heart, the seat of the affections, as well as of the intellect, to symbolize the
relation of love and of personal interest which the Lord requires to exist between the
priest and the people.
GILL, "And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the
breastplate of judgment upon his heart,.... Their names being engraven on the
stones, and the stones put into the breastplate of judgment, and this breastplate hanging
down upon the breast and heart of Aaron, he was a representative of the twelve tribes of
Israel, as Christ his antitype is the representative of the whole Israel of God; and who lie
near the heart of Christ, are set as a seal upon it, are engraven on the palms of his hands,
and carried in his bosom, and whom he always presents to his divine Father, and are
accepted in him: he represented them in eternity, and in time; in his sufferings and
death, in his burial and resurrection from the dead, when they were crucified, buried,
and raised with him; and he represents them now in heaven, where they sit together in
heavenly places in him, as it here follows in the type:
when he goeth in unto the holy place; to trim the lamps and offer incense, and
especially when he went into the most holy place once a year:
for a memorial before the Lord continually; for a memorial to himself, to pray for
them when he appeared before the Lord, to put the Lord in remembrance of his
covenant with them, and promises to them; see Gill on Exo_28:12, Isa_43:26, the
Targum of Jonathan is, "for a good memorial": not a memorial for evil, but for good.

K&D, "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.
ELLICOTT, "(29) Aaron shall bear the names . . . upon his heart.—Comp. Exodus
28:12. The high priest was to be wholly identified with the people; to be one with
them in affection no less than in action; to bear their names on his shoulders, as
supporting them and wrestling for them, while he also bore their names on his
heart, as loving them and feeling for them. Thus he was continually to present
before God a two-fold “memorial” of His people, and to make a sort of double
appeal, on the one hand, to God’s power, and, on the other hand, to His mercy and
loving-kindness.
COKE, "Exodus 28:29. And Aaron shall bear the names, &c.— See note on Exodus
28:9. ote; 1. Though the holy place of heaven is not yet accessible, yet, our High-
Priest bearing our names there, it is our privilege even now to sit with him by faith
in heavenly places. 2. The spiritual graces adorning particular saints make them like
these stones; all are jewels, though each shines with some different and peculiar
lustre.
“And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel on the breastpouch of
judgment on his heart when he goes in to the Holy Place, for a memorial before
Yahweh continually. And you shall put in the breastpouch 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.”
There is a twofold purpose for the breastpouch. One is that it enables Aaron to
carry on his heart, that is on his whole intellectual and emotional being, the names
of the twelve tribes before Yahweh for a continual memorial, concerned for them,
feeling for them, praying for them. And secondly that it may contain the
instruments by which judgment can be found on His people’s behalf through the
Urim and Thummim. The Urim and Thummim were instruments of judgment on
behalf of Yahweh, and their ever being in the pouch meant that concern for the true
judgment of the people was ever before Yahweh and ever a concern of Aaron’s.
There is no certainty about what the Urim and Thummim consisted of, but they
were clearly some way by which the divine will could be found (see Deuteronomy
33:8; Deuteronomy 33:10; umbers 27:21). There is no certainty about the
etymology of the words themselves. It would appear that they probably worked by a
series of questions being put which required a particular simple response, and a
positive or non-positive answer was received, leading up by further questions to a
final answer. While positive answers are known there is no example of a negative

answer being given, but there is one of a refusal to answer (1 Samuel 28:6).
However, the paucity of information might mean that in fact a negative answer
could be given.
So it could be that one simply represented the positive and the other the negative or
neutral; or that different answers were temporarily written on each of them in some
way and they were then selected by some method; or that they were tossed down on
a surface and the answer came from the way they turned up or down. Or the answer
may have been found by drawing one ‘blind’ from the pouch, indicating ‘yes’ or ‘no
answer’ or ‘no’, or by casting them on the surface as suggested above with the
answer given by how they fell.
See for an example 2 Samuel 2:1 where the first question received the answer ‘yes’
or ‘go up’ to the question whether David was to go up to a city of Judah, and the
second said ‘to Hebron’ in some way (possibly by saying ‘shall I go to Hebron?’).
Compare also 1 Samuel 23:9-12 where the ephod, presumably with the breastpouch
containing the Urim and Thummim, was brought to David and questioned; and 1
Samuel 14:36-42 where they were probably used at Saul’s behest. See also Joshua
7:14-18 where Joshua may have used them.
So the ephod with the breastpouch, both containing engraved jewels, and the pouch
containing the Urim and Thummim, were worn by Aaron to bring the nation before
Yahweh continually. By their jewels they depicted them as precious to God, by the
engraved names as personally within God’s cognisance, and through the Urim and
Thummim they were a constant ‘reminder’ of the need for justice for God’s people.
Furthermore they were actually sometimes the means by which it was obtained.
They were crucial to the nation and worn by Aaron as representing them all before
Yahweh.
30 Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the
breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart
whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus
Aaron will always bear the means of making
decisions for the Israelites over his heart before
the Lord.

BAR ES, "Exo_28:30
The Urim and the Thummim - “The Light and the Truth, or perfection.”
From the way in which they are spoken of here and in Lev_8:8, compared with Exo_
28:15-21, it would appear that the Urim and the Thummim were some material things,
previously existing and familiarly known, that they were separate from the breastplate
itself, as well as from the gems that were set upon it, and were kept in the bag of the
breastplate Exo_28:16.
By means of them the will of Yahweh, especially in what related to the wars in which
His people were engaged, was made known. They were formally delivered by Moses to
Aaron Lev_8:8, and subsequently passed on to Eleazar Num_20:28; Num_27:21. They
were esteemed as the crowning glory of the tribe of Levi Deu_33:8. There is no instance
on record of their being consulted after the time of David.
The opinion has prevailed to a great extent that the Urim and the Thummim were of
Egyptian origin, and two small images of precious stone, and that the divine will was
manifested through them by some physical effect addressed to the eye or the ear.
Others prefer the view that they were some means for casting lots. Appeals to lots were
made under divine authority by the chosen people on the most solemn occasions Lev_
16:8; Num_26:55; Jos_7:14-18; Jos_13:6; Jos_18:8; 1Sa_14:41-42; Act_1:26, and it
must have been a truth commonly recognized by the people that though “the lot was cast
into the lap, the whole disposing thereof was of the Lord” Pro_16:33.
CLARKE, "Thou shalt put in the breastplate - the Urim and the Thummim
- What these were has, I believe, never yet been discovered.
1. They are nowhere described.
2. There is no direction given to Moses or any other how to make them.
3. Whatever they were, they do not appear to have been made on this occasion.
4. If they were the work of man at all, they must have been the articles in the ancient
tabernacle, matters used by the patriarchs, and not here particularly described,
because well known.
5. It is probable that nothing material is designed. This is the opinion of some of the
Jewish doctors. Rabbi Menachem on this chapter says, “The Urim and Thummim
were not the work of the artificer; neither had the artificers or the congregation of
Israel in them any work or any voluntary offering; but they were a mystery
delivered to Moses from the mouth of God, or they were the work of God himself,
or a measure of the Holy Spirit.”
6. That God was often consulted by Urim and Thummim, is sufficiently evident from
several scriptures; but how or in what manner he was thus consulted appears in
none.
7. This mode of consultation, whatever it was, does not appear to have been in use
from the consecration of Solomon’s temple to the time of its destruction; and after
its destruction it is never once mentioned. Hence the Jews say that the five
following things, which were in the first temple, were wanting in the second:
“1. The ark with the mercy-seat and cherubim;

2. The fire which came down from heaven;
3. The shechinah or Divine presence;
4. The Holy Spirit, i.e., the gift of prophecy; and
5. The Urim and Thummim.”
8. As the word ‫אורים‬ urim signifies Lights, and the word ‫תמים‬ tummim, Perfections,
they were probably designed to point out the light - the abundant information, in
spiritual things, afforded by the wonderful revelation which God made of himself
by and under the Law; and the perfection - entire holiness and strict conformity to
himself, which this dispensation required, and which are introduced and
accomplished by that dispensation of light and truth, the Gospel, which was
prefigured and pointed out by the law and its sacrifices, etc.; and in this light the
subject has been viewed by the Vulgate, where the words are translated doctrina et
veritas, doctrine and truth - a system of teaching proceeding from truth itself. The
Septuagint translate the original by δηλωσις και αληθεια, the manifestation and the
truth; meaning probably the manifestation which God made of himself to Moses
and the Israelites, and the truth which he had revealed to them, of which this
breastplate should be a continual memorial.
All the other versions express nearly the same things, and all refer to intellectual and
spiritual subjects, such as light, truth, manifestation, doctrine, perfection, etc., etc., not
one of them supposing that any thing material is intended. The Samaritan text is
however different; it adds here a whole clause not found in the Hebrew: veasitha eth
haurim veeth hattummim, Thou shalt make the Urim and the Thummim. If this reading be
admitted, the Urim and Thummim were manufactured on this occasion as well as the
other articles. However it be, they are indescribable and unknown.
The manner in which the Jews suppose that the inquiry was made by Urim and
Thummim is the following: “When they inquired the priest stood with his face before the
ark, and he that inquired stood behind him with his face to the back of the priest; and
the inquirer said, Shall I go up? or, Shall I not go up? And forthwith the Holy Ghost
came upon the priest, and he beheld the breastplate, and saw therein by the vision of
prophecy, Go up, or Go not up, in the letters which showed forth themselves upon the
breastplate before his face.” See Num_27:18, Num_27:21; Jdg_1:1; Jdg_20:18, Jdg_
20:28; 1Sa_23:9-12; 1Sa_28:6; and see Ainsworth.
It was the letters that formed the names of the twelve tribes upon the breastplate,
which the Jews suppose were used in a miraculous way to give answers to the inquirers.
Thus when David consulted the Lord whether he should go into a city of Judea, three
letters which constituted the word ‫עלה‬ aloh, Go, rose up or became prominent in the
names on the breastplate; ‫ע‬ ain, from the name of Simeon, ‫ל‬ lamed from the name of
Levi, and ‫ה‬ he from the name of Judah. But this supposition is without proof.
Among the Egyptians, a breastplate something like that of the Jewish high-priest was
worn by the president of the courts of justice. Diodorus Siculus has these words: Εφορει
δ’ οᆓτος περι τον τραχηλον εκ χρυσης ᅋλυσεως ηρτηµενον ζωδιον των πολυτελων λιθων ᆇ
προσηγορευον ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑΝ. “He bore about his neck a golden chain, at which hung an
image set about with or composed of precious stones, which was called Truth.” - Bib.

Hist., lib. i., chap. 75, p. 225. And he farther adds, “that as soon as the president put this
gold chain about his neck, the legal proceedings commenced, but not before. And that
when the case of the plaintiff and defendant had been fully and fairly heard, the
president turned the image of truth, which was hung to the golden chain round his neck,
toward the person whose cause was found to be just,” by which he seemed to intimate
that truth was on his side.
Aelian, in his Hist. Var., lib. xxxiv., gives the same account. “The chief justice or
president,” he says, “was always a priest, of a venerable age and acknowledged probity.
Ειχε δε και αγαλµα περι τον αυχενα εκ σαπφειρου λιθου, και εκαλειτο αγαλµα ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ.
And he had an image which was called Truth engraved on a sapphire, and hung about
his neck with a gold chain.”
Peter du Val mentions a mummy which he saw at Cairo, in Egypt, round the neck of
which was a chain, having a golden plate suspended, which lay on the breast of the
person, and on which was engraved the figure of a bird. This person was supposed to
have been one of the supreme judges; and in all likelihood the bird, of what kind he does
not mention, was the emblem of truth, justice, or innocence.
I have now before me paintings, taken on the spot by a native Chinese, of the different
courts in China where criminal causes were tried. In these the judge always appears with
a piece of embroidery on his breast, on which a white bird of the ardea or heron kind is
represented, with expanded wings. All these seem to have been derived from the same
source, both among the Hebrews, the Egyptians, and the Chinese. And it is certainly not
impossible that the two latter might have borrowed the notion and use of the breastplate
of judgment from the Hebrews, as it was in use among them long before we have any
account of its use either among the Egyptians or Chinese. The different mandarins have
a breast-piece of this kind.
GILL, "And thou shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the
Thummim,.... What these interpreters are at a loss about, both Jewish and Christian;
some have confessed their ignorance of them, have conjectured they were only these two
words and put in the duplicature of the breastplate; that the name of Jehovah, with
other divine were put there and so called; and some have that they were little images, the
same with the teraphim, the high priest carried in the folds of breastplate, by which
consultation was made; others have thought them to be a work purely divine, of
Jehovah's putting there; for my own part I am to follow Josephus (x), who takes them to
be the same with the twelve stones; and it is observable that where the stones are
mentioned nothing is said of the Urim and Thummim, and where the Urim and
Thummim are observed, no notice is taken of the stones, see Exo_39:10 the use of these
was to have the names of the children of Israel engraven upon them, and so be borne on
the heart of Aaron when he went into the holy place, as is here said of the Urim and
Thummim; and that consultation might be made by them in matters of moment and
difficulty, as appears from various other passages of the Scripture, Num_27:21 and but
in what manner this was done, and in what way the answer was given and understood,
are not easily accounted for: some say, by the brightness or protuberance of the letters
on the stones; others, by the shining and splendour of the stones, which is more
probable; others, by an inward impression on the mind of the priest; and others, by an
articulate voice, which seems best of all: the Septuagint render these two words
"manifestation and truth"; and Aelianus (y) reports, that the chief and oldest among the
Egyptian priests and judges wore an image of a sapphire stone about his neck, which

they called "truth": and, according to Diodorus Siculus (z), this image was of more
precious stones than one; for he says, the president in the Egyptian courts of judicature
had on his neck, hanging on a golden chain, an image of precious stones, which they
called truth: but there is no reason to believe that this custom was as ancient as the times
of the Israelites in Egypt, or that they borrowed this from them; but rather, that the
Egyptians did this in imitation of what the high priest among the Jews wore, which they
might learn from the Jews in Solomon's time, or in later ages; the words Urim and
Thummim signify "lights and perfections", agreeably to which is the paraphrase of
Jonathan;"Urim, which enlighten their words, and manifest the hidden things of the
house of Israel, and Thummim, which perfect their works, by the high priest, who seeks
instruction from the Lord by them:''they were typical of Christ, in whom all lights and
perfections are; all light is in him; the light of nature and reason is from him, as the
Creator, and is given to every man that comes into the world; the light of grace is with
him, and communicated to all his people at conversion, and in all the after degrees and
supplies of it; all light and knowledge in divine things is from him, the knowledge of
God, of himself, and of the Gospel, and the truths of it; and the light of glory will be from
him: all the perfections of deity, the whole fulness of the Godhead, all human
perfections, which make him as man in all things like unto us, but far exceeding us; as
Mediator, all the blessings and promises of the covenant are in him; all the gifts of the
Spirit, and a fulness of all grace; there are in him perfect righteousness, perfect holiness,
all light, life, strength, wisdom, joy, and comfort (a): and these stones, or Urim and
Thummim, may be an emblem also of the saints, being made light and perfect
righteousness in Christ, from whom they have both:
and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the Lord;
either into the holy or into the most holy place, just as the names of the children of Israel
on the stones are said to be; see Gill on Exo_28:29,
and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart
before the Lord continually; not only bear their names and remember their cases,
make intercession for them, and represent their persons, in all which he was a type of
Christ, but bear their judgment, have that at heart, and administer it unto them; and in
all doubtful and difficult cases inquire of God what was fit and right to do for them, or
for them to do: so Christ has the government of his people both at heart and in his
hands; all judgment is committed to him, and he is the righteousness of his people now,
and will be their Judge hereafter.
HE RY, ". The urim and thummim, by which the will of God was made known in
doubtful cases, were put in this breast-plate, which is therefore called the breast-plate of
judgment, Exo_28:30. Urim and thummim signify light and integrity; many
conjectures there are among the learned what they were; we have no reason to think they
were any thing that Moses was to make more than what was before ordered, so that
either God made them himself, and gave them to Moses, for him to put into the breast-
plate, when other things were prepared (Lev_8:8), or no more is meant than a
declaration of the further use of what was already ordered to be made. I think the words
may be read thus, And thou shalt give, or add, or deliver, to the breast-plate of
judgment, the illuminations and perfections, and they shall be upon the heart of Aaron;
that is, “He shall be endued with a power of knowing and making known the mind of
God in all difficult doubtful cases, relating either to the civil or ecclesiastical state of the
nation.” Their government was a theocracy: God was their King, the high priest was,
under God, their ruler, the urim and thummim were his cabinet-council; probably

Moses wrote upon the breast-plate, or wove into it, these words, Urim and Thummim, to
signify that the high priest, having on him this breast-plate, and asking counsel of God in
any emergency relating to the public, should be directed to take those measures, and
give that advice, which God would own. If he was standing before the ark (but without
the veil) probably he received instructions from off the mercy-seat, as Moses did (Exo_
25:22); thus, it should seem, Phinehas did, Jdg_20:27, Jdg_20:28. If he was at a
distance from the ark, as Abiathar was when he enquired of the Lord for David (1Sa_
23:6, etc.), then the answer was given either by a voice from heaven or rather by an
impulse upon the mind of the high priest, which last is perhaps intimated in that
expression, He shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart. This
oracle was of great use to Israel; Joshua consulted it (Num_27:21), and, it is likely, the
judges after him. It was lost in the captivity, and never regained after, though, it should
seem, it was expected, Ezr_2:63. But it was a shadow of good things to come, and the
substance is Christ. He is our oracle; by him God in these last days makes known himself
and his mind to us, Heb_1:2; Joh_1:18. Divine revelation centres in him, and comes to
us through him; he is the light, the true light, the faithful witness, the truth itself, and
from him we receive the Spirit of truth, who leads into all truth. The joining of the
breast-plate to the ephod denotes that his prophetical office was founded in his
priesthood; and it was by the merit of his death that he purchased this honour for
himself and this favour for us. It was the Lamb that had been slain that was worthy to
take the book and to open the seals, Rev_5:9.
JAMISO , "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 Exo_39:8-21;
Lev_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.
K&D, "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 ‫ל‬ ֶ‫א‬ ָ ַ‫ת‬ָ‫,נ‬ both
here and in Lev_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 ᅚπιτιθέναι ᅚπί, the phrase is constantly
used to denote putting or laying one thing into another, and never (not even in 1Sa_6:8

and 2Sa_11:16) merely placing one thing upon or against another. For this, ‫ל‬ ַ‫ע‬ ‫ן‬ ַ‫ת‬ָ‫נ‬ is the
expression invariably used in the account before us (cf. Exo_28:14 and Exo_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 δᇿλος) καᆳ ᅊλήθεια, i.e., revelation and truth. This
expresses with tolerable accuracy the meaning of Urim (‫ים‬ ִ‫אוּר‬ light, illumination), but
Thummim (‫ים‬ ִ ֻ ) means integritas, inviolability, perfection, and not ᅊλήθεια. The
rendering given by Symm. and Theod., viz., φωτισµοᆳ καᆳ 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
ᅎγαλµα of sapphire-stones, or the ζώδιον of precious stones, which was worn by the
Egyptian high priest suspended by a golden chain, and called ᅊλήθεια (Aelian. var. hist.
14, 34; Diod. Sic. i. 48, 75), sufficiently explains the rendering ᅊλήθεια, 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 εᅶκራν τᇿς ᅊληθείας, which the Egyptian ᅊρχιδικαστής 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 Num_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 τοሞ σύµπαντος
ᅞθνους συγγενᆱς καᆳ ᅊγχιστεᆷς 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.
CALVI , "30.And thou shalt put in the breastplate. From these words some infer
that the Urim and Thummim were distinct from the whole work, which is before
described; others think that they were the twelve stones, because no mention will be
made of them when Moses relates that the whole was completed. But nothing is
more probable, as I have already said, than that on the breastplate itself some
representation was given of light in doctrine, and of entire uprightness of life; and
therefore after Moses has called it “the breastplate of judgment,” he also speaks of it
as “the judgment of the children of Israel;” by which expression he means a certain
and defined system, or an absolutely perfect rule, to which the children of Israel
ought to direct and conform themselves.
ELLICOTT, "(30) Thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the
Thummim.—Comp. Leviticus 8:8. The expression used is identical with that
employed in Exodus 25:15; Exodus 25:21 with respect to putting the Two Tables
into the Ark of the Covenant, and can scarcely have any other meaning than the
literal placing of one thing inside another. It has been already shown (see ote on
Exodus 28:16) that the breastplate was a bag, and so capable of being used as a
receptacle. The words “Urim and Thummim” mean literally, “lights and
perfections,” or, if the plural be one of dignity, “light and perfection” (Aquila and
Symmachus translate by φωτισµοὶ καὶ τελειότητεϛ; the LXX., by ἡ δήλωσιϛ καὶ ἡ
ἀλήθεια; the Vulg. by doctrina et veritas). The question arises, what do these two
words, as here used, designate? Do they designate material objects; if so, what
objects? In favour of their designating material objects are (1) the expressions,
“thou shalt put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim,” “they shall be upon
Aaron’s heart,” “he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim” (Leviticus
8:8); (2) the fact that the words are accompanied by the article, on this, the first
mention of them, as if they were familiar objects, well known at the time to the
people generally; and (3) the explanations of Philo and Josephus, which, while they
differ in all other respects, agree in this, that material objects are intended. But, if
so, what objects? The two sides of the breastplate, says Philo (De Monarch., ii. 5).
But these were not “put in” the breastplate after it was complete, as implied in
Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8. The twelve jewels, says Josephus; but the present
passage, taken in conjunction with Exodus 28:17-21, distinguishes the Urim and
Thummim from them. Some small objects which the bag of the breastplate could
hold, and with which the people had long been familiar, can alone answer the

requirements of the case. Most modern critics are thus far agreed; but when the
further question is asked, what were these objects? The greatest difference appears.
Diamonds, cut and uncut; slips of metal, marked with “yes” and “no”; lots, of some
kind or other; and small images, like the teraphim (Genesis 31:19), are among the
suggestions. A very slight examination of the arguments by which these various
views are supported is sufficient to show that certainty on the subject is
unattainable. Probability, however, seems on the whole to be in favour of a
connection between divination by teraphim and consultation of God by Urim and
Thummim (Judges 17:5; Judges 18:14; Judges 18:17; Judges 18:20; Hosea 3:4),
whence it is reasonable to conclude that the Urim and Thummim were small images,
by which God had been consulted in the past, and by which Moses was now
authorised to state that He would be consulted in the future. How the consultation
was made, and the decision given, is a question still more obscure than that which
has been just considered, and one which seems to the present writer to admit of no
solution. The reader who is curious upon the point may be referred to Dean
Plumptre’s article on “Urim and Thummim,” in Dr. W. Smith’s Dictionary of the
Bible, where the views propounded are ingenious, if not altogether satisfactory.
COKE, "Verse 30
Exodus 28:30. Thou shalt put in the breast-plate of judgement the Urim and the
Thummim— Urim and Thummim, lights and perfections, are mentioned here, and
in Leviticus 8:8 as put into the breast-plate of the high-priest. That these did, in
some manner or other, give prophetical or oracular answers from Jehovah, is
disputed by none who pretend to believe the authority of the Scriptures; being
evidently proved from umbers 27:21. 1 Samuel 28:6 and elsewhere. But the two
great questions relating to them are, first, of what form and substance these Urim
and Thummim were? And, secondly, how or in what manner prophetic answers
were delivered by them? ot to trouble the reader with rabbinical dreams, or what
seem evidently to be erroneous opinions on this subject, we shall endeavour to clear
both these points from the Scriptures themselves: 1st, As to their form and
substance, it seems highly probable that they were no other than the twelve precious
stones inserted into the high-priest's breast-plate, Exodus 28:17, &c. on which were
engraven the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; for, first, it is written, Exodus
28:29. Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel (viz. those engraven on
the stones) in the breast-plate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the
holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually. And, to enjoin this the more
strongly, the same is expressed in the present verse: and thou shalt put in the breast-
plate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be upon Aaron's
heart when he goeth in before the Lord: And [or So] Aaron shall bear the judgment
of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually. Who, that
compares these two verses attentively together, but must see that the Urim and
Thummim are the substance or matter upon which the names were engraven?
Secondly, In the description of the high-priest's breast-plate, given ch. Exodus 28:9,
&c. the Urim and Thummim are not mentioned, but the rows of stones are; and, on
the contrary, in the description, Leviticus 8:8 the Urim and Thummim are
mentioned by name, and the stones not: therefore it is probable that the Urim and
Thummim, and the precious stones, are only different names for the same thing.

Thirdly, If the Urim and Thummim be not the same with the precious stones, then
we must say that Moses, who has so particularly described the most minute things
relating to the high-priest's dress, has given us no description at all of this most
stupendous part of it; which seems highly improbable. As to the second question,
How or in what manner prophetic answers were delivered by Urim and Thummim?
It seems determined beyond dispute, that it was by an audible voice (as at other
times, umbers 7:89.); for, when David consulted the Lord by the ephod of
Abiathar, we read, 1 Samuel 23:11. The Lord [ ‫אמר‬ amar] said, He will come down:
so again, Exodus 28:12 compare also 1 Samuel 30:7-8. 2 Samuel 2:1. Judges 1:1-2;
Judges 20:18. Thus, then, it was the LORD who returned answer by an audible
voice, when the priest presented himself before him, adorned with the Urim and the
Thummim. Who can doubt but that the typical high-priest's appearing continually
before the LORD, with the names of the children of Israel upon his heart,
prefigured the appearing of the real High-Priest in the presence of God as
Intercessor for ever in behalf of the true Israel, even of all those who come unto God
by him? Who can doubt but that Jehovah's being sometimes (see 1 Samuel 28:6.)
pleased to answer by Urim and Thummim, was a shadow of that Spirit of truth and
prophecy which was to be inherent in Jehovah incarnate? See Deuteronomy 33:8.
There was a remarkable imitation of this sacred ornament among the Egyptians: for
we learn from Diodorus and AElian, that "their chief-priest, who was also their
supreme judge in civil matters, wore about his neck by a golden chain an ornament
of precious stones called TRUTH, ( Αληθεια, the very word by which the LXX
render ‫תמים‬ Thummim, in this verse and Leviticus 8:8.) and that a cause was not
opened till the supreme judge had put on this ornament." It seems probable, that
the Egyptians carried off this, as well as other sacred rites, from the dispersion at
Babel; and the supposed priority of it to the time of giving the law, will account for
Moses's first making mention of it in this place as of a thing well known. Thus far
Parkhurst. To what this author has said I would just add, that many very learned
men deliver it as their opinion, that the words might be rendered, thou shalt put
therein stones which are shining and perfect; and they quote Josephus, (Antiq. b. 3:
ch. 8.) who maintains, that the Urim and Thummim were nothing else than the
precious stones themselves in the high-priest's breast-plate. We would also observe,
that the question, how or in what manner prophetic answers were delivered by
Urim and Thummim, seems not altogether properly put; as there are no proofs that
the Urim and Thummim, separately considered, ever gave answers. The high-priest,
wearing the ephod, received answers from God; and so far as he could not receive
answers without it, so far answers, may be said to have been given by that ephod, or
by the breast-plate, as a part for the whole. We would just observe too, that there is
no proof that the Egyptian ornament, mentioned above, was so old as the time of
Moses: Herodotus has not mentioned it; and as, after the time of Moses, it was not
unknown in other countries, so the Egyptians might have derived it from him. Let it
however, after all, be noted, that the Egyptian priests wore not this badge when they
ministered about sacred things, but when they sat as judges in the civil courts.
Calmet observes, that the custom of consulting God by Urim and Thummim
continued no longer, according to the Jewish doctors, than under the tabernacle. It
is a maxim among them, that the Holy Spirit spake to the children of Israel by Urim
and Thummim, while the tabernacle remained; and under the first temple, i.e. the

temple of Solomon, by the prophets; and under the second temple, or after the
captivity of Babylon, by Bathkol or the daughter of the voice; by which they mean a
voice sent from heaven, as that which was heard at the baptism of Christ, and at his
transfiguration: Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5. ote; The written word of God is
now our Urim and Thummim; and when we are enquiring there of his will, he can,
and still does, by divine irradiation on our minds, inform and comfort us under
every difficulty.
Aaron shall bear the judgement of the children of Israel— What is meant by
bearing the judgement, is very plain from Exodus 28:29 and also 15 where see the
note.
EXPOSITOR'S DICTIO ARY, "Exodus 28:30
"May I ask you," said John Bright to the citizens of Birmingham in1858 , "to
believe, as I do most devoutly believe, that the moral law was not written for men
alone in their individual character, but that it was written as well for nations, and
for nations great as this of which we are citizens. If nations reject and deride that
moral law, there is a penalty which will inevitably follow. It may not come at once; it
may not come in our lifetime; but, rely upon it, the great Italian is not a poet only,
but a prophet, when he says:—
The sword of Heaven is not in haste to smite,
or yet doth linger.
We have experience, we have beacons, we have landmarks enough.... We are not left
without a guide. It is true we have not, as an ancient people had, Urim and
Thummim—those oraculous gems on Aaron"s breast—from which to take counsel,
but we have the unchangeable and eternal principles of the moral law to guide us,
and only so far as we walk by that guidance can we be permanently a great nation,
or our people a happy people."
Other Priestly Garments
31 “Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue
cloth,

BAR ES, "Exo_28:31-35
The robe of the ephod - Exo_39:22-26. A frock or robe of the simplest form, woven
without seam, wholly of blue. It was put on by being drawn over the head. It appears to
have had no sleeves. It probably reached a little below the knees. It must have been
visible above and below the ephod, the variegated texture of which it must have set off as
a plain blue groundwork.
CLARKE, "The robe of the ephod - See Clarke on Exo_28:4 (note). From this
description, and from what Josephus says, who must have been well acquainted with its
form, we find that this meil, or robe, was one long straight piece of blue cloth, with a hole
or opening in the center for the head to pass through; which hole or opening was bound
about, that it might not be rent in putting it on or taking it off, Exo_28:32.
GILL, "And thou shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. This was a
different garment from the ephod, was longer than that, and was under it, and of
different materials: that was made of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen; this only
of linen, and wholly of a blue colour, without any curious figures upon it, as were on
that: in Exo_39:22, it is said to be of woven work; it was woven from top to bottom, and
had no seam in it: so Josephus says (b),"the coat did not consist of two parts, nor was it
sewed upon the shoulder, nor on the side, but was one long piece of woven work;''and
such was the seamless coat our Lord Jesus Christ wore, literally understood, Joh_19:23
and both were an emblem of his perfect righteousness, which has nothing of the works
of men joined to it, to justify them before God, and make them acceptable to him: for
this robe signifies the robe of Christ's righteousness, the best robe; it has its name from a
word which signifies prevarication or sin, because it covers the sins of God's people; the
matter of it was linen, and so fitly points at the fine linen, that is the righteousness of the
saints, and being blue or sky coloured may denote heaven and happiness, which that
entitles to, see Mat_5:20, the Septuagint version calls it a garment down to the feet,
using the same word as in Rev_1:13 and fitly agrees with that righteousness with which
all Christ's members are covered and justified, Isa_45:24.
HE RY 31-39, "Here is, 1. Direction given concerning the robe of the ephod, Exo_
28:31-35. This was next under the ephod, and reached down to the knees, was without
sleeves, and was put on over their head, having holes on the sides to put the arms
through, or, as Maimonides describes it, was not sewed together on the sides at all. The
hole on the top, through which the head was put, was carefully bound about, that it
might not tear in the putting on. In religious worship, care must be taken to prevent
every thing that may distract the minds of the worshippers, or render the service
despicable. Round the skirts of the robe were hung golden bells, and the representations
of pomegranates made of yarn of divers colours. The pomegranates added to the beauty
of the robe, and the sound of the bells gave notice to the people in the outer court when
he went into the holy place to burn incense, that they might then apply themselves to
their devotions at the same time (Luk_1:10), in token of their concurrence with him in
his offering, and their hopes of the ascent of their prayers to God in virtue of the incense
he offered. Aaron must come near to minister in the garments that were appointed him,
that he die not. It is at his peril if he attend otherwise than according to the institution.

This intimates that we must serve the Lord with fear and holy trembling, as those that
know we deserve to die, and are in danger of making some fatal mistake. Some make the
bells of the holy robe to typify the sound of the gospel of Christ in the world, giving
notice of his entrance within the veil for us. Blessed are those that hear this joyful
sound, Psa_89:15. The adding of the pomegranates, which are a fragrant fruit, denotes
the sweet savour of the gospel, as well as the joyful sound of it, for it is a savour of life
unto life. The church is called an orchard of pomegranates. 2. Concerning the golden
plate fixed upon Aaron's forehead, on which must be engraven, Holiness to the Lord
(Exo_28:36, Exo_28:37), or The holiness of Jehovah. Aaron must hereby be reminded
that God is holy, and that his priests must be holy. Holiness becomes his house and
household. The high priest must be sequestered from all pollution, and consecrated to
God and to his service and honour, and so must all his ministrations be. All that attend
in God's house must have Holiness to the Lord engraven upon their foreheads, that is,
they must be holy, devoted to the Lord, and designing his glory in all they do. This must
appear in their forehead, in an open profession of their relation to God, as those that are
not ashamed to own it, and in a conversation in the world answerable to it. It must
likewise be engraven like the engravings of a signet, so deep, so durable, not painted to
be washed off, but sincere and lasting; such must our holiness to the Lord be. Aaron
must have this upon his forehead, that he may bear the iniquity of the holy things (Exo_
28:38), and that they may be accepted before the Lord. Herein he was a type of Christ,
the great Mediator between God and man, through whom it is that we have to do with
God. (1.) Through him what is amiss in our services is pardoned. The divine law is strict;
in many things we come short of our duty, so that we cannot but be conscious to
ourselves of much iniquity cleaving even to our holy things; when we would do good evil
is present; even this would be our ruin if God should enter into judgment with us. But
Christ, our high priest, bears this iniquity, bears it for us so as to bear it from us, and
through him it is forgiven to us and not laid to our charge. (2.) Through him what is
good is accepted; our persons, our performances, are pleasing to God upon the account
of Christ's intercession, and not otherwise, 1Pe_2:5. His being holiness to the Lord
recommends all those to the divine favour that are interested in his righteousness, and
clothed with his Spirit; and therefore he has said it was for our sakes that he sanctified
himself, Joh_17:19. Having such a high priest, we come boldly to the throne of grace,
Heb_4:14-16. 3. The rest of the garments are but named (Exo_28:39), because there was
nothing extraordinary in them. The embroidered coat of fine linen was the innermost of
the priestly garments; it reached to the feet, and the sleeves to the wrists, and was bound
to the body with a girdle or sash of needle-work. The mitre, or diadem, was of linen, such
as kings anciently wore in the east, typifying the kingly office of Christ. He is a priest
upon a throne (Zec_6:13), a priest with a crown. These two God has joined, and we must
not think to separate them.
JAMISO 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.

K&D, "The third portion of Aaron's official dress was the robe. To the ephod there
also belonged a ‫יל‬ ִ‫ע‬ ְ‫מ‬ (from ‫ל‬ ַ‫ע‬ ָ‫מ‬ 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 (Exo_28:39) which was underneath.
CALVI , "31.And thou shalt make the robe. This robe was above the oblong coat
between that and the ephod; and from its lower edge hung the bells and
pomegranates alternately. Although there was no smell in the pomegranates, (164)
yet the type suggested this to the eyes; as if God required in that garment a sweet
smell as well as a sound; and surely we who stink through the foulness of our sins,
are only a sweet smell unto God as being covered with the garment of Christ. But
God would have the bells give a sound; because the garment of Christ does not
procure favor for us, except by the sound of the Gospel, which diffuses the sweet
savor of the Head amongst all the members. In this allegory there is nothing too
subtle or far-fetched; for the similitude of the smell and the sound naturally leads us
to the honoring of grace, (165) and to the preaching of the Gospel. By the
pomegranates, therefore, which were attached to the hem of the garment, God
testified that whatever was in the priest smelt sweetly, and was acceptable to Him,
provided the sound accompanied it; the necessity of which is declared, when God
denounces death against the priest if He should enter the sanctuary without the
sound. And assuredly it was a general invitation which awakened the peoples’
minds to attention, whilst the sacred offices were performed. There is no absurdity
in the fact, that the punishment which God threatens does not properly apply to
Christ; because it was necessary to issue severe injunctions to the Levitical priests,
lest they should omit these external exercises of piety, until the truth was manifested.
The ancients do not unwisely make a spiritual application of this to the ministers of
the Church; for the priest is worthy of death, says Gregory, (166) from whom the
voice of preaching is not heard; just as Isaiah reproves “the dumb dogs.” (Isaiah
56:10.) But this we must especially remember, that the garment of Christ is
sonorous, since only faith, which cometh by hearing, clothes us with His
righteousness.
ELLICOTT, "Verses 31-35
3. THE ROBE OF THE EPHOD.
(31-35) The “robe of the ephod” was a frock or tunic, reaching from the neck to
below the knees. It was put on over the head, for which a hole was left (Exodus
28:32). Josephus says that it had no sleeves; and it would seem that the upper
portion, above the waist, was wholly, or almost wholly, concealed by the ephod and
breastplate; but the lower portion, from the waist downwards, formed the outer
dress of the high priest, and was conspicuous. The plain blue contrasted well with
the variegated ephod and the sparkling breastplate. The robe had no ornament
excepting round the bottom, where it was fringed with alternate bells and
pomegranates. The pomegranates were a decoration, and nothing more; but the

bells served a purpose, which is explained in Exodus 28:35.
THE ROBE
"And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 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. And upon the skirts
of it make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the
skirts thereof; and bells of gold between them round about: a golden bell and a
pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round
about. 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."
One of the significant things here is the fact of this robe being a seamless robe, in
that characteristic resembling the one Jesus wore to the Cross, and upon which the
soldiers cast lots for his vesture. Keil described it thus:
"In order that the robe might not be torn when it was put on, the opening of 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."[25]
Josephus also adds the information that this seamless robe had no sleeves, only arm-
holes, and thus it must have resembled the "panchos that one sees in Mexico and
Central America (except for the arm-holes). We agree with the thought advanced by
Fields: "This pullover robe of one piece reminds us of Christ's seamless robe. John
19:23 seems almost an indirect reference to Christ's High Priestly office."[26]
The seamless robe of the High Priest also had another connection with the sacred
drama of the crucifixion. In Mark 14:61, where is recorded the question of
Caiaphas: "Art thou the Christ the Son of the Blessed? Jesus amswered, I AM, and
ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the
clouds of heaven!" It is then recorded that, "The High Priest rent his clothes!"
(Mark 14:63). This was an unlawful and capital offense on the part of Caiaphas.
God had specifically commanded even the sons of Aaron, "Uncover not your heads,
neither rend your clothes, lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people"
(Leviticus 10:6). This tearing of his High Priestly garments by Caiaphas has been
understood as typifying "the rending of the priesthood from himself and from the
Jewish nation."[27]
"Golden bells ... pomegranates ..." Perhaps it is best to understand this in the sense
of extravagantly beautiful decorations. There is practically no certain information
either as to their number or their symbolism. Rawlinson cited three different schools
of thought regarding how many there were: "According to some, there were 12
only; according to others 72; according to a third school 365!"[28] The same
confusion exists with regard to what the bells and the pomegranates symbolized.

COKE, "Exodus 28:31. The robe of the ephod— The robe of the ephod, another
part of the high-priest's vestments, is next described; which was long, reaching
down to the ancles, in form something like one of the surplices used in our churches,
without sleeves, made all of blue woollen cloth, in direct contradiction to the
superstitions of the Egyptians, who never appeared in their temples in woollen
apparel, or in any other than linen garments. It is called the robe of the ephod,
because the ephod was placed immediately upon it. The hem, (or skirts of it,)
Exodus 28:33 was to be adorned with figures of pomegranates of various colour and
workmanship, with bells of gold between each pomegranate; the reason of which is
given in Exodus 28:35 that his sound may be heard, &c.—that he die not; this sound
declaring that he was clothed with the proper robes, to minister without which was
death, see Exodus 28:43. Probably this sound too was designed as an admonition to
the people; at least the author of Ecclesiasticus so understands it, ch. Sirach 45:9.
And 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. Some have
supposed, that as the high-priest was a type of the MESSIAH, the light of the world,
so the blue colour of his robe referred to this striking particular; and the bells to
that sound of the Gospel, which, from Christ, went out into all the earth. See Psalms
19:4 compared with Romans 10:18.
The robe28:31-35
The high priest also wore this garment. It was his basic garment over which he put
the ephod. It covered him completely so his natural nakedness did not appear (cf.
Genesis 3:21).
God may have intended the pomegranates and bells on the hem of the robe ( Exodus
28:33-34) to remind the Israelites of God"s commandments. The pomegranate was
probably a symbol of the spiritually nourishing quality of God"s Word (cf.
Proverbs 25:11; Psalm 19:8-11; Psalm 119:25; Psalm 119:43; Psalm 119:50;
Deuteronomy 8:3; Proverbs 9:8; Ecclesiastes 12:9-11; Ecclesiastes 12:13). The bell
was evidently a symbol of the sounding or proclamation of God"s Word through
testimony. [ ote: See Keil and Delitzsch, 2:202-203.] Some interpreters have felt
pomegranates and bells represented fruitfulness and joy. Others have seen them as
representing the fruits and gifts of God"s Spirit. [ ote: Sailhamer, The Pentateuch .
. ., p306 , recorded several other possible explanations of these decorations.]
"A popular Jewish interpretation of Exodus 28:35 taught that one end of a long
rope should be tied to the high priest"s ankle before he entered the Holy Place.
Since his slightest movement would cause the bells to tinkle, the people outside
would assume that all was well as long as they could hear them. But if the bells fell
silent for a time, the people outside would naturally assume that their priest had
either fainted or died. They would then tug on the end of the rope to pull him out,
making it unnecessary for unauthorized persons to enter the Holy Place in order to

remove his body." [ ote: Youngblood, p128.]
PETT, "Verses 31-35
The Priestly Robe (Exodus 28:31-35).
Under the ephod Aaron wore a priestly robe. From its skirts were to hang
pomegranates of bluey-violet, purpley-red and scarlet all round, and in between
there were to be golden bells. Their sound as he went in and out of the Holy Place in
some way contributed to his survival.
Exodus 28:31-32
“And you shall make the robe of the ephod all of bluey-violet, and it shall have a
hole for the head in its midst. It shall have a binding of woven work round about its
hole, as it were the hole of a coat of mail, that it be not torn.”
The priestly robe was to be of one colour, setting off the multicolours of the ephod.
The place for the head to go through was to be round and not formed by a slit, and
the hole was to be protected by a binding of woven work, carefully protected just
like the hole in a coat of mail. This was to prevent any danger of it being torn. To
wear a torn robe within the sanctuary would bring dishonour to it for it would
depict that which was less than perfect.
BI 31-35, "The robe of the ephod.
The robe of the ephod
The third peculiar garment of the high priest was the robe of the ephod (Exo_28:5; Exo_
28:31). On the skirts of which were fastened—
1. The pomegranates of blue silk, and purple, and scarlet round about. This fruit
hath a most pleasant smell, sweet in itself, and sweetening other things round about
it; and is full of precious juice and liquor.
2. Bells of gold between them round about, a golden bell and a pomegranate; the use
of which was, that his sound might be heard round about when he went into the
sanctuary and holy of holies. The whole garment signified the righteousness of
Christ’s human nature, which is—
(1) Most sweet itself, having a most pleasant savour as the pomegranate.
(2) Full of most precious juice and virtue, to qualify and abate the raging heat of
God’s displeasure, as the juice of pomegranates doth allay the burning heat of an
ague that would shake the body to pieces.
(3) Casts upon us a sweet savour being wrapped in it. For we, by nature, stinking
in our sins and rottenness, are loathsome to the Lord; but once covered with this
mantle, we are a sweet savour to God.
3. This garment hath a sweet sound, as of golden bells, which to hear were most
delectable, because the garment of Christ’s righteousness brings grace to us no
otherwise than by the sound of the gospel. For faith, by which we put on Christ, is
wrought by hearing the sweet sound and golden bell of the gospel. Whence some
have thought, that by this part of the priest’s attire, is shadowed the prophetical

office of Christ. Sweet is the proclamation of the gospel of peace!
4. The use. That by these bells the priests must be heard when he goeth into the
sanctuary; signifying the power of Christ, our High Priest’s, perpetual intercession
(being entered into the sanctuary of heaven) for His elect and chosen. (T. Taylor, D.
D.)
The blue robe
The robe was of one piece, and was all of blue. This colour sets forth that which was pre-
eminently heavenly in the character of Christ, and it reminds us of that perfect, seamless
robe of Christ’s righteousness, which is “unto all and upon all them that believe”(Rom_
3:22). The bottom of this long robe was ornamented with golden bells and
pomegranates. Here were sound and fruit, and as much fruit as sound. As he moved
about in the court or in the tabernacle, every step sent forth a sweet golden sound from
each of the many little bells hanging about his feet, and Aaron would seem to say by this
sound, “I am ready to serve you, and to bless you.” The pomegranates would often
remind him that a priest must do more than make a sound; he must work as well as talk;
he must produce both sound and fruit, and both must be good. These bells and
pomegranates were about the feet—the walk of the high priest; reminding us of the
loveliness of Christ’s walk, and of the sweetness and pleasantness of His conversation.
The sound of these bells would not be heard in the camp, and but faintly, if they could be
heard at all, outside the court. To hear this sweet sound distinctly, a man must have
come as far as to the brazen altar; but he could not come there without an offering. And
as the first offering he was required to bring was a sin-offering, if a man stood at the
altar of brass and listened to the sweet and joyful sound of the golden bells about the
hem of the priest’s blue robe, we are quite sure that he had come, first of all, as a sinner
to be pardoned and saved. So now a man must feel himself a sinner, and in need of a sin-
offering: he must come out from the world; must draw near to Him who is both the altar
and the sacrifice; must lay his hand by faith on the head of Christ. (G. Rodgers.)
The robe of the ephod
This robe embodied the colour of the heavens; it was all of blue. It seems to have typified
the especial glory of the true High Priest, whose name is “Prince of Peace,” the “Lord of
Peace”; and who wears His princely robes as King of Righteousness, and King of Peace,
upon the ground of having made full, perfect, and eternal peace through the blood of His
cross. God, known as love, is the God of peace: and He has brought again from the dead
our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal
covenant. That title, “the Great Shepherd of the sheep,” seems to sum up in one name
the whole of the priesthood of Christ, as described in the Epistle to the Hebrews. He is
the Great Shepherd; for He is King as well as Priest. He has royal power; a royal heart;
royal glory; and His dominions are righteousness and peace; and He is the Shepherd,
having proved His love and care for the sheep, in laying down His life for them; and all
His priestly service on their behalf is conducted with the heart of a good Shepherd, who
loves His own, and whose own the sheep are. This is, therefore, a princely, priestly,
shepherd robe. It displays the love of God as seen in the gift of His Son and as
manifested by the Son Himself, in laying down His life, and so making peace. It was a
robe which covered the high priest from head to foot, and showed the great object of His
priesthood, namely, to maintain, on the behalf of His own, that peace with God which

He had procured at the cost of His own blood, and which the God of peace had sealed
and established, by raising Him from the dead through the blood of the everlasting
covenant. This robe was all of one piece, woven from the top throughout, and a provision
was made by means of a binding of woven work round about the hole in the top of it,
that it should not rend or be rent. Is not this very significant of the unchanging love of
Christ? (H. W. Soltau.)
A golden bell and a pomegranate.
Golden bells
I am glad that the first use of bells was a religious use; and hereafter the gospel of God to
me shall be a chime of bells; and whether I hear them in the garments of the high priest,
or in the cathedral tower, they shall suggest to me the gladness, the warning, and the
triumph of the gospel.
1. These gospel bells, like those that adorned the high priest’s robe, are golden bells.
Other bells are made of coarser materials—zinc, and lead, and tin, and copper; but
these gospel bells are bells of gold. There is one bell in Europe that cost three
hundred thousand dollars. It was at vast expense that metallic voices were given to
the towers of York, and Vienna, and Oxford. But all the wealth of heaven was thrown
into this gospel bell. No angel can count its value. Eternity cannot demonstrate its
cost. When the bell of the Russian Kremlin was being fused, the lords came and
threw their gold into the molten mass; but when this Gospel bell was to be
constructed, the kings of heaven, the hierarchs of eternity, threw into it their crowns
and their sceptres. It is a golden bell. Do you believe it? Hear it ring! “God so loved
the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “Him hath God exalted to be a Prince
and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”
2. I remark, further, that these gospel bells, like those around the high priest’s
garment, are bells of invitation. When the Jews heard the clash of those bells in the
hem of the priest’s robe they knew it was an invitation to worship. That is the
meaning of every church tower from San Francisco to New York, and from London
to St. Petersburgh. It is, “Come—come.”
3. I remark, further, that the gospel bells, like those on the high priest’s robe, are
bells of warning. When the Jews heard the clash and ring of these bells, it was a
warning for them to worship, lest their God be offended. On Bell Rock, in the
German Ocean, there is a lighthouse, and there are two bells, that every half-minute
ring out through the fog, through the darkness, through the storm, and over the sea.
Beware! Beware! The helmsman on the ship, hearing the warning, turns the wheel
and steers off. It is a startling thing, at midnight, to hear the heavy clang of a fire bell,
if you live in the third ward, and the tongue of the bell strike one, two, three! If a city
is besieged, and the flash of the musketry is seen on the hill-tops, and the cavalry
horses are dashing up and down, and the batteries are being unlimbered, all the bells
of the city call, to arms! to arms! So this gospel bell is a bell of alarm.
4. I remark, further, that the bells on the high priest’s robe were bells of joy. When
the Jews heard the chiming of those bells on the priest’s robe, it announced to them
the possibility of pardon for their sins, and of deliverance. “Behold! I bring you good
tidings of great joy, that shall be to all people.” There have been bells rung on days of
victory. The bell of London rang after Waterloo. The bells in many of our cities rang

after the settlement of our national strife. The great bells of York, and Oxford, and
Vienna, at some time, have sounded the victory.
5. These gospel bells, of which I speak, are bells of triumph. Aye! they are ringing
now: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God.” “And He shall reign for ever and for
ever!” The Bishop of Malta, in superstition, had all the bells of the city rung, in the
hope that the storm that was raging in the city might be quieted. That was
superstition: but I think it is faith in God that leads us to believe that the ringing of
these gospel bells will yet silence all the storms of this world’s sin, and all the storms
of this world’s trouble. Oh! when Jesus, our Great High Priest, in full robes shall
enter into His glory, the bells on the hem of His garments will ring with the music of
an eternal merriment.
6. But we shall have no share in that joy unless now we listen to the gospel tiding.
There is a bell on the other side of the waters, weighing two hundred and eight
thousand pounds; and it takes twenty-four men to ring it. But to bring out all the
sweetness of this gospel bell would take all the consecrated spirits of earth—
seraphim and archangel. Who in this august assembly will listen? Who will listen
now? In New England they have what they call a passing bell; that is, when some one
dies in a village, word is sent to the sexton, and he sounds the bell just as often as the
man lived years: and when the sound is in the tower, the people are solemn, and they
say, “Some one is dead—who is it?” For us the passing bell will soon sound. Gone
from the family. Gone from the church. Gone from the last opportunity of salvation.
(T. De Witt Talmage.)
Lessons
As the priests must have in their skirts both bells and pomegranates: so must every
evangelical minister.
1. The bells allow them not to be dumb dogs (Isa_56:10), but the sound of the law
and gospel must clearly sound in their mouths, to be heard afar off.
2. These bells must be of gold, to put ministers in mind that their doctrine be pure;
not corrupt, not savouring of popish liberty, or self-respect.
3. They must never come into the congregation without these bells; for ministers
must still be furnished with some sound matter of instruction and edification. How is
it then that many come into the congregation and never bring bells? Many are afraid
lest the sound of their bells should be heard too much, and that it would disgrace
them to be counted diligent preachers. And many scorn others that their bells sound
so often.
4. To the bells, ministers must join pomegranates: with the wholesome word, join
good works and holy life. He carries the bell, a minister whose life is agreeable with
the holy doctrine (Mat_5:19). He that keepeth the commandments, and teacheth
others so to do, shall be great in the kingdom of God. John Baptist had both bells
(being a burning light in himself), and pomegranates; being a shining light unto
others. And as the pomegranates smelled sweet; so must ministers labour to leave a
sweet smell behind them everywhere. (T. Taylor, D. D.)

The church-going bells
In considering the usefulness of church bells, it may be proper to say: First, that they
render a worthy claim for their existence in promoting the temporal welfare of
communities where their voice is heard. But, secondly, the worth of a bell is perhaps still
more evident when we consider its use for religious purposes. The ways of its usefulness,
when calling the people together for worship, are easily seen.
I. It calls attention to the claims of God for love and service. Nothing is more manifest
than that men are apt to become careless in respect to these claims.
II. It is useful in promoting a larger attendance upon the services of the sanctuary, than
would be secured but for its influence.
III. Added to an increase of attendants, the bell pronotes punctuality.
IV. The bell is useful in the influence it has in preparing the mind of those who obey its
call for worship.
V. The bell is useful because of the sacred associations connected with its sound, and the
hallowed memories its notes inspire. (G. L. Foster.)
The dumb bell
Mr. Gatty, in his book on “Bells,” gives the following anecdote, on the credit of Cardinal
Baronius: “When Charles II., king of France, A.D. 615, was at Sens, in Burgundy, he
heard a bell in the church of St. Stephen, the sound of which pleased him so much that
he ordered it to be transported to Paris. The Bishop of Sens, however, was greatly
displeased at this, and the bell so sympathized with him that it turned dumb on the road
and lost all its sound. When the king heard of this he commanded that the bell should be
carried back to its old quarters, when, strange to relate, as it approached the town, it
recovered its original tone, and began to ring so as to be heard at Sens, whilst yet about
four leagues distant from it.” The true preacher grows silent if forced to any other service
than his Lord’s. If he attempts to speak on any other topic than that which concerns his
Lord and the gospel, he misses his former force; he is not at home, he is glad to end his
speech and sit down. Our bell is dumb if it does not ring out for Jesus. The world would
soon dismiss us if it had hired us to be its orator, for our heart is elsewhere, and only
upon the one dear, familiar theme can be eloquent. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
32 with an opening for the head in its center.
There shall be a woven edge like a collar[c]
around this opening, so that it will not tear.

BAR ES, "Exo_28:32
An habergeon - Corselets of linen, such as appear to be here referred to, were well
known amongst the Egyptians.
GILL, "And there shall be a hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof,.... At the
neck of it, for the high priest to put his head through when he put it on:
it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it; a large hem or
selvage, perhaps of the same kind of woven stuff the robe itself was made of, and this
was done to strengthen it:
as it were the hole of an habergeon; a corslet or coat of mail:
that it be not rent; when the high priest put it on; or through the weight of the ephod
and the ouches of gold on the shoulder pieces of it, and the breastplate hanging down
from thence; this may denote the strength and duration of Christ's righteousness, which
is an everlasting one.
K&D, "Exo_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 Exo_39:22. Josephus and the Rabbins explain the words ‫ג‬ ֵ‫ּר‬‫א‬ ‫ה‬ ֵ‫שׂ‬ ֲ‫ע‬ ַ‫מ‬ (ᅞργον
ᆓφαντόν) in this way, and observe at the same time that the meïl had no sleeves, but only
arm-holes.
ELLICOTT, "(32) As it were the hole of a habergeon.—Linen corselets, or
“habergeons,” were common in Egypt, and were shaped as is here indicated. The
word used for “habergeon,” taklărah, is thought to be Egyptian.
33 Make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet
yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells

between them.
GILL, "And beneath upon the hem of it,.... Or the skirts of it, at the bottom of the
robe:
thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round
about the hem thereof; these were figures made of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, in
the form of pomegranates: Jarchi says they were round and hollow, and made like hens'
eggs, about the size of them, and of an oval form:
and bells of gold between them round about; according to some, the bells were
put into the pomegranates, which is supposed to be the meaning of the phrase "between
them", or, "in the midst of them"; and so Aben Ezra observes, that some say the bells did
not appear, they were only in the midst of the pomegranates, and there they caused their
sound to be heard: but according to our version and others, the bells were placed
between the pomegranates, between every pomegranate and pomegranate there was a
golden bell; and this seems to be plainly the sense of the following verse.
K&D, "Exo_28:33-34
On the lower hem (‫ים‬ ִ‫שׁוּל‬ 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 (Exo_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.” ‫ים‬ִ‫ּנ‬‫מ‬ ֲ‫ע‬ ַ (from ‫ם‬ ַ‫ע‬ ָ to strike of
knock, like the old High German cloccon, clochon, i.e., to smite) signifies a little bell, not
a spherical ball.
ELLICOTT, "(33) Pomegranates.—The pomegranate was a favourite ornament in
Assyria, but not in Egypt. It appears from Joshua 7:21 that the fabrics of Babylon
were carried by the merchants into Syria at a date not much later than this, whence
we may conclude that they circulated also in Arabia and Egypt.
Bells of gold.—The bell is also more Assyrian than Egyptian. Its use as an article of
priestly costume has no direct parallel, nor are bells known to have been employed
in the religious services of any ancient nation. The statement that Persian kings
wore bells rests upon no sufficient authority. We seem to have here the introduction
of an entirely new religious usage.

“And on the skirts of it you will make pomegranates of bluey-violet, and of purpley-
red and of scarlet, round about its skirts, and bells of gold between them round
about. A golden bell, and a pomegranate, a golden bell, and a pomegranate, on the
skirts of the robe round about. And it shall be on Aaron to minister, and its sound
shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before Yahweh, and when he comes
out, that he die not.”
Hanging from the bottom of the skirt of the robe were to be, alternately, replica
pomegranates and golden bells. The pomegranates were to be made of material of
three colours matching the colours used elsewhere. Bells for religious purposes are
known from Assyria, where bells were common, and Assyrian fashions would be
known in Egypt, and no doubt copied by some. And bells were certainly known in
Egypt by 800 BC, both as decoration and as often being attached to children to
ensure knowledge of their whereabouts.
The probable idea of the bells is that Aaron must not enter the Holy Place secretly
and unawares. The bells would announce his presence as all high servants of a king
must be announced. Thus his entry was always to be a public affair, on behalf of the
people, and never to be seen as a private audience. This would stress that the Holy
Place belonged to Yahweh, and Aaron did not have freedom of movement in it. He
came as an underling. To give the impression of trying privately to sneak up on God
or as a private person would be to be worthy of death. Thus the emphasis of the
bells is on the necessity for his announcement each time he came, and resulted from
the fact that there was no one else there to announce him.
The bells could then further be seen as an indication of subservience. They declared
that he was not free to move as he would. They indicated that he was always to be
under some level of subservience and observation. Compare how horses and cattle
would later wear bells as subservient to man because they too were under control
and so that they could be found by means of the sound of the bells.
The pomegranates, like the bread of the presence, probably spoke of the fruitfulness
of the land that God intended to give them. Pomegranates are often mentioned with
this in mind ( umbers 13:23; umbers 20:5; Deuteronomy 8:8; see also Song of
Solomon 4:13; Song of Solomon 6:11; Song of Solomon 7:12; Joel 1:12; Haggai 2:19)
and may have been seen as especially suitable for depiction on the robe, possibly
matching the shape of the bells (round metal ones with a piece of metal inside to
make the noise). Thus they may have been intended in the eyes of the people to
indicate their request for the fruitfulness of the land.
Or the bells with their music and the pomegranates with their wholesomeness may
have been intended to indicate happiness and fruitfulness. To enter into a king’s
presence in a gloomy state was to be in danger of death. Thus the thought here may
be that Aaron must remember that he must enter God’s presence with happiness,
happiness at the God-given fruitfulness of the land and with the joyful sound of
bells.
Or the idea may be that the bells were important because by hearing the bells the

people could participate in what Aaron was doing and could participate with him in
thought as they heard him moving about, and that for Aaron to deliberately act in
such a way as to prevent this was to be worthy of death. He must ever remember
what his position was, and to go in without their being aware would make him as
one who went in as an individual regardless of the fact that he was the people’s
representative. Proper reverence always had to be observed.
Sirach 45:9 gives the interpretation held by some many centuries later and
explained it 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.”
Others have suggested that God may have intended the pomegranates and bells on
the hem of the robe to remind the Israelites of the declaration of God's
commandments, the pomegranate being possibly a symbol of the spiritually
nourishing quality of God's Word and the bells a warning that they should be
heeded (compare Proverbs 25:11; Psalms 19:8-11; Deuteronomy 8:3). Or there is the
view that the bells were a symbol of the sounding or proclamation of God's Word
through testimony, the priest being the teacher of God’s word par excellence. The
problem with these latter is that while the principles are good, they are rather
remote from what is being described, and are nowhere else directly so connected
with such ideas. or do they explain why their lack in this particular place should
be particularly worthy of death.
The later tradition that the High Priest went into the Most Holy Place with a rope
tied round his leg so that if he was struck down and the sound of the bells ceased he
could be dragged out without anyone desecrating the Most Holy Place is interesting,
but is hardly relevant. If true it would, however, bring out the recognition of the
awesomeness of entering the Sanctuary at all, and bells (a different type) do later
declare the holiness of Yahweh (Zechariah 14:20).
34 The gold bells and the pomegranates are to
alternate around the hem of the robe.
GILL, "A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a
pomegranate,.... First a golden bell and then a pomegranate, then a bell and then a

pomegranate again, and so on:
upon the hem of the robe round about; all round the hem or skirts of the robe
were they placed in this manner: the Targum of Jonathan says, the sum or number of
them were seventy one; but Maimonides (c) says there were seventy two, thirty six in
each skirt; and so says R. Levi Ben Gersom; but Clemens of Alexandria (d) has increased
the number to three hundred and sixty six, according to the days of the year, and thinks
they signified the acceptable year of the Lord proclaiming and resounding the great
appearance of the Saviour: "golden bells" may denote either the intercession of Christ in
heaven, which if not vocal, as on earth, has a speech or sound in it, which is understood:
his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, call aloud for peace and pardon, and it is a sound
that is always heard with delight; the matter of them being gold may denote the
preciousness and excellency of Christ's intercession, and the duration of it; and being on
the hem of the robe shows that Christ's righteousness is that on which his intercession
depends, and from whence it has its efficacy: or else these bells may be an emblem of the
Gospel, as preached by Christ himself, and by his apostles and ministers, compared to
"bells" for sound; the sound of the Gospel being a sound of love, grace, mercy, peace,
pardon, righteousness, life, and salvation; a joyful sound, like that of the jubilee, an even
and certain one, different from that of the law, and exceeding musical and delightful;
and to "golden" bells for the preciousness of it, and its truths, and for its duration; and
being on the hem of the robe may signify that in the Gospel the righteousness of Christ is
revealed and pointed at, and that faith in this righteousness comes hereby; "the
pomegranates" on Aaron might be an emblem of his priesthood, and of the ceremonial
law, and of the good things they were shadows and types of; and of Christ himself, and of
the virtue, odour, and fragrancy of his sufferings, sacrifice, and intercession; and also of
the church, called an orchard of pomegranates, Son_4:13 consisting of various
members, as the pomegranate of various grains; the juice of which the blood of Christ
may resemble, in which those members swim and are washed; and who are of a grateful
odour to God, and are surrounded by his power and love; and their hanging upon the
hem of the robe may signify the acceptableness of them through the righteousness,
sacrifice, and mediation of Christ, and the fruits of good works, which both the
righteousness of Christ and the Gospel produce; and particularly the bells and
pomegranates may signify that sound doctrine and a savoury life and conversation
should go together in the priests of the Lord, in the ministers of his word.
JAMISO , "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.
35 Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The
sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the

Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes
out, so that he will not die.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:35
His sound - Its sound, i. e. the sound of the robe, that the people, who stood without,
when they heard the sound of the bells within the tabernacle, might have a sensible
proof that the high priest was performing the sacred rite in their behalf, though he was
out of their sight.
That he die not - The bells also bore witness that the high priest was, at the time of
his ministration, duly attired in the dress of his office, and so was not incurring the
sentence of death (see also Exo_28:43). An infraction of the laws for the service of the
sanctuary was not merely an act of disobedience; it was a direct insult to the presence of
Yahweh from His ordained minister, and justly incurred a sentence of capital
punishment. Compare Exo_30:21; Lev_8:35; Lev_10:7.
CLARKE, "His sound shall be heard - The bells were doubtless intended to keep
up the people’s attention to the very solemn and important office which the priest was
then performing, that they might all have their hearts engaged in the work; and at the
same time to keep Aaron himself in remembrance that he ministered before Jehovah,
and should not come into his presence without due reverence.
That he die not - This seems an allusion to certain ceremonies which still prevail in
the eastern countries. Jehovah appeared among his people in the tabernacle as an
emperor in his tent among his troops. At the doors of the tents or palaces of grandees
was generally placed some sonorous body, either of metal or wood, which was struck to
advertise those within that a person prayed for admittance to the presence of the king,
etc. As the tabernacle had no door, but a veil, and consequently nothing to prevent any
person from going in, Aaron was commanded to put the bells on his robe, that his sound
might be heard when he went into the holy place before the Lord.
GILL, "And it shall be upon Aaron to minister,.... That is, the robe before
described shall be put upon him, that he might minister in the priest's office, for without
this, as well as the other garments, he might not:
and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before
the Lord, and when he cometh out; by means of which the priests would have
notice that they might depart, and he be alone in his ministrations; or rather, that the
people might know his going out and coming in, and so give themselves up to prayer,
while he was offering incense, see Luk_1:9 though the instance of Zacharias is not of an
high priest, but of a common priest:
that he die not the Targum of Jonathan adds, with flaming fire. This is added, to make
him, and all succeeding priests, careful that this robe, nor any other of the priestly

garments, were wanting, when they ministered before the Lord; should any be wanting,
it would be highly resented by the Lord: and such an one would be in danger of being cut
off by death from the immediate hand of God, as Nadab and Abihu were for offering
strange fire to the Lord; for, according to the Jewish writers (e), a priest not rightly
attired, either with more or fewer garments than he should have, his service was illegal,
and he was as a stranger, and his service strange service, unacceptable to God, yea,
provoking to him; and so Jarchi on the text says, if he wanted one of these garments, he
was guilty of death by the hand of heaven, the immediate hand of God.
K&D, "Exo_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 ‫ל‬ ֵ‫א‬ ָ‫ר‬ ְ‫שׂ‬ִ‫י‬ ‫י‬ֵ‫נ‬ ְ‫ב‬ ִ‫ל‬ ‫ּן‬‫ר‬ ָⅴִ‫ז‬ in Exo_28:12
(cf. Exo_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 Num_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 Pro_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 Psa_19:8; Psa_119:25,
Psa_119:43, Psa_119:50, with Deu_8:3; Pro_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.
ELLICOTT, "(35) And his sound shall be heard.—Rather, that its sound may he
heard. The great object of the bells was to make known to the people, by a sensible
manifestation, every movement of their representative, every act that he performed
on their behalf. The bells enabled them to follow in their thoughts the entire service
that he was engaged in, to join their prayers and praises with his, and offer to God a
common worship. So important was this union of priest and people in the worship
of God regarded, that death was denounced on the high priest who should minister
in the sanctuary without this essential garment.
36 “Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it

as on a seal: holy to the Lord.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:36-43
Compare Exo_39:27-31.
Exo_28:36
Holiness to the Lord - This inscription testified in express words the holiness with
which the high priest was invested in virtue of his sacred calling.
CLARKE, "Thou shalt make a plate of pure gold - The word ‫ציץ‬ tsits, which we
render plate, means a flower, or any appearance of this kind, The Septuagint translate it
by πεταλον, a leaf; hence we might be led to infer that this plate resembled a wreath of
flowers or leaves; and as it is called, Exo_29:6, ‫נזר‬ nezer, a crown, and the author of the
book of The Wisdom of Solomon 18:24, who was a Jew, and may be supposed to know
well what it was, calls it διαδηµα, it was probably of the form, not of the ancient diadem,
but rather of the radiated crown worn by the ancient Roman emperors, which was a gold
band that went round the head from the vertex to the occiput; but the position of the
Jewish sacerdotal crown was different, as that went round the forehead, under which
there was a blue lace or fillet, Exo_28:37, which was probably attached to the mitre or
turban, and formed its lowest part or border.
Holiness to the Lord - This we may consider as the grand badge of the sacerdotal
office.
1. The priest was to minister in holy things.
2. He was the representative of a holy God.
3. He was to offer sacrifices to make an atonement for and to put away Sin.
4. He was to teach the people the way of righteousness and true holiness.
5. As mediator, he was to obtain for them those Divine influences by which they
should be made holy, and be prepared to dwell with holy spirits in the kingdom of
glory.
6. In the sacerdotal office he was the type of that holy and just One who, in the
fullness of time, was to come and put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
It is allowed on all hands that this inscription was, in the primitive Hebrew character,
such as appears upon ancient shekels, and such as was used before the Babylonish
captivity, and probably from the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. The ‫ליהוה‬ ‫קדש‬ Kodesh
Laihovah, of the present Hebrew text, would in those ancient characters appear thus as
this illustration, which, in the modern Samaritan character, evidently derived from that
illustration. And the Samaritan word in this ancient and original character is the famous
Tetragrammaton, or word of four letters, which, to the present day, the Jews will neither
write nor pronounce. The Jews teach that these letters were embossed on the gold, and

not engraven in it, and that the plate on which they were embossed was about two
fingers broad, and that it occupied a space on the forehead between the hair and the
eyebrows. But it is most likely that it was attached to the lower part of the mitre.
GILL, "And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold,.... It was, as Jarchi says, two
fingers broad, and reached from ear to ear, and so Maimonides (f); it is sometimes called
the holy crown, and the plate of the holy crown, Exo_29:6, this was a priestly crown, for
priests were very honourable and dignified persons, especially the high priest among the
Jews; and even among the Gentiles it was common for their kings to be priests: and
though this crown may denote the kingly power of Christ, yet as residing in him who is a
priest, for he is a priest on his throne, Zec_6:13, and so may signify the conjunction of
the kingly and priestly offices in Christ, who has a crown of pure gold given him by his
Father, and put upon him, and by his people, Psa_21:4 and being of pure gold, holy, and
on the forehead, as this plate was, may signify the purity and holiness of Christ's
kingdom and office, the glory, visibility, and perpetuity of it:
and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD;
which words were written either in two lines, or in one. If in two, Maimonides (g) says,
the word "holiness" was above, and to "the Lord" below: but it might be written in one
line, and that seems most likely: he also says the letters were protuberant, or stood out;
but then they would not be graved like the engravings of a signet, in which the letters or
figures are engraved within, but like the impressions of a signet made on wax, or other
things: in this the high priest was a type of Christ, who is holy in himself, in his person,
in both his natures, divine and human, in his offices of prophet, priest, and King; and he
is holiness itself, the most holy, essentially, infinitely, and perfectly so, as angels and
men are not, and the source and spring of holiness to others: and he is holiness to the
Lord for his people; he is so representatively; as their covenant head he has all grace in
his hands for them, and they have it in him; this is sanctification in Christ, and is by
virtue of union to him, and is complete and perfect, and the cause of holiness in his
people; and he is so by imputation. The holiness of his human nature was not a mere
qualification for his office, or only exemplary to us, but is with his obedience and
sufferings imputed to us for justification. Moreover, Christ has by his blood sanctified
his people, or made atonement for them, and procured the cleansing of them from their
sins, or the expiation of them; and he is also the efficient cause of their internal holiness
by his Spirit, without which there is no seeing God, 1Co_6:11.
JAMISO 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.
K&D 36-38, "The fourth article of the high priest's dress was the diadem upon his
head-band. ‫יץ‬ ִ‫,צ‬ from ‫צוּץ‬ to shine, a plate of pure gold, on which the words ‫ה‬ָ‫ּו‬‫ה‬‫י‬ ַ‫ל‬ ‫שׁ‬ ֶ‫ּד‬‫ק‬,
“holiness (i.e., all holy) to Jehovah,” were engraved, and which is called the “crown of
holiness” in consequence, in Exo_39:30. This gold plate was to be placed upon a riband
of dark-blue purple, or, as it is expressed in Exo_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 Exo_26:9) of the

head-band,” from above (Exo_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
‫ת‬ ֶ‫פ‬ֶ‫נ‬ ֵ‫צ‬ ִ‫,מ‬ from ‫ף‬ַ‫נ‬ ָ‫צ‬ to twist or coil (Isa_22:18), is only applied to the head-band or turban of
the high priest, which was made of simply byssus (Exo_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.” ‫וֹן‬ ָ‫ע‬ ‫א‬ ָ‫שׁ‬ָ‫:נ‬ 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 (Psa_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.)
CALVI , "36.And thou shalt make a plate. It is not without reason that this
inscription is placed upon the priest’s forehead, that it may be conspicuous; for not
only did God thus testify that the legal priesthood was approved of, and acceptable
to Him, since He had consecrated it by His word, but also that holiness was not to be
sought elsewhere. These two things, then, are to be observed, —first, that the
priesthood of His own appointment is pleasing to God, and so, that all others,
however magnificently they may be spoken of, are abominable to Him, and rejected
by Him; and secondly, that out of Christ we are all corrupt, and all our worship
faulty; and however excellent our actions may seem, that they are still unclean and
polluted. Thus, therefore, let all our senses remain fixed on the forehead of our sole
and perpetual Priest, that we may know that from Him alone purity flows
throughout the whole Church. To this His words refer,
"For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the
truth.” (John 17:19;)

and the same thing is expressed in this passage of Moses, “that Aaron may hear the
iniquity of the holy things,” etc. It is undoubtedly a remarkable passage, whereby,
we are taught that nothing proceeds from us pleasing to God except through the
intervention of the grace of the Mediator; for here there is no reference to manifest
and gross sins, (167) the pardon of which it is clear that we can only obtain through
Christ; but the iniquity of the holy oblations was to be taken away and cleansed by
the priest. That is but a poor exposition of it, that if any error were committed in the
ceremonies, it was remitted in answer to the prayers of the priest; for we must look
further, and understand that on this account the iniquity of the offerings must be
purged by the priest, because no offering, in so far as it is of man, is altogether free
from guilt. This is a harsh saying, and almost a paradox, that our very holinesses
are so impure as to need pardon; but it must be borne in mind that nothing is so
pure as not to contract some stain from us; just as water, which, although it may be
drawn in purity from a limpid fountain, yet, if it passes over muddy ground, is
tinged by it, and becomes somewhat turbid: thus nothing is so pure in itself as not to
be polluted by the contagion of our flesh. othing is more excellent than the service
of God; and yet the people could offer nothing, even although prescribed by the
Law, except with the intervention of pardon, which none but the priest could obtain
for them. There is now no sacrifice, nor was there ever, more pleasing to God than
the invocation of His name, as He himself declares,
"Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me,”
(Psalms 50:15;)
yet the Apostle teaches us that “the sacrifice of praise” only pleases God when it is
offered in Christ. (Hebrews 13:15.) Let us learn, then, that our acts of obedience,
when they come into God’s sight, are mingled with iniquity, which exposes us to His
judgment, unless Christ should sanctify them. In sum, this passage teaches us that
whatsoever good works we strive to present to God are so far from deserving
reward, that they rather convict us of guilt, unless the holiness of Christ, whereby
God is propitiated, obtains pardon for them. And this is again asserted immediately
afterwards, where Moses says that by favor of the priest the sins of the sacred
oblations are taken away (168) “for favorable acceptation,” i.e., that the Israelites
may be sure that God is reconciled and favorable to them. I have nothing to say of
the tiara itself, which some call a mitre, (cidarim,) and others a cap; neither do I
choose to philosophize too subtilely about the belt or girdle. (169)
ELLICOTT, "(36) Thou shalt make a plate.—The plate is so much of the essence of
the mitre that it is put forward first, as that whereto all the rest is subordinate. It
was to be “of pure gold,” and “fastened on high upon the mitre” (Exodus 39:31); so
catching the eye even more than the breastplate, and drawing men’s special
attention. But the plate itself was only the vehicle for an inscription, and thus men’s
attention would be especially directed to that. It taught the great truth that religion
culminates in “Holiness to Jehovah,” without which all else is worthless—forms,
ceremonies, priestly attire, sacrifice, prayer, are mockeries. It required primarily
the high priest himself to be holy; but it was a call also to the whole nation, whose

representative the high priest was, that they should be “a holy nation,” “a kingdom
of priests” (Exodus 19:6), and should consecrate themselves heart and soul to
Jehovah.
Verses 36-39
4. THE MITRE.
(36-39) The head-dress of the high priest was to be of fine white linen (shêsh) and
appears by the description of Josephus (Ant. Jud. iii. 7, § 3) to have been a turban,
made of several thick swathes or folds in the usual way. It was to be adorned in
front with a plate of pure gold bearing the inscription “Holiness to Jehovah,” which
was to be attached to the linen fabric by a ribbon or “lace” of blue.
THE MITRE; THE COAT; A D THE GIRDLE
"And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of
a signet, HOLY TO JEHOVAH. 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. 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 the
forehead, that they may be accepted before Jehovah. 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."
"And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold ..." "The word for plate here literally
means petal of a flower, which seems to have been the figure (shape) of this
burnished plate of gold."[29]
"HOLY TO JEHOVAH ..." We agree with Fields that the King James Version of
this expression is superior. "[~QODESH], the Hebrew word for "HOLY" is a noun;
and despite the fact that it is sometimes used as an adjective, the use of it here
without a noun closely preceding it, indicates that it should be taken as a noun,
HOLI ESS."[30] It should therefore read, HOLI ESS U TO THE LORD, or
HOLI ESS U TO JEHOVAH (YAHWEH). The measure of the distance by which
the Church of God has surpassed this conception of HOLI ESS is evident in
Zechariah's great passage:
"In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLY U TO JEHOVAH;
and the pots in Jehovah's house shall be like the bowls before the altar (Zechariah
14:20)."
God's redeemed people in the ew Israel would be accounted HOLY U TO
JEHOVAH without any of the symbolism so richly evident in this great chapter.
"And Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things ..." Aaron's bearing the
iniquity of the holy things given by the people is a manner of saying that Aaron
would bear the iniquity of Israel; and this is a symbol of Him who bore our sins in

his own body on the tree! "This was prophetic of our Lord's taking on him the
iniquity of us all'" (Isaiah 53:6).[31]
The shape of the mitre is not given here, but Josephus' description of the head-dress
of the ordinary priests states that, "they were not conical of form, nor did they cover
the whole head."[32] From this, it has been assumed that the mitre of the High
Priest was conical and that it covered the whole head except for the face.
"The girdle ..." This was also called a sash and was to be made of fine embroidered
needle work. "According to the Talmud, the sash was wrapped around the coat and
was forty-eight feet long!"[33]
"The coat ..." also mentioned here was not described except in the general
requirement that it should be of "checker work." Josephus described it as an inner
garment worn close to the body, with sleeves tied close to the arms, and covering
practically all the body. "It was embroidered with flowers of scarlet, purple, and
blue, and hung loosely down to the ankles and was tied about the waist."[34]
COKE, "Exodus 28:36. Thou shalt make a plate of pure gold— The word rendered
plate, properly signifies a flower; and, probably, this plate was formed with
indentations or rays like a flower. It is called in the next chapter, Exodus 28:6. ‫נזר‬
nezer, a crown, a mark of separation, or distinguished dignity, either priestly or
regal. It was to be fastened with a blue lace upon the fore-front of the mitre, which
was to be made of fine linen, Exodus 28:39 something like the Turkish turbans, of
which form were anciently the diadems of kings. Justin (lib. 15: cap. 3.) tells us, that
Alexander the Great took his diadem from his head to bind up the wounds of
Lysimachus. Upon the plate, thus bound upon the mitre, was to be engraved
HOLI ESS TO JEHOVAH and it was always to be worn upon Aaron's forehead,
i.e. upon the part of the mitre which covered the front of his forehead, Exodus 28:38
not only to remind him of the solemnity of the service to which he was consecrated,
but also to shew that he was the intercessor for the people; and, in that capacity, the
type of HIM, who, being essentially holy and undefiled, intercedes for, and makes
acceptable to God, all his believing people. See Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 7:28. For an
exact description of the mitre, as well as the other parts of the sacerdotal dress, we
refer to Josephus, b. 3: ch. 7.
The gold plate28:36-38
A plaque of pure gold was attached to the front of the high priest"s turban. It bore
the engraved words, "Holy 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
(Ps. cvi16), 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." [ ote: Keil and Delitzsch, 2:204.]
"It was necessary also that he should be a holy man.... It was as though they said:
"We are conscious that our representative may fail in personal holiness, but on that
golden plate of purest metal we have placed our ideal, the high-water Mark , which
we desire our priest should attain."" [ ote: Meyer, p359.]
""Set apart for Yahweh" refers not alone, indeed not even primarily to "Aaron"
and his successors, as Exodus 28:38 makes plain. It is Israel that is "set apart for
Yahweh," "Aaron" of course among Israel and representing Israel ..." [ ote:
Durham, p388.]
The tunic, turban, and sash28:39
These items completed the high priest"s wardrobe. The tunic was an undergarment,
the turban covered his head, and the sash served as a belt.
MACLARE , "Verse 36
Exodus
THREE I SCRIPTIO S WITH O E MEA I G
HOLI ESS TO THE LORD.’ - Exodus 28:36.
HOLI ESS U TO THE LORD.’ - Zechariah 14:20.
‘His name shall be in their foreheads.’ - Revelation 22:4.
You will have perceived my purpose in putting these three widely separated texts
together. They all speak of inscriptions, and they are all obviously connected with
each other. The first of them comes from the ancient times of the institution of the
ceremonial ritual, and describes a part of the high priest’s official dress. In his mitre
was a thin plate of gold on which was written, ‘Holiness to the Lord.’ The second of
them comes from almost the last portion recorded of the history of Israel in the Old
Testament, and is from the words of the great Prophet of the Restoration-his ideal
presentation of the Messianic period, in which he recognises as one feature, that the
inscription on the mitre of the high priest shall be written on ‘the bells of the
horses.’ And the last of them is from the closing vision of the celestial kingdom, the
heavenly and perfected form of the Christian Church. John, probably remembering
the high priest and his mitre, with its inscription upon the forehead, says: ‘His
servants shall do Him priestly service’-for that is the meaning of the word
inadequately translated ‘serve Him’-’and see His face, and His name shall be in
their foreheads.’
These three things, then-the high priest’s mitre, the horses’ bells, the foreheads of
the perfected saints-present three aspects of the Christian thought of holiness. Take
them one by one.
I. The high priest’s mitre.
The high priest was the official representative of the nation. He stood before God as
the embodied and personified Israel. For the purposes of worship Israel was the
high priest, and the high priest was Israel. And so, on his forehead, not to
distinguish him from the rest of the people, but to include all the people in his

consecration, shone a golden plate with the motto, ‘Holiness to the Lord.’ So, at the
very beginning of Jewish ritual there stands a protest against all notions that make
‘saint’ the designation of any abnormal or exceptional sanctity, and confine the
name to the members of any selected aristocracy of devoutness and goodness. All
Christian men, ex officio, by the very fact of their Christianity, are saints, in the true
sense of the word. And the representative of the whole of Israel stood there before
God, with this inscription blazing on his forehead, as a witness that, whatsoever
holiness may be, it belongs to every member of the true Israel.
And what is it? It is a very unfortunate thing-indicating superficiality of thought-
that the modern popular notion of ‘holiness’ identifies it with purity, righteousness,
moral perfection. ow that idea is in it, but is not the whole of it. For, not to spend
time upon mere remarks on words, the meaning of the word thus rendered is in
Hebrew, as well as in Greek and in our own English, one and the same. The root-
meaning is ‘separated,’ ‘set apart,’ and the word expresses primarily, not moral
character, but relation to God. That makes all the difference; and it incalculably
deepens the conception, as well as puts us on the right track for understanding the
only possible means by which there can ever be realised that moral perfection and
excellence which has unfortunately monopolised the meaning of the word in most
people’s minds. The first thought is ‘set apart to God.’ That is holiness, in its root
and germ.
And how can we be set apart for God? You may devote a dead thing for certain uses
easily enough. How can a man be separated and laid aside?
Well, there is only one way, brethren, and that is by self-surrender. ‘Yield
yourselves to God’ is but the other side, or, rather, the practical shape, of the Old
and the ew Testament doctrine of holiness. A man becomes God’s when he says,
‘Lord, take me and mould me, and fill me and cleanse me, and do with me what
Thou wilt.’ In that self-surrender, which is the tap-root of all holiness, the first and
foremost thing to be offered is that most obstinate of all, the will that is in us. And
when we yield our wills in submission both to commandments and providences, both
to gifts and to withdrawals, both to gains and to losses, both to joys and to sorrows,
then we begin to write upon our foreheads ‘Holiness to the Lord.’ And when we go
on to yield our hearts to Him, by enshrining Him sole and sovereign in their
innermost chamber, and turning to Him the whole current of our lives and desires,
and hopes and confidences, which we are so apt to allow to run to waste and be
sucked up in the desert sands of the world, then we write more of that inscription.
And when we fill our minds with joyful submission to His truth, and occupy our
thoughts with His mighty ame and His great revelation, and carry Him with us in
the hidden corners of our consciousness, even whilst we are busy about daily work,
then we add further letters to it. And when the submissive will, and the devoted
heart, and the occupied thoughts are fully expressed in daily life and its various
external duties, then the writing is complete. ‘Holiness to the Lord’ is self-surrender
of will and heart and mind and everything. And that surrender is of the very essence
of Christianity.
What is a saint? Some man or woman that has practised unheard-of austerities?
Somebody that has lived an isolated and self-regarding life in convent or monastery
or desert? o! a man or woman in the world who, moved by the mercies of God,
yields self to God as ‘a living sacrifice.’

So the ew Testament writers never hesitate to speak even of such very imperfect
Christians as were found in abundance in churches like Corinth and Galatia as
being all ‘saints,’ every man of them. That is not because the writers were
minimising their defects, or idealising their persons, but because, if they are
Christians at all, they are saints; seeing that no man is a Christian who has not been
drawn by Christ’s great sacrifice for him to yield himself a sacrifice for Christ.
Of course that intrusive idea which has, in popular apprehension, so swallowed up
the notion of holiness-viz. that of perfection of moral character or conduct-is
included in this other, or rather is developed from it. For the true way to conquer
self is to surrender self; and the more entire our giving up of ourselves, the more
certainly shall we receive ourselves back again from His hands. ‘By the mercies of
God, I beseech you, yield yourselves living sacrifices.’
II. I come to my next text-the horses’ bells.
Zechariah has a vision of the ideal Messianic times, and, of course, as must
necessarily be the case, his picture is painted with colours laid upon his palette by
his experience, and he depicts that distant future in the guise suggested to him by
what he saw around him. So we have to disentangle from his words the sentiment
which he expresses, and to recognise the symbolic way in which he puts it. His
thought is this,-the inscription on the high priest’s mitre will be written on the bells
which ornament the harness of the horses, which in Israel were never used as with
us, but only either for war or for pomp and display, and the use of which was
always regarded with a certain kind of doubt and suspicion. Even these shall be
consecrated in that far-off day.
And then he goes on with variations on the same air, ‘In that day there shall be
upon the bells of the horses, "Holiness unto the Lord,"‘ and adds that ‘the pots in
the Lord’s house’-the humble vessels that were used for the most ordinary parts of
the Temple services-’shall be like the bowls before the altar,’ into which the sacred
blood of the offerings was poured. The most external and secular thing bearing
upon religion shall be as sacred as the sacredest. But that is not all. ‘Yea! every pot
in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts, and all they that
sacrifice shall come and take of them,’ and put their offerings therein. That is to say,
the coarse pottery vessels that were in every poverty-stricken house in the city shall
be elevated to the rank of the sacred vessels of the Temple. Domestic life with all its
secularities shall be hallowed. The kitchens of Jerusalem shall be as truly places of
worship as is the inner shrine of the Most High.
On the whole, the prophet’s teaching is that, in the ideal state of man upon earth,
there will be an entire abolition of the distinction between ‘sacred’ and ‘secular’; a
distinction that has wrought infinite mischief in the world, and in the lives of
Christian people.
Let me translate these words of our prophet into English equivalents. Every cup and
tumbler in a poor man’s kitchen may be as sacred as the communion chalice that
passes from lip to lip with the ‘blood of Jesus Christ’ in it. Every common piece of
service that we do, down among the vulgarities and the secularities and the
meannesses of daily life, may be lifted up to stand upon precisely the same level as
the sacredest office that we undertake. The bells of the horses may jingle to the same
tune as the trumpets of the priests sounded within the shrine, and on all, great and
small, may be written, ‘Holiness to the Lord.’

But let us remember that that universally diffused sanctity will need to have a centre
of diffusion, else there will be no diffusion, and that all life will become sacred when
the man that lives it has ‘Holiness to the Lord’ written on his forehead, and not else.
If that be the inscription on the driver’s heart, the horses that he drives will have it
written on their bells, but they will not have it unless it be. Holy men make all things
holy. ‘To the pure all things are pure,’ but unto them that are unclean and
disobedient there is nothing pure. Hallow thyself, and all things are clean unto thee.
III. And so I come to my third text-the perfected saints’ foreheads.
The connection between the first and the last of these texts is as plain and close as
between the first and the second. For John in his closing vision gives emphasis to the
priestly idea as designating in its deepest relations the redeemed and perfected
Christian Church. Therefore he says, as I have already explained, ‘His servants
shall do Him priestly service, and His name shall be in their foreheads.’ The old
official dress of the high priest comes into his mind, and he paints the future, just as
Zechariah did, under the forms of the past, and sees before the throne the perfected
saints, each man of them with that inscription clear and conspicuous.
But there is an advance in his words which I think it is not fanciful to note. It is only
the name that is written in the perfected saint’s forehead. ot the ‘Holiness unto the
Lord,’ but just the bare name. What does that mean? Well, it means the same as
your writing your name in one of your books does, or as when a man puts his initials
on the back of his oxen, or as the old practice of branding the master’s mark upon
the slave did. It means absolute ownership.
But it means something more. The name is the manifested personality, the revealed
God, or, as we say in an abstract way, the character of God. That ame is to be in
the foreheads of His perfected people. How does it come to be there? Read also the
clause before the text-’His servants shall see His face, and His name shall be in their
foreheads.’ That is to say, the perfected condition is not reached by surrender only,
but by assimilation; and that assimilation comes by contemplation. The faces that
are turned to Him, and behold Him, are smitten with the light and shine, and those
that look upon them see ‘as it had been the face of an angel,’ as the Sanhedrim saw
that of Stephen, when he beheld the Son of Man ‘standing at the right hand of God.’
My last text is but a picturesque way of saying what the writer of it says in plain
words when he declares, ‘We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.’ The
name is to be ‘in their foreheads,’ where every eye can see it. Alas! alas! it is so hard
for us to live out our best selves, and to show to the world what is in us. Cowardice,
sheepishness, and a hundred other reasons prevent it. In this poor imperfect state no
emotion ever takes shape and visibility without losing more or less of its beauty. But
yonder the obstructions to self-manifestation will be done away; and ‘when He shall
be manifested, we also shall be manifested with Him in glory.’
‘Then shall the righteous blaze forth like the sun in My heavenly Father’s
Kingdom.’ But the beginning of it all is ‘Holiness to the Lord’ written on our hearts;
and the end of that is the vision which is impossible without holiness, and which
leads on to the beholder’s perfect likeness to his Lord.
ISBET, "Verse 36
THE PRIESTLY MITRE
‘And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of

a signet, Holiness to the Lord.’
Exodus 28:36
This plate of pure gold was fastened by blue lace to the mitre, or turban, or tiara, or
linen which was upon the head of the high-priest. With the plate of pure gold upon
his forehead, he went in before God to present the inscription graven there like the
engraving of a signet, ‘Holiness to the Lord,’ to take away the iniquity of the holy
things of Israel and to make those holy things, purged from their iniquity,
acceptable to God. Consider the subject of holiness.
I. The word is used in three senses in the Bible.—(1) Sometimes the word ‘holy’
means that which is set apart, consecrated. In that sense the vessels of the Temple
were holy. (2) Sometimes the word signifies the indwelling of the Spirit, with His
gradually sanctifying processes. In this sense the Church is holy. (3) There is a still
higher sense in which man is perfectly holy. Christ perfects them that are sanctified.
II. The true definition of holiness is the likeness of God.—But we cannot conceive of
the likeness of God but through a medium, and that medium must be the Lord Jesus
Christ. Whatever traits we find characterising the life of Jesus, these make up
holiness. (1) The life of Christ was a separate life. (2) He always carried about an
inner sanctuary in His own soul. (3) The life of Christ had a subdued tone. (4) It was
a life consecrated to an object. (5) It was a life of praise.
III. Look upon holiness as an end to be obtained.—Do not seek holiness as a means
to happiness, but happiness as a means to holiness. Be more careful about the
holiness of little things than of great things.
Rev. Jas. Vaughan.
Illustration
‘Josephus tells us that the head-dress of the high-priest was “not a conical cap, but a
sort of crown, made of thick linen swathes” (Ant. Jud., 3. 7, § 3). It was, in fact, a
kind of turban. The colour was white, and the only ornament on it was the “plate of
pure gold,” with its blue ribbon or fillet. This plate was placed in front over the
forehead, was made probably of burnished gold. It had engraved on it the
inscription “Holiness to the Lord.” That golden plate was a type of the essential
holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ. His was a life of holy separation to God.
Throughout the whole of His lowly course, holiness to Jehovah was the ruling
purpose of His mind. And it is written, “It shall be always upon his forehead, that
they may be accepted before the Lord.” This shows us where we stand in God’s
sight. It shows us how and why we are accepted. ot because of any holiness
imparted to us—not in virtue of what we are—or have become by Divine grace, but
because of what He is. We are represented by Him. His holiness is ours. He is
“always” in the presence of God for us. Are we ever tempted to think that because
of fluctuating feelings and harassing doubts we are no longer acceptable to God?
Let us remember that it is never because of anything in us that we are accepted at
all. The measure of our acceptance is what Christ is to God; and that remains ever
the same in spite of the ups and downs of our spiritual condition. He is there before

the throne, that we who are here on earth may be accepted of God in Him.’
SIMEO , "AARO ’S MITRE
Exodus 28:36-38. And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like
the engravings of a signet, HOLI ESS TO THE LORD. And thou shalt put it on a
blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre: upon the fore-front of the mitre it shall be.
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.
IF it were once ascertained that God had imposed a number of ordinances upon his
people, we should be ready to conclude that his institutions were not mere arbitrary
and insignificant laws, but that they had some occult meaning, worthy of their
divine Author. But when we are informed by God himself, that many things,
apparently most indifferent, were intended to shadow forth the great mystery of
redemption, we are persuaded that not even the minutest ordinance among them
was without some appropriate and important signification. But though we believe
this, we do not presume to assign the meaning of each, any further than we are
warranted by the Scriptures themselves. Instead of wandering into the regions of
conjecture, we judge it more for general edification to confine ourselves to matters
which are obvious and acknowledged.
The whole dress of the high-priest was unquestionably typical; and designated
either the office of our great High-Priest, or his qualifications for the discharge of it.
That part to which we would now direct your attention, is his mitre. This, as the text
informs us, was a covering for his head (somewhat like the turbans worn in the East
at this day): it was made of fine linen, and had, in the front of it, a gold plate, with
this inscription, holiness to the lord. It was worn by him whenever he officiated in
the temple. Through this the high-priest was considered as holy, and was the
appointed means of expiating the defects that were in the services of the people, and
of procuring acceptance for their persons. ow, whilst the end for which it was
worn manifests, beyond a doubt, that the appointment was typical, it enables us to
declare with certainty the true intention of the type.
This institution then was intended to foreshew,
I. The holiness of our great High-Priest—
[Christ was in truth “the holy one of Israel” It was necessary that he should be
spotless himself; for had he not been so, he could not hare made atonement for us;
yea, he would have needed an atonement for himself [ ote: Hebrews 7:26-27. 1 John
3:5.]. The utmost care was taken respecting the typical offerings, to ascertain that
they were without blemish: and it seems to have been particularly ordained of God
that the innocence of Jesus should be established by every possible proof, (and by
the repeated testimony even of the judge that condemned him,) in order that his
fitness, as our sin-offering, might appear. Thus was the type accomplished in him;

and a sure foundation was laid for all the hopes that are built upon him.]
II. The need we have of an interest in it—
[The high-priest, so habited, was to “bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the
people should hallow.” Their best services were imperfect, in manner at least, if not
in the matter of them also: and they were to seek acceptance through the holiness of
their high-priest alone. Thus it is with us also. All that we do is imperfect. The best
service we ever performed was mixed with sin, and needed an atonement to be made
for it. Without an atonement, it could never have been regarded by a holy God. This
was strongly marked in the ordinance before us, and ought to be remembered by us
as a ground for the deepest humiliation.]
III. Its efficacy in our behalf—
[The people’s services were, through this typical holiness of their high-priest,
accepted of God, notwithstanding the imperfection of them: nor shall ours be
despised, if we trust in the merits and mediation of the Lord Jesus. This was
beautifully represented under the Mosaic dispensation by the acceptance of
leavened bread [ ote: Leviticus 2:11 with 7:13 and 23:17.], and mutilated beasts
[ ote: Leviticus 22:21-23], when offered as thank-offerings, and not as offerings for
sin: and the same encouraging truth is plainly asserted in the ew Testament [ ote:
Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 2:5.]. Let us only be interested in “the spotless Lamb of
God,” and all that we do in his name shall find acceptance before God.]
This subject is well calculated,
1. To humble the self-righteous—
[What room can there be for trusting in our own righteousness, when the most
righteous act we ever performed had an iniquity in it which needed to be borne by
our great HighPriest? Lay aside your proud thoughts, and “seek to be found in
Christ, not having your own righteousness, but his.”]
2. To encourage the desponding—
[Be it so; you are a sinner: “but if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” and through him you may draw nigh to God
with boldness and confidence [ ote: Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 10:19-22.].]
3. To direct and animate the godly—
[You are now “priests unto God;” and are to have holiness to the lord written upon
your foreheads [ ote: Zechariah 14:20.], that it may be visible to God and man.
Remember that “God will be sanctified in all that draw nigh unto him [ ote:
Leviticus 10:3; Psalms 93:5.] ;” and that “as He who hath called you is holy, so must
ye be holy in all manner of conversation [ ote: 1 Peter 1:15-16; 1 Peter 2:9.].”]

PETT, "Verses 36-38
The Turban And The Golden Plate of Holiness to Yahweh (Exodus 28:36-38).
It should be noted that the turban is secondary here, only worthy of mention
because of the plate of gold which had on it HOLY TO YAHWEH which was to be
on Aaron’s forehead. The turban is not itself described here in any way (but see for
this Exodus 28:39). All eyes are to be on the golden plate with its powerful
declaration.
This plate is remarkable. It sums up why Aaron can come before Yahweh as the
representative of the people. It is because he has in his official capacity as ‘the
Priest’ been made ‘holy to Yahweh’, set apart as ‘holy’ through due process. It sums
up the significance of his office. It is why he can make atonement for all the iniquity
of the holy things which the children of Israel ‘set apart to God’, and can ‘bear the
iniquity of sacred things’. He stands alone, a picture of a Greater yet to come,
because of God’s appointment, the shedding of blood on his behalf, and his various
preparations which we have yet to consider. He is God’s appointee. But as such he
represents all Israel. Thus in him Israel too is holy to Yahweh. The whole of the
sacrificial system and ordinances, and the covenant, are summed up on that plate.
So having been anointed, and cleansed, and purified, and having clothed himself in
his underrobe which covers him from neck to toe, including sleeves, so that no part
of him might come naked before God, and having put on robe and then the ephod,
together with the breastpouch of judgment, He now dons his turban and the golden
plate on his forehead which declares that he and Israel are Holy to Yahweh. He is
ready to function as Yahweh’s anointed.
And yet we are aware that Aaron too is sinful. His holiness as ‘the Priest’ is God-
provided and not his own. He too has had to come through the blood of bulls and of
goats, and through various other ceremonies, and will again and again have to do so,
and will in the end die because of his particular sinfulness. He is not the perfect
representative. But he is pointing ahead, pointing to One Who would one day come,
and would wear on His head the declaration that He was holy to Yahweh, and that
His people were holy to Yahweh, and that not because of some sacrifice offered on
His behalf, but because He truly was so, and had offered Himself for them. And He
would then bear, not just the iniquity of sacred things, but the sins of the whole
world. Aaron is a shadow of things that will be, of Jesus, the Great High Priest Who
is yet to come.
Exodus 28:36-38
“And you shall make a plate of pure gold, and engrave on it, like the engraving of a
signet ring, HOLY TO YAHWEH. And you shall put on it a lace of bluey-violet, and
it shall be on the turban. It shall be on the forefront of the turban. And it shall be on
Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron will bear the iniquity of the holy things which the
children of Israel will sanctify in all their holy gifts, and it shall be always on his

forehead that they may be accepted before Yahweh.”
The plate of pure gold is to be engraved HOLY TO YAHWEH, in the same way as a
man’s signet ring is engraved, and in the same way as the stones were engraved (for
they were engraved in the same way as a signet ring - Exodus 28:21). Thus just as
the signet ring represents a man, and the stones represented the children of Israel, it
may be that we are to see this as representing Yahweh Himself. His stamp is on
Aaron as the representative of Israel.
The golden plate is to be fastened to the turban over Aaron’s forehead by a bluey-
violet lace (see Exodus 39:31), the same colour as his robe. (The turban is in fact
white - Exodus 28:39). Perhaps the bluey-violet represents what is heavenly. But the
placing of the golden plate certainly emphasises its pre-eminence. And it is because
this one is made holy to Yahweh that he can in effect bring all the gifts and offerings
of the children of Israel and present them to Yahweh even though there is that in
them which is lacking, either because of what the children of Israel are, and because
of the nature of the gifts, or because of anything lacking in their presentation.
Aaron, through the whole sacrificial system carried through in accordance with
God’s commands, as it were perfects them. It is the wearing of the golden plate, and
its significance, that finally makes this possible. Through him Yahweh presents
them to Himself, Aaron, of course, having previously made atonement for himself
and the people as he does daily.
But this all points forward to the One Who will perfect for ever those who are
sanctified by the offering of Himself as the perfect One (Hebrews 10:14). Thus are
they made holy in Him.
“And it shall be always on his forehead that they may be accepted before Yahweh.”
Always, that is, when he is officially ministering and especially when he enters the
Holy Place. The sign on his forehead is the symbol that all Yahweh’s requirements
in the sacrificial system have been fulfilled. Full atonement has been made.
The assumption behind all this is, of course, that the people are living in accordance
with the covenant. That is why later Isaiah will point out that their sacrifices were in
vain (Isaiah 1:10-20), because they were not living in accordance with the covenant.
Israel were no longer ‘holy to Yahweh’.
BI 36-38, "Holiness to the Lord.
Holiness to the Lord
This plate of pure gold was fastened by blue lace to the mitre, or turban, or tiara, or
linen, which was upon the head of the high priest. He put it on with the robe of the
ephod, the robe under the breastplate and the ephod—the robe of the ephod, which had,
round the bottom, a bell and a pomegranate alternately—fruitfulness and music—
showing the fruitfulness of the priesthood and the music of the priesthood before God,
without which emblems the high priest might never enter into the holy of holies, lest he
die. To teach man that no creature can ever stand before God but through priesthood,
lest he die. Were we to stand before God but in the fruitfulness and music of the
priesthood of Jesus Christ, we should die. The plate of pure gold upon his forehead, he

went in before God to present the inscription graven there like the engraving of a signet,
“Holiness to the Lord,” to take away the iniquity of the holy things of Israel, and to make
those holy things, purged from their iniquity, acceptable to God. Consider the subject of
holiness.
I. The word is used in three senses in the Bible.
1. Sometimes the word “holy” means that which is set apart, consecrated. In that
sense the vessels of the Temple were holy.
2. Sometimes the word signifies the indwelling of the Spirit, with His gradually
sanctifying processes. In this sense the church is holy.
3. There is a still higher sense in which man is perfectly holy. Christ perfects them
that are sanctified.
II. The true definition of holiness is the likeness of God. But we cannot conceive of the
likeness of God but through a medium, and that medium must be the Lord Jesus Christ.
Whatever traits we find characterizing the life of Jesus, these make up holiness.
1. The life of Christ was a separate life.
2. He always carried about an inner sanctuary in His own soul.
3. The life of Christ had a subdued tone.
4. It was a life consecrated to an object.
5. It was a life of praise.
III. Look upon holiness as an end to be obtained. Do not seek holiness as a means to
happiness, but happiness as a means to holiness. Be more careful about the holiness of
little things than of great things. (J. Vaughan, M. A.)
Christ our High Priest, bearing the iniquity of our holy things
The first thing that strikes us here is, that it is the head of the high priest that is thus
adorned, the most honourable member of the body, the seat of the indwelling soul.
Then, again, it is the forehead that is selected, which is the comeliness and glory of the
head—the place on which the eye of the observer rests, and on which the eye of God
would rest when meeting with the priest or the worshipper. On the forehead of the high
priest, on “the forefront of his mitre,” was the ornament to be fastened. It consisted of a
plate of pure gold, the purest and costliest of metals, to signify the purity that God
demanded. On it there was to be engraved, like the engravings of a signet, distinct and
deep, “Holiness to the Lord,”—still farther foreshadowing the awful holiness of God, and
the no loss awful holiness which He required in the sin-bearer. Forming thus the most
prominent part of his dress, and placed upon his forehead, it would be that on which the
eye of God might be said first to rest, whether at the-brazen altar, or the altar of incense,
or the mercy-seat, in all parts of his holy service. When standing before God, it was this
peculiar adorning that presented itself, with its inscription, “Holiness to the Lord.” Thus,
then, there was proclaimed to Israel a free forgiveness for the iniquities of their holy
things. It was forgiveness through the holiness of another, as if God would teach them
that while He required holiness in him who was to bear any sin, yet especial holiness was
required when bearing the sins of our holy things. And then there was not merely the
bare forgiveness, but there was the acceptance thus provided, both for themselves and
their services, before the Lord. All this was to Israel the shadow of “good things to

come.” The law, indeed, made nothing perfect, but it was the bringing in of the better
hope, by which we draw nigh to God (Heb_7:19). This better hope has now been brought
in. What was thus foreshadowed afar off by Aaron, as Israel’s high priest, has been
fulfilled to us in Jesus of Nazareth, God’s own anointed Priest.
I. We learn how complete is the provision made by God for a sinner’s acceptance. This
provision is entirely in Him who is our great High Priest. It is not in ourselves at all, but
in Him alone. “It pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell.” He is the
Father’s infinite treasure-house of all blessing, secured for, and set open to sinners.
Nothing that a guilty soul can require, is awanting in Him. Out of Him, there is nothing;
in Him, there is everything. “He, of God, is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness,
and sanctification, and redemption.” In our text, however, the allusion is not to His
fulness in general, but to His priesthood alone, as making provision for a sinner’s pardon
and acceptance: and this in reference to the sins of our holy things—the sins committed
in our more direct transactions with God. For every sin, and for every kind of sin, there
is provision in Him on whom our sins were laid. For all these there is a special way of
pardon ordained by God, and certain sins are minutely specified, in order to show us
that no case has been overlooked or left without a special remedy.
II. Let us learn how perpetual and unchangeable this provision is. It is written here,
concerning the high priest on earth, “It shall be always upon his forehead, that they may
be accepted before the Lord.” In this we have a vivid type of Him, who is “the same
yesterday, to-day, and for ever”; who hath “an unchangeable priesthood”; who “ever
liveth to make intercession for us.” He who bears the iniquity of our holy things, is one
who changes not; who is ever the same holy High Priest, and ever glorious in the
Father’s eyes. We vary, but He varies not. Our feelings change, His alter not. Our soul
fluctuates, ever rising and falling, ever ebbing and flowing, but He remaineth steadfast
and true. We grow cold and faithless, He abideth faithful, He cannot deny Himself. His is
a priesthood which endureth for ever, which never loses aught of its efficacy and value.
III. Learn how glorious and certain is this provision. It depends upon the holiness of the
high priest. Not upon his grace, or mercy, or compassion, but upon his holiness. It is
because there is such holiness in him to meet and satisfy the holiness of God that our
forgiveness is so secure, and the way of our obtaining it so glorious. What an ample
pardon, what a secure acceptance, must that be which is secured to us by the holiness of
our great High Priest! for His holiness cannot change, neither can it pass away. His
mercy might be worn out by our sins, and He might forget to be gracious, but He cannot
cease to be holy.
IV. Learn how accessible and free is this provision. It is set open to all. Its benefits are
wide and unrestricted “Look unto Me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” (H.
Bonar, D. D.)
The mitre
1. Made of blue silk and fine linen (Exo_28:39), like (as it seems) to an half-coronet.
2. Beautified with a golden plate, on which was written “Holiness to the Lord.”
3. The use. Aaron must ever have it on his forehead while he bears the iniquity of
their offerings, to make the people acceptable before the Lord (Exo_28:38).
I. The mitre and crown on the priest’s head signified—

1. The Deity of Christ our head, which as a crown or circle wants beginning and end.
2. The kingly office of Christ, with all that honour and crown of glory set on the head
of our Redeemer, to whom all power is given in heaven and in earth.
II. The golden plate in which was written “Holiness to the Lord,” did not only
distinguish it from the mitres of the ordinary priests, which wanted such a plate: but
specially typified Jesus Christ our head, in whom was most conspicuous (as in a man’s
forehead), a most Divine and perfect holiness purer than the gold of that plate.
III. The use was significant, that as the high priest, having on this plate, with this
inscription, got the iniquities of the people pardoned, which he bare before the Lord: So
our High Priest, Jesus Christ, presenting before His Father, His most absolute holiness,
gets a pardon for all our sins, which He bears upon Himself. And as their sins were
pardoned in respect of the high priest, who represented Christ: So both theirs and ours
are indeed and in truth pardoned, for the true and eternal High Priest, who is Christ
Himself. (T. Taylor, D. D.)
Holiness to the Lord
Holiness to the Lord! Where is that inscription to be stamped now? The Jewish
Tabernacle has expanded into that world-wide brotherhood, where whosoever doeth
righteousness is accepted. Morning has risen into day. The ministry of Aaron is ended.
All the outward glory and beauty of that Hebrew worship which the Lord commanded
Moses has vanished into the eternal splendour of the gospel, and been fulfilled in Christ.
What teaching has it left? What other than this?—that we are to engrave our “Holiness to
the Lord” first on the heart, and then on all that the heart goes out into, through the
brain and the hand; on the plates of gold our age of enterprise is drawing up from mines
and beating into currency; on bales of merchandise and books of account; on the tools
and bench of every handicraft; on your weights and measures; on pen and plough and
pulpit; on the door-posts of your houses, and the utensils of your tables, and the walls of
your chambers; on cradle and playthings and schoolbooks; on the locomotives of
enterprise, and the bells of the horses, and the ships of navigation; on music-halls and
libraries; on galleries of art, and the lyceum desk; on all of man’s inventing and building,
all of his using and enjoying, for all these are trusts in a stewardship, for which the Lord
of the servants reckoneth. (Bp. F. D. Huntington.)
Material and shape of mitre
Elsewhere this ornament is called “nezer,” from a verb signifying to separate; and hence
denoting a crown as a mark of separation or distinction. The same word is applied to the
diadem of kings. Indeed, such turbans of fine linen, with an encircling or front ornament
of gold or precious stones, seem to have been the usual diadems of ancient kings. Justin
says that Alexander the Great took his diadem from his head to bind up the wounds of
Lysimachus. This shows clearly that it was of linen. Probably, it had some distinguishing
ornament like that of the high priest here.
1. Jahn says curiously enough that, in the time of Josephus, the shape of the mitre
had become somewhat altered. It was circular, was covered with a piece of fine linen,
and sat so closely on the upper part of the head that it would not fail off when the
body was bent down: apparently it did not cover the whole of the head. It may be

that there is mystical reference to the crown of gold worn by each of those who
exulted before God in the acknowledgment that He had made them prince-priests
unto Himself. Each cast his mike-coronet down before Him, who sat upon the
throne, singing—
“I bless Thee, gracious Father, for Thy pleasant gift to me, And earnestly I ask Thee,
that it may always be In perfect consecration laid at Thy glorious feet, Touched with
Thine altar-fire, and made an offering pure and sweet.”
On the cultivation of holiness
Let me say a few words concerning the cultivation of holiness. Look upon holiness as an
end to be obtained. Do not seek holiness as a means to happiness—but happiness as a
means to holiness. In heaven itself, the bliss of that world of glory is to be most prized
because the happiness of that world will be the attainment of spotless sanctity. Be sure
you take your forgiveness—accept the peace which God freely offers—believe in the love
of God; receive gladly and gratefully every token of that love; if it be only for this, that it
is the means to holiness; it will make you holy. And you may argue it with God so; “Lord,
give me happiness that I may be holy, for I find that without happiness I cannot glorify
Thee by holiness, make me happy that I may be holy.” Another suggestion which I would
make to you in the cultivation of holiness, is to be more careful about the holiness of
little things than of great things. It is so easy to go to church, and have a very devout
manner, and even at the time to feel devoutly, and then to go away into life, and to have
so very little holiness; rather, such unholiness, in the common affairs of our common
life. Now that which characterizes the dispensation on which we are entered, and will
characterize it infinitely presently, is this—that there shall be holiness to the Lord, not in
the sanctuary, but in the common-places of every-day life, out of doors and in doors; out
of doors on that most familiar thing in the East, “the bells on horses”—the very harness
of the horses is to be holiness; and in doors (the same passage in the last chapter of
Zechariah), in doors, upon the most ordinary vessels that are used for domestic uses, the
commonest thing that is in the house is to be “Holiness to the Lord!”—the very culinary
vessels are to be “Holiness to the Lord.” (J. Vaughan, M. A.)
The mitre
The white linen is the emblem of purity; the head is the seat of thought and of intellect.
Christ had a pure mind; all His thoughts were holy thoughts. And because He is so holy,
He can bear His people’s sins (Isa_53:4). He who is our Great High Priest before God is
pure without a stain. God sees Him as such, and He stands for us who are His people,
and we are accepted in Him. His holiness is ours by imputation. Standing in Him we are,
in the sight of God, holy as Christ is holy, and pure as Christ is pure. (G. Rodgers.)
Holiness to the Lord in common things
In an old book I was reading the other day the writer laughed at some commoner who
had just been made a peer, because he had his coat of arms burned and painted even
upon his shovels and wheelbarrows. Now, in my reckoning, that was a very fine action
and full of significance. If a man is a true man he is a man of God, a prince of God; and
he ought to put the stamp of his nobility on the commonest things with which he has to
do. (Christian Journal.)

Holiness unto the Lord
Write on our garnered treasures, Write on our choicest pleasures, Upon things new and
old, The precious stone and gold—Wife, husband, children, friends—On all that
goodness lends; Go write on your good name—Upon your cherished fame—On every
pleasant thing—On stores that Heaven doth fling Into your basket—write! Upon the
smile of God, Upon His scourging rod—Write on your inmost heart, Write upon every
part—To Him who claims the whole, Time, talent, body, soul—holiness unto the lord!
That Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things.
The iniquity of our holy things
I. A sad subject, “The iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall
hallow.”
1. They were “holy things.” Despite the iniquity, their offerings were hallowed and
holy. This is a precious saving clause. Our prayers, our praises, our service of God,
these are holy things, albeit that iniquity attaches to them. They are holy as to God’s
ordinance, for He has ordained them for His glory. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth
Me.” When we do what God bids us, the act is holy, because done in obedience to the
Divine ordinance. Such deeds are holy as to the Divine design: for the sacrifices
which the Israelites brought were meant to set forth Christ and His glorious work,
and therefore they were holy. The great Father teaches us much precious truth by
every institution of the Tabernacle and the Temple, and the gospel Church, and
therefore obedience to each ordinance is holy. These deeds were often holy in the
intent of the worshipper.
2. But although “holy things,” there was iniquity upon all of them; and did we ever
do anything yet that had not some spot of iniquity upon it? Is not our repentance,
after all, but poor stuff compared with what it ought to be? Is not unbelief mixed
with our faith? Hath not our love a measure of lukewarmness in it? No act of
consecration, no act of self-sacrifice, no rapture of fellowship, no height of
spirituality has been without its imperfection.
3. Furthermore, some of these sins are apparent: indeed, many of them are painfully
before our own eyes. If the Lord sees iniquity in our holy things, what iniquities there
must be in our unholy things! I have to complain that wandering thoughts will
intrude in my prayers, my study of the Word, my sacred song, my choice meditation;
indeed, even in ministering the Word among you, I find my mind roaming. I have to
complain also—and I fear many here would have to complain even more than I do—
of want of faith in prayer.
4. These are only a few of the iniquities of our holy things which we can see; but
beside these there are many imperfections of our service which we do not notice
because we are not spiritual enough to discern them; but God sees them. Bring me
that microscope! I have just now put the wing of a butterfly under it. That is God’s
work, and, as I enlarge it, I discover no imperfection, but more and more of
marvellous beauty. That butterfly’s wing under the microscope becomes most
wonderful, and I worship God as I gaze upon His handiwork. Take the butterfly away
now and put your needle in its place. What? Why this is a rough bar of iron which
has never been smoothed or polished. This is wretched workmanship. It does not
seem fitted for delicate work. Such is man’s manufacture, the best of it. When God
puts your prayers and my sermons under His microscopic eye, they are not at all

what we thought they were, but quite the reverse. This ought to humble us as we
come before the presence of the All-seeing One.
5. These imperfections in our holy things are so grievous that they would prevent
any one of our works, or offerings, or prayers being accepted before the thrice-holy
God.
II. A glad subject. What was done in type has also been done in reality.
1. Consider, then, that God provided the high priest. It was ordained that he should
be a man perfect in his person. In our Lord Jesus there is no defect open or secret.
He is perfect, and so He can be high priest unto God. The man had to be chosen of
God. Aaron was so. Christ is ordained of God, and by Divine authority He stands as
high priest for us. This man had to be anointed for his work. Aaron was anointed
with oil; but our Lord was anointed with the Holy Spirit.
2. This high priest was altogether given up to his people. He has a heart; his people’s
names are on the breast-plate which covers it. He has shoulders: his people’s names
are written on his Shoulder-pieces, and thus he lends them his power. Thus Christ
has given up His thought, His judgment, His mind, His every faculty to His people.
He is all ours. The high priest reserved nothing of himself; he gave all of himself to
all his people.
3. The high priest bore “the iniquity of the holy things.” All the iniquity of our holy
things our Lord Jesus has borne, and it is no longer imputed unto us. As He stood
before God, though He bore the iniquity of the people, yet He exhibited to God no
iniquity, but on His forehead was written, “Holiness to Jehovah.” Notice that He
bore before God a holiness most precious; in token whereof, in type, the engraving
was inscribed upon a plate of pure gold. The righteousness of Christ is more precious
to God than all the mines of gold in the whole world. There was no iniquity in His
holy things; His holiness was conspicuous and undeniable, it shone on the forefront
of His mitre. That holiness of His was permanent. One thing more I want you to
notice, and that is, that he always wore it, “And it shall always be upon his forehead.”
Jesus is always “Holiness to God” on our behalf. Our holy work is now viewed with
Divine favour. Will you not offer more and more of these holy things, since they are
in very deed accepted in Christ? Now I have taught you the main doctrine of the type,
I desire to bring forth one or two lessons.
1. The first is, see here a lesson of humility. Our good works, if we lay them up in
store, and value them as jewels, will, like the manna in the wilderness, very soon
breed worms and stink. There is enough rottenness in our best performances to
make them offensive to an enlightened conscience. Oh, that this fact, that even our
holy things are tainted, may he the death-warrant of our pride!
2. In the next place, learn the awful hazard of going unto God without our High
Priest.
3. Learn how you must be dressed as a royal priesthood unto the Lord.
4. Lastly, let sinners gain a store of comfort here. If God’s own people have iniquity
in their holy things, and yet they have Christ to bear it for them, how patient must
He be who is our High Priest. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

37 Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the
turban; it is to be on the front of the turban.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:37
A blue lace - The plate was fastened upon a blue band or fillet, so tied round the
mitre as to show the plate in front.
The mitre - A twisted band of linen Exo_28:39 coiled into a cap, to which the name
mitre, in its original sense, closely answers, but which, in modern usage, would rather be
called a turban.
GILL, "And thou shalt put it on a blue lace,.... The plate of gold:
that it may be upon the mitre; either the plate or the lace; the lace is the nearest
antecedent, but it seems by what follows it should be the plate:
upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be; the plate of gold; the mitre was of linen,
a wrap of linen about the head, and was like a turban on it, in the top of it; it did not
come down low upon the forehead, but left that bare for this plate of gold to be put upon
it. Jarchi seems to understand all this of the lace, by comparing it with the following
verse, and Exo_39:31 as if the plate was represented as in the lace, and the lace upon the
plate and upon the mitre above; all which he thinks is to be reconciled by observing, that
the plate had three holes, and in every hole was a blue lace, and each lace was divided
into two parts, so that there were six in all, two laces at each end of the plate, and two in
the middle, by which they were fastened upon the top of the mitre, by which it was kept
from falling off; and of this middle lace, he thinks, the text is to be understood. The
Targum of Jonathan observes, that this plate was put on a blue lace, to make atonement
for the impudent.
JAMISO , "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.
ELLICOTT, "(37) Thou shalt put it on a blue lace.—Compare Exodus 39:31, where
we read “they tied unto it a lace of blue.” Probably the two ends of the plate were
perforated, and a blue lace or cord passed through the holes and tied to the plate,
which was then put in front of the turban and kept in place by the two cords being
tied together at the back of the head.

38 It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear
the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites
consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be
on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will
be acceptable to the Lord.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:38
Bear the iniquity of the holy things - The Hebrew expression “to bear iniquity” is
applied either to one who suffers the penalty of sin (Exo_28:43; Lev_5:1, Lev_5:17;
Lev_17:16; Lev_26:41, etc.), or to one who takes away the sin of others (Gen_50:17;
Lev_10:17; Lev_16:22; Num_30:15; 1Sa_15:25, etc.). In several of these passages, the
verb is rightly rendered to forgive. The iniquity which is spoken of in this place does not
mean particular sins actually committed, but that condition of alienation from God in
every earthly thing which makes reconciliation and consecration needful. Compare
Num_18:1. It belonged to the high priest, as the chief atoning mediator between Yahweh
and His people (see the note at Exo_28:36), to atone for the holy things that they might
be “accepted before the Lord” (compare Lev_8:15, note; Lev_16:20, Lev_16:33, note):
but the common priests also, in their proper functions, had to take their part in making
atonement (Lev_4:20; Lev_5:10; Lev_10:17; Lev_22:16; Num_18:23, etc.).
CLARKE, "May bear the iniquity of the holy things - ‫הקדשים‬ ‫עון‬ ‫את‬ ‫אהרן‬ ‫ונשא‬
venasa Aharon eth avon hakkodashim. And Aaron shall bear (in a vicarious and typical
manner) the sin of the holy or separated things - offerings or sacrifices. Aaron was, as
the high priest of the Jews, the type or representative of our blessed Redeemer; and as
he offered the sacrifices prescribed by the law to make an atonement for sin, and was
thereby represented as bearing their sins because he was bound to make an atonement
for them; so Christ is represented as bearing their sins, i.e., the punishment due to the
sins of the world, in his becoming a sacrifice for the human race. See Isa_53:4, Isa_
53:12, where the same verb, ‫נשא‬ nasa, is used; and see 1Pe_2:24. By the inscription on
the plate on his forehead Aaron was acknowledged as the holy minister of the holy God.
To the people’s services and their offerings much imperfection was attached, and
therefore Aaron was represented, not only as making an atonement in general for the
sins of the people by the sacrifices they brought, but also as making an atonement for the

imperfection of the atonement itself, and the manner in which it was brought.
It shall be always upon his forehead - The plate inscribed with Holiness to the
Lord should be always on his forehead, to teach that the law required holiness; that this
was its aim, design, and end: and the same is required by the Gospel; for under this
dispensation it is expressly said, Without holiness no man shall see the Lord; Heb_12:14.
GILL, "And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead,.... That is, the plate of gold, with
the inscription on it, holiness to the Lord, and so was very visible and legible. The
Targum of Jonathan adds, from temple to temple, that is, from the furthermost end of
the one, to the furthermost end of the other, the same as from ear to ear; see Gill on
Exo_28:36 the use of it follows:
that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of
Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; this supposes that the sacrifices of the
children of Israel, which they brought to the priests to offer for them, or the gifts they
devoted to sacred use, might be attended with sin and blame, either in the matter of
their offerings and gifts, or in the manner in which they brought them; and which
through the high priest having this plate of gold, with the above inscription on it, were
expiated; they were bore away from them, and were not placed to their account, but they
were cleared and discharged of them: and so it is that there is sin in the best
performances of the saints; there is not a just man that does good, but he sins in doing
that good; the best righteousness of men is imperfect, and attended with sin; and this
cannot be borne, or taken away by themselves; if God should mark such sins as these,
they could not stand before him; now Christ, their High Priest, bears and takes away
these, along with all others, which are laid upon him, and borne by him:
and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before
the Lord; not that he had always this plate of gold on his forehead, only in time of
service; but then it was continually for the acceptance of them, though it was not upon
his forehead, as Jarchi observes; at Maimonides (h) says, there was great necessity that
the high priest should be always in the sanctuary, as it is said, "it shall be always upon
his forehead", and therefore must be always there, for he might not wear it outside of it.
This with respect to the antitype may signify, that the persons and services of the people
of God are accepted with him through the holiness and righteousness of Christ, who is
always in the presence of the Lord, ever appears in heaven for them, and is the Lamb of
God, to whose person, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, they are directed to look for
the removal of their sins of every sort.
JAMISO , "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.

K&D, "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. Exo_39:29).
ELLICOTT, "(38) That Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things.—The “holy
things” are the offerings brought by the people. These would always have some
“iniquity” attaching to them, some imperfection, owing to the imperfection of
human nature and the mixed character of human motives. The high priest’s official
holiness enabled him to present to God offerings thus imperfect without offending
Him. It was accepted as purging the offerings from their impurity.
It shall be always upon his forehead—that is to say, during his ministrations.
EXPOSITOR'S DICTIO ARY, "Bacteria in the Chalice
Exodus 28:38
Science tells us that bacteria lurk in the white snow and sparkling dew; and the
purest saints are conscious of secret frailty marring holiest things and hours.
Infection, alloy, degeneration, play their part in the spiritual as well as the natural
sphere.
I. In private devotional hours it is not difficult to shut the door of our chamber, but
it is far from easy to close the door of the mind upon base and secular images and
feelings. Our prayers are hindered by insincerity, uncharitableness, impatience, and
unbelief; we regard iniquity in our heart, and therefore many petitions we offer can
never be put into the golden censer.
II. Outside sanctuaries, Sabbaths, and Scriptures are institutions, days, and
relations whose sacredness we must not forget The loves of the home, kinship,
friendship, citizenship, the treasures of literature, the gifts of beauty, the
stewardship of wealth, the flowers and lutes of pleasure—these are holy also. But if
these things are great and noble, Divine symbols and instruments of infinite
suggestion and purport, how often are we forgetful and perverse, awakening in our
better moments to reproach ourselves with the sin of sacrilege!
III. We must not think lightly of these sins because they seem in their refinement to
stand apart from and beyond ordinary morality. They are not ecclesiastical but real
sins, and with all their apparent subtilization they injuriously affect the whole
sphere of character and action equally with coarser faults. In coming, the addition
to gold of one five-hundredth part by weight of bismuth produces an alloy which
crumbles under the die and refuses to take an impression; the very scent of an
incongruous element sometimes debases and destroys the whole vast mass into

which it enters. And if in physics the influence of minute admixtures is so immense,
we may be sure that the iniquity of our holy things is not less pervasive and
disastrous, affecting all that we are and do, and vitiating what otherwise would be
the pure gold of life and action.
—W. L. Watkinson, Themes for Hours of Meditation, p66.
39 “Weave the tunic of fine linen and make the
turban of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of
an embroiderer.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:39
The coat of fine linen - A long tunic, or cassock. Josephus says that it was worn
next the skin, that it reached to the feet, and that it had closely fitting sleeves. The verb
translated “embroider” appears rather to mean weave in diaper work. The tissue
consisted of threads of one and the same color diapered in checkers, or in some small
figure.
The girdle of needlework - The girdle of the work of the embroiderer Exo_26:1;
Exo_35:35. The word translated “girdle” is different from that so rendered in Exo_28:8
(see the note), and is probably Egyptian. Josephus says that it was wound several times
round the body, and that its ends ordinarily hung down to the feet, but were thrown over
the shoulder when the priest was engaged in his work.
GILL, "And thou shall embroider the coat of fine linen,.... Which was a distinct
garment from the ephod, and from the robe of the ephod, and was the innermost of all;
it was made of fine linen, curiously wrought in the weaving of it: according to some, it
was full of a sort of eyelet holes; but as the word is that, from whence comes that for
ouches, Exo_28:6. Jarchi thinks it was full of holes, like those ouches or sockets, in
which the stones were set; and so this coat was decked and adorned with gems and
precious stones stuck in those holes or ouches: but rather it was figured with such little
cornered holes as are in the stomach of animals that chew the cud, called the
"reticulum"; being in the form of network, as Maimonides (i) observes, and which is
approved by Braunius (k): this was an emblem of the righteousness of Christ,
comparable to fine linen richly embroidered, decked and adorned with jewels, and
curiously wrought, see Rev_19:8,

and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen: which was a wrap of linen sixteen
cubits long, as Maimonides (l) says, both for the high priest, and for common priests,
which only differed in the manner of wrapping them; that for the high priest was
wrapped fold upon fold, as a roller for a plaster, and so the mitre was flat upon the head,
and was like a turban, and did not rise up into a point; but those of the common priests
were so wrapped, as that they arose up like a night cap, or a high crowned hat. The
mitre, hat, or cap, though a token of honour, yet also of servitude; and may denote, that
the people of the Jews were in a state of servitude, and point at the obscurity and
darkness of that dispensation; they not clearly discerning divine mysteries, and wanting
boldness and freedom to look up to God; or it may denote that the priests under the law
were servants, and that Christ, our great High Priest, should appear in the form of one;
and may also point at the intenseness of the mind in them and him on business, being
deaf to everything else. The Targum of Jonathan says, the coat of fine linen was to atone
for the shedding of innocent blood, and the mitre to atone for those who have elated
thoughts, are puffed up with pride and vain conceit:
and thou shall make the girdle of needlework; to gird about the embroidered
coat, which Josephus (m) says was four fingers broad; but, according to Maimonides
(n), it was about three fingers broad, and thirty two cubits long, which they wound about
and about; and though we translate it "needlework", it should rather be the "work of the
embroiderer", as Ainsworth renders it: and this was not wrought by the needle, but in
weaving; for, as Maimonides (o) observes,"they did not make any of the priests'
garments with needlework, but the work of the weaver, according to Exo_39:27.''This
girdle may denote the strength, readiness, faithfulness, and integrity of Christ in the
performance of his priestly office; see Isa_11:5.
JAMISO , "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.
K&D, "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. Exo_39:29).
ELLICOTT, "Verse 39
5. THE I ER TU IC OR “COAT.”
(39) The garments hitherto described have been the outer garments. To these are

now added the inner ones, of which there was but little to be said. They consisted of
linen drawers (Exodus 28:42-43), a linen tunic or shirt, woven in a peculiar way,
and, to confine the tunic, a girdle, which was to be of many colours (Exodus 39:29),
and ornamented with embroidery.
Thou shalt embroider.—It is generally agreed that this is a wrong rendering.
Kalisch translates, “thou shalt weave.” Gesenius, “thou shalt work in chequer.”
Canon Cook, “thou shalt weave in diaper work.” The word used, which is a rare
one, probably designates some peculiar kind of weaving.
The coat.—“Coat” is an unfortunate translation. The ketôneth (comp. Gr. χιτών)
was a long white linen tunic or shirt, having tight-fitting sleeves, and reaching
nearly to the feet. The sleeves must certainly have shown, as they were the only
covering of the priest’s arms; and the lower part of the tunic probably showed
below the “robe of the ephod.”
6. THE I ER GIRDLE.
It appears from Exodus 39:29 that the girdle was to be “of fine twined linen, and
blue, and purple, and scarlet,” like the ephod (Exodus 28:6). It was not, however, to
be woven of these colours, but to have them worked into it with the needle. As it was
worn immediately above the tunic and underneath the robe of the ephod (Leviticus
8:7), little, if any, of it could have been seen. Perhaps, however, the ends may have
depended below the robe of the ephod.
COKE, "Exodus 28:39. And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen— This was
the inmost of the vestments, which reached down to the heels, with sleeves to the
wrists. The girdle or sash was used to gird the priest's coat close to him, which was
tucked up also in the girdle when he officiated, that it might not encumber him in
his service.
ote; 1. From the golden plate on Aaron's forehead we may learn, (1.) That God's
ministers must never be ashamed of their profession. (2.) That they who appear
before God should have holiness written on their hearts. (3.) That true holiness is
not a superficial thing, but deeply engraven and durable. 2. His linen mitre or
diadem may remind us, that our High-Priest is also our King; he not only atones for
our sins, but will subdue all our enemies within or without us.
PETT, "Verse 39
The Coat, the Turban and the Girdle.
“And you shall weave the under-robe in patterned work of fine linen, and you shall
make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a girdle, the work of the
embroiderer.”
The under-robe is pure white, delicately woven and patterned. The turban too is
white. Both are of fine linen. The under-girdle is to be embroidered, and is to be of

fine linen, blue-violet, red-purple and scarlet (Exodus 39:29). The white is a picture
of purity and righteousness covering the whole person, a righteousness possible
because the appropriate sacrifices have been made from an honest heart. But the
weaving and the patterning and the embroidery suggest an added something to the
white indicating that God has added to them something of His own purity and
holiness. But these clothes are on the whole hidden, so why the delicate work? The
answer is that in all things to do with God man must take the greatest care and
trouble. All must be done to the glory of God, even that which is not seen.
Summary. So prior to coming forward to fulfil his priestly duties Aaron must robe
himself in a pure white under-robe which covers his person, with its multicoloured
girdle patterned on the curtains of the Sanctuary, and put on his pure white turban.
Then he puts on his robe or tunic of blue-purple, over which he dons the
multicoloured ephod together with the attached breastpouch, and finally he dons
the golden plate which declares Him and Israel as ‘holy to Yahweh’.
He is thus a picture of Christ Who will come pure in righteousness, girdled by God
in His strength and holiness, bearing in Himself His people whose representative He
will be, bearing also all that is necessary for judgment and marked off uniquely as
‘holy to Yahweh’.
40 Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sons
to give them dignity and honor.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:40
Bonnets - Caps of a simple construction which seem to have been cup-shaped.
GILL, "And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats,.... Of fine linen, of woven
work, as in Exo_39:27, these were different from the broidered coat of the high priest,
and the blue robe of the ephod:
and thou shall make for them girdles; linen ones, to gird up their linen coats,
which were long, that they might the more expeditiously perform their service; and
which is an instruction to all the priests of the Lord, true believers in Christ, to be ready,
forward, and diligent in the work of the Lord; and especially to ministers of the word,

who, as their doctrines and lives ought to be pure, signified by the priest's linen garment,
so they should be girt about with the girdle of truth, and ready upon all occasions to
publish and defend it, and to do their work with cheerfulness and faithfulness:
and bonnets shall thou make for them: these were coverings for the head, and of
the same kind with the mitre of the high priest, and of the same length, but differed from
that in the manner of wrapping the linen, of which they were made; see Gill on Exo_
28:39, and all these were to be made
for glory and beauty: to beautify and adorn them, to make them look like persons of
some note and figure, and that they might be respectable among men, and typical, as
they all were, of our great and glorious High Priest, the Son of God.
HE RY 40-43, "We have here, 1. Particular orders about the vestments of the
inferior priests. They were to have coats, and girdles, and bonnets, of the same materials
with those of the high priest; but there was a difference in shape between their bonnets
and his mitre. Theirs, as his, were to be for glory and beauty (Exo_28:40), that they
might look great in their ministration: yet all this glory was nothing compared with the
glory of grace, this beauty nothing to the beauty of holiness, of which these holy
garments were typical. They are particularly ordered, in their ministration, to wear linen
breeches, Exo_28:42. This teaches us modesty and decency of garb and gesture at all
times, especially in public worship, in which a veil is becoming, 1Co_11:5, 1Co_11:6,
1Co_11:10. It also intimates what need our souls have of a covering, when we come
before God, that the shame of their nakedness may not appear. 2. A general rule
concerning the garments both of the high priest and of the inferior priests, that they
were to be put upon them, at first, when they were consecrated, in token of their being
invested in the office (Exo_28:41), and then they were to wear them in all their
ministrations, but not at other times (Exo_28:43), and this at their peril, lest they bear
iniquity and die. Those who are guilty of omissions in duty, as well as omissions of duty,
shall bear their iniquity. If the priests perform the instituted service, and do not do it in
the appointed garments, it is (say the Jewish doctors) as if a stranger did it, and the
stranger that comes nigh shall be put to death. Nor will God connive at the
presumptions and irreverences even of those whom he causes to draw most near to him;
if Aaron himself put a slight upon the divine institution, he shall bear iniquity, and die.
To us these garments typify, (1.) The righteousness of Christ; if we appear not before
God in this, we shall bear iniquity and die. What have we to do at the wedding-feast
without a wedding-garment, or at God's altar without the array of his priests? Mat_
22:12, Mat_22:13. (2.) The armour of God prescribed Eph_6:13. If we venture without
that armour, our spiritual enemies will be the death of our souls, and we shall bear the
iniquity, our blood will be upon our own heads. Blessed is he therefore that watcheth,
and keepeth his garments, Rev_16:15. 3. This is said to be a statute for ever, that is, it is
to continue as long as the priesthood continues. But it is to have its perpetuity in the
substance of which these things were the shadows.
K&D, "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 (Exo_28:39). But their
body-coat is called weavers' work in Exo_39:27, and was therefore quite a plain cloth, of
white byssus or cotton yarn, though it was whole throughout, ᅊሜምαφος without seam,
like the robe of Christ (Joh_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 ‫ה‬ ָ‫ע‬ ָ ְ‫ג‬ ִ‫,מ‬ related to ַ‫יע‬ ִ‫ב‬ָ 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 Exo_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 (Exo_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.
CALVI , "40.And for Aaron’s sons. The sons of Aaron also are separated not only
from the body of the people, but likewise from the Levites; for a peculiar dignity
was attached to that family, from whom his successor was afterwards to be taken.
(170) And since no single individual was able to perform all their offices, they were
distributed amongst them. Hence it was that they were adorned with the coat, the
girdle, and the bonnet, “for glory and for beauty.” We shall see as to their anointing
in the next chapter. Their hands are said be filled, (171) when they are made fit for
offering sacrifices, for as long as their hands are unconsecrated (profanae) they are
accounted empty, even though they may be very full, since no gift is acceptable to
God except in right of the priesthood; consequently their fullness arose from
consecration, whereby it came that the oblations duly made had access to God. But
we must observe that it is not their father Aaron, but Moses, who sanctifies them,
that the power itself, or effect of their sanctification, may rest in God, and may not
be transferred to His ministers. Perhaps, too, God would anticipate the calumnies of
the ungodly, lest any should afterwards object that Aaron had fraudulently and
unjustly extended the honor conferred upon himself alone to his sons also, and thus
had unlawfully made it hereditary. He was protected against this reproach by the
fact, that the sacerdotal dignity came to them from elsewhere. Besides, by these
means the posterity of Moses was more certainly deprived of the hope they may
have conceived in consideration of what their father was. Therefore Moses, by
inaugurating the children of Aaron, reduced his own to their proper place, lest ally
ambition should hereafter tempt them, or lest envy should possess them when they
saw themselves put below others.
ELLICOTT, "Verse 40
7. THE MI ISTERIAL ATTIRE OF THE PRIESTS.
(40) For Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats—i.e., linen tunics like that of the high
priest already described (see the last ote on Exodus 28:39), but not woven in any
peculiar fashion.
Girdles.—Perhaps similar to the inner girdle of the high priest, but nowhere
described particularly.
Bonnets.—Rather, caps. Plain, close-fitting caps, like those so commonly worn in
Egypt, seem to be intended. The word used, migbâ’ah, is derived from gâbia’, “a

cup” or “basin.”
For glory and for beauty.—It is certainly remarkable that so plain a dress as that of
the ordinary priests—a white tunic, a girdle, which may or may not have been
embroidered, and a plain white close-fitting cap—should be regarded as sufficing
“for glory and for beauty.” White robes, however, are in Scripture constantly
represented as eminently glorious (Daniel 7:9; Mark 9:3; John 20:12; Acts 1:10;
Revelation 4:4; Revelation 6:11; Revelation 7:9-14; Revelation 15:6, &c.).
GARME TS OF THE PRIESTS
"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. 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 minister unto me in the
priest's office. And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their
nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: and they shall be
upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they go in unto the tent of meeting, or when
they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity,
and die: it shall be a statute forever unto him and unto his seed after him."
This is a very brief mention of the holy garments that distinguished the lesser
priests, leaving other details to be added later. The purpose of the breeches was to
"prevent the exposure of their private parts,"[35] which, to us, might seem an
unnecessary precaution; "But ritual nakedness, especially for priests, was a feature
of some ancient pagan religions; it was to be quite otherwise in Israel."[36]
The religion authorized by God was designed in such a manner that no essential
element of it in any way manifested any similarity to the pagan religions of
antiquity. And another distinguishing feature of the priesthood here initiated by
Almighty God was the clothing of its priests in white, contrasting magnificently with
the black-robed priests of paganism. This is not always apparent in the Scriptures,
because the word "linen" as used here actually means white linen. This may be seen
in kinds of cloth designated as acceptable gifts for the building of the tabernacle:
blue, and purple, and scarlet, and linen. "The Hebrew word for linen in this passage
is a name applied to it from its whiteness."[37] As F. C. Cook noted:
"The dress of white linen was the strictly sacerdotal dress common to the whole
body of priests (Ezekiel 44:17-18). The linen suit which the High Priest put on when
he went into the Holy of Holies was wholly of white linen, even including the
girdle."[38]
ot even the high priest could wear the beautifully colored and decorated garments
of his full dress regalia when he went into the Holy of Holies, but he was instructed
to wear the white linen coat and white linen breeches and the white linen sash
(Leviticus 16:4,23). As Esses expressed it, "When the high priest went into the Holy
of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he had to wear a simple linen garment without

seams, a garment of the type Jesus wore when he went to the cross as our
sacrifice."[39] White was therefore the requirement for the entire priesthood. In this
connection, Zephaniah prophesied that Jehovah would "cut off the name of the
Chemarin with the priests" (Zephaniah 1:4); and "[~Chemarin] is the usual
Aramaic word for priest, which comes from a root whose meaning is `to be
black.'"[40] "[~Chemarin] means black-robed and is applied to idolatrous priests in
2 Kings 23:5 and Hosea 10:5."[41] In view of this, what a stupendous blunder is that
of the historic church which, when reverting to the Mosaic conception of a
separation between clergy and laity, dressed their priests in the black robes of the
ancient paganism!
"A statute forever ..." This is a record of the divine establishment of the Aaronic
priesthood, later expanded somewhat to include the Levites generally.
COKE, "Exodus 28:40. And bonnets— These bonnets or mitres were to be of linen,
like the high-priests; differing only in this, that they wore no plate of gold upon
them. Josephus, however, says, that the high-priest's mitre had a purple cover over
it. See Antiq. b. 3: ch. 7.
The garments of the lesser priests28:40-43
The clothing described in these verses appears to be the garments the priests other
than the high priest wore. All the priests ministered barefoot out of reverence for
the holiness of God (cf. Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15).
"This prescription for undergarments alludes to and reminds one of the clothing
which God made for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to cover their nakedness
( Genesis 3:21)." [ ote: Sailhamer, The Pentateuch . . ., p306.]
"The essential point of the priestly vestments is the central point of all the
instructions concerning the media of worship: Yahweh is present, and Israel must
respond to that Presence, be guided in that response, and be reminded constantly in
worship as in life of the reality of the Presence and of the need for response." [ ote:
Durham, p389.]
"There is much that can be derived from this chapter to form principles of spiritual
leadership; but the overall point can be worded this way: Those whom God selects
to minister to the congregation through intercessory prayer, divine counsel, and
sacrificial worship, must always represent the holiness of Yahweh in their activities
and demeanor." [ ote: The ET Bible note on28:43.]
PETT, "Verse 40
The Clothing of Aaron’s Sons (Exodus 28:40).
The other priests, the sons of Aaron, wore simpler clothing. They were seemingly all
in white apart from their girdle which connected them with the colours of the

Sanctuary. (The latter is assumed from Exodus 39:29, not stated). But these too
were ‘holy’ (Exodus 28:4).
Exodus 28:40
“And for Aaron’s sons you shall make robes, and you shall make for them girdles,
and you shall make caps for them, for glory and for beauty.”
The robes of Aaron’s sons were probably like Aaron’s under-robe (kethoneth), from
neck to toe and with sleeves. They were probably also of fine linen. The verb used
may indicate that they were not patterned like Aaron’s, but it may be that the
patterning was assumed. They were fastened with a girdle, or belt, and they were to
wear caps, probably close-fitting. Such caps were often worn in Egypt, but not by
priests. The caps were to retain the hair. Man must be totally covered in the
presence of God to cover his unworthiness. The letting down of the hair was also a
symbol of sadness and distress (Leviticus 10:6), and this must not occur in the
Sanctuary where all was joy.
The same word for robe is used of the provision of robes for Adam and Eve in the
Garden (Genesis 3:21). Man in his puniness and his sinfulness must be totally
covered before God. He is no longer fit to come before God as he is in himself.
We are given no information about the girdle, except that it was embroidered
(Exodus 28:39), but Exodus 39:29 shows it to be of fine linen, and bluey-violet, and
purpley-red, and scarlet, unless that is just describing Aaron’s. The remainder of
their clothes were probably white. They too were to be clothed in purity from head
to foot.
Their clothes too were ‘for glory and for beauty’. As priestly garments they covered
their wearers, as it were, in the glory and beauty of God, depicting their status.
Indeed white robes are regularly elsewhere depicted as the mark of the heavenly
and the garb of angels and of the redeemed who have died (Mark 9:3; Matthew
28:3; Mark 16:5; John 20:12; Acts 1:10; Revelation 4:4; Revelation 6:11; Revelation
7:9; Revelation 7:14; Revelation 19:14).
41 After you put these clothes on your brother
Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them.
Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.

BAR ES, "Exo_28:41-43
The dress of white linen was the strictly sacerdotal dress common to the whole body of
priests Eze_44:17-18. “These were for glory and for beauty” not less than “the golden
garments” (as they were called by the Jews) which formed the high priest’s dress of state
Exo_28:2. The linen suit which the high priest put on when he went into the most holy
place on the day of atonement, appears to have been regarded with unique respect
(Compare Exo_31:10; Lev_16:4, Lev_16:23), though it is nowhere stated that it was
distinguished in its make or texture, except in having a girdle Exo_28:39 wholly of white
linen, instead of a variegated one. The ancient Egyptian priests, like the Hebrew priests,
wore nothing but white linen garments in the performance of their duties.
GILL, "And thou shall put them on Aaron thy brother, and his sons with
him,.... And this putting on of their garments by Moses, under the authority of God, was
a solemn investiture of them with the priestly office also; for from henceforward they
had a right to exercise it, having those garments on, without which they were never to
officiate:
and shall anoint them; with the anointing oil, of which afterwards a particular
account is given, and how to be made, and for what use, Exo_30:22, typical of the holy
graces of the Spirit of God:
and consecrate them; the consecration of them was by investing them with their
garments, and by anointing them with oil; for this phrase does not intend the whole of
their consecration, only another branch of it, and may be literally rendered, "fill their
hand" (p); that is, with sacrifices to be offered up by them, see Exo_29:1.
and sanctify them; by all this, set them apart, and devote them to the sacred office of
priesthood:
that they may minister unto me in the priest's office; by offering sacrifices for
the people, burning incense, and doing other things relative to the office.
K&D, "Exo_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 Lev_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.
ELLICOTT, "(41) Thou shalt put them upon Aaron . . . and his sons.—Moses was
by these words commanded to take the part in the consecration of Aaron and his
sons which he is related to have taken in Leviticus 8:6-30.
And shalt anoint them.—See the comment on Exodus 29:7-9.

PETT, "Verse 41
The Donning of the Priestly Garments (Exodus 28:41).
This donning is deliberately described before the description of the linen breeches.
The latter were not to be seen as priestly garments, but as a necessity by what they
achieved.
Exodus 28:41
“And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and you
shall anoint them, and consecrate them (literally ‘fill their hand’), and sanctify
them, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office.”
The uniqueness of Moses is again here brought out. He is the one who under God is
to establish the priesthood. They receive their commission from him. He is to clothe
Aaron and his sons in the apparel that has been described, and is then to set them
apart for the priesthood by anointing, consecrating and sanctifying them. This will
be described in more detail in Exodus 28:29. But before then a small, but important,
detail must be dealt with.
42 “Make linen undergarments as a covering for
the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh.
CLARKE, "Linen breeches - This command had in view the necessity of purity
and decency in every part of the Divine worship, in opposition to the shocking indecency
of the pagan worship in general, in which the priests often ministered naked, as in the
sacrifices to Bacchus, etc.
On the garments of the high priest some general reflections have already been made;
see Exo_28:2 (note): and to what is there said it may be just necessary to add, that there
can be no doubt of their being all emblematical of spiritual things; but of which, and in
what way, no man can positively say. Many commentators have entered largely into this
subject, and have made many edifying and useful remarks; but where no clue is given to
guide us through a labyrinth in which the possibility of mistake is every moment
occurring, it is much better not to attempt to be wise above what is written; for however
edifying the reflections may be which are made on these subjects, yet, as they are not

clearly deducible from the text itself, they can give little satisfaction to a sincere inquirer
after truth. These garments were all made for glory and for beauty, and this is the
general account that it has pleased God to give of their nature and design: in a general
sense, they represented,
1. The necessity of purity in every part of the Divine worship;
2. The necessity of an atonement for sin;
3. The purity and justice of the Divine Majesty; and,
4. The absolute necessity of that holiness without which none can see the Lord. And
these subjects should be diligently kept in view by all those who wish to profit by
the curious and interesting details given in this chapter. In the notes these topics
are frequently introduced.
GILL, "And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their
nakedness,.... Or "the flesh of nakedness" (q), that part of the body which ought not to
be naked and exposed to view, and which, when it is, causes shame and ridicule; what
part is designed is easily gathered from the next clause; great care was taken, in the
service of God's house, to preserve decency, prevent immodesty, and to guard against
laughter and levity, and the like care should be always taken; see Gill on Exo_28:2,
from the loins even unto the thigh they shall reach; they were to reach above the
navel near the heart, and to the end of the thigh, which is the knee, as Maimonides says
(r); who also observes, that they had strings, but had no opening before or behind, but
were drawn up round like a purse; they were a sort of drawers, and somewhat like our
sailors' trousers.
(q) ‫ערוה‬ ‫בשר‬ "carnem nuditatis", Montanus, Vatablus,
JAMISO , "linen breeches — drawers, which encompassed the loins and reached
half way down the thighs. They are seen very frequently represented in Egyptian figures.
K&D, "Exo_28:42-43
The covering of their nakedness was an indispensable prerequisite. Aaron and his sons
were therefore to receive ‫ים‬ ִ‫ס‬ָ‫נ‬ ְ‫כ‬ ִ‫מ‬ (from ‫ס‬ַ‫נ‬ ָⅴ 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 ‫ד‬ ַ . The meaning of this word
is uncertain. According to Exo_39:28, it was made of twined byssus or cotton yarn; and
the rendering of the lxx, λίνα or λίνεος (Lev_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 ‫ד‬ ַ‫ד‬ ָ to be white or
clean, primarily to separate.

CALVI , "42.And thou shalt make them linen breeches. Since men, in their natural
levity and frowardness, lay hold of the very slightest causes of offense to the
disparagement of holy things, and so religion easily sinks into contempt, God here,
as a precaution against such a danger, delivers a precept respecting an apparently
trivial matter, viz., that the priests should cover their nakedness with breeches. The
sum is, that they should conduct themselves chastely and modestly, lest, if anything
improper or indecorous should appear in them, the majesty of holy things should be
impaired. Some, therefore, thus explain the clause, “that they may minister in
holiness,” (172) as if it were said, “that they may be pure from every stain, and may
not desecrate God’s service.” In my opinion, however, the word ‫קודש‬ kodesh, should
be taken for the sanctuary; and this is the more natural sense. A threat is added,
that if they neglected this observance it would not be with impunity, since they
would bring guilt upon themselves. or can we wonder at this, since all carelessness
and negligence in the performance of sacred duties is closely connected with impiety
and contempt of God. What immediately follows as to its being a perpetual law or
statute, some, in my judgment improperly, restrict to the precept respecting the
breeches,for it has a natural reference to the other ordinances of the priesthood.
God therefore declares generally, that the Law which He gives is not for a little time,
but that it may always remain in force as regards His elect people; whence we infer
that the word ‫עולם‬ gnolam (173) whenever the legal types are in question, attains its
end in the advent of Christ; and assuredly this is the true perpetuity of the
ceremonies, that they should rest in Christ, who is their full truth and substance.
For, since in Christ was at length manifested what was then delineated in shadows,
these figures are established, because their use has ceased after the manifestation of
their reality. And this we have already seen was long ago foretold by David, when he
substitutes for the Levitical priesthood another “after the order of Melchisedec,”
(Psalms 110:4;) but the dignity being transferred, as the Apostle well reminds us, the
Law and all the statutes must be of necessity transferred also. (Hebrews 7:12.) The
ancient rites, therefore, are now at an end, because they do not accord with the
spiritual priesthood of Christ; and herein the twofold sacrilege of the Papacy
betrays itself, in that mortal men have dared to substitute another third priesthood
for that of Christ, as if His were transitory; and also, in their foolish imitation of the
Jews, have heaped together ceremonies which are directly opposed to the nature of
Christ’s priesthood. They reply, indeed, that His priesthood remains entire,
although they have innumerable sacrifices; but they vainly endeavor to escape by
this subterfuge, for if it was unlawful to change, or to innovate anything in the legal
priesthood, how much less is it lawful to corrupt the priesthood of Christ by strange
inventions, when its integrity has been ratified by the inviolable oath of God? The
Father says to the Son, “Thou art a priest for ever;” how, then, does it avail to make
the silly assertion that nothing is taken away from Christ, when an innumerable
multitude (of priests) are appointed? How do these things accord, that He was
anointed to offer Himself by the Spirit, and yet that He is offered by others? that by
one offering He completed His work unto our full justification, and yet that He is
offered daily? ow, if there be now-a-days no lawful priest except such an one as
possesses in himself what was foreshewn in the ancient types, let them bring forth
priests adorned with angelic purity, and as it were separate from the ranks of men,

otherwise we shall be at liberty to repudiate all who are defiled by the very slightest
stain. Hence, too, has arisen their second sacrilege, viz., that they have dared to
obscure the brightness of the gospel with a new Judaism. They were altogether
without the means of proving their priesthood, and so their easiest plan was to
envelop their vanity in an immense mass of ceremonies, and, as it were, to shut out
the light by clouds. So much the more diligently, then, must believers beware of
departing from the pure institution of Christ, if they desire to have Him for their
one and eternal Mediator.
ELLICOTT, "(42) Thou shalt make them linen breeches.—Rather, linen drawers.
Drawers reaching from the waist to a little above the knee were the sole garment of
many in Egypt, a necessary garment of all. Their object was as here stated.
PETT, "Verse 42-43
The Linen Breeches To Cover Their akedness (Exodus 28:42-43).
These are very pointedly not put on them by Moses. They are not a part of the
official garb as such, although a requirement of the office. For these act to cover the
private parts (like underpants). To ‘reveal a person’s nakedness’ was usually to
expose their private parts in sexual relations (Leviticus 18:6-19; Leviticus 20:11-21).
Exodus 28:42-43
“And you shall make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness. They
shall reach from the loins even to the thighs. And they shall be on Aaron and on his
sons when they go into the Tent of Meeting, or when they come near to the altar to
minister in the Holy Place, that they bear not iniquity and die. It shall be a statute
for ever to him and to his seed after him.”
Aaron and his sons must at all time within the Dwellingplace and while on duty in
its courts wear linen breeches which covered from loins to thigh. othing of what
they were must be exposed to God (compare Exodus 20:26). These private parts had
once been man’s glory. Then man was naked and was not ashamed (Genesis 2:25).
Indeed his purpose was stated as, to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ (Genesis 1:28). But
now what he produced was sinful and needed to be redeemed. Thus the linen
breeches emphasised the fallenness of man. They did not declare the priest’s status,
but rather were a reminder of his sinfulness, of the great lack that there was within
him. either Temple of Meeting nor altar were to be approached unless they be
worn. They may also have been intended to ensure that the holy garments were not
soiled.
To fail to cover their nakedness on official duties before Yahweh was to be under
sentence of death. And this was considered to be so important that it was declared to
be a permanent statute while the priesthood continued (compare Exodus 27:21).
We must remember that sex played a major part in many religions, and especially
among the Canaanites, something which would have been known from the regular

practise of Canaanite religion in Egypt. The act of sex with sacred prostitutes and in
wild orgies in the sacred groves and high places was seen as helping to persuade the
gods to ensure the fertility of the land. Here it is made quite clear that Yahwism is
the very opposite of that. Apart from between man and wife for the purpose of
procreation and for making the man and woman one it was abhorred.
“The Tent of Meeting.” In this case the Dwellingplace. The name was taken over
from the old Tent of Meeting which will be described in Exodus 33:7-11. It referred
to the place where God could be met with.
“When they come near to the altar to minister in the Holy Place.” That is when they
officially approach the altar preparatory to entering to minister in the Holy Place.
• Breeches were to be made for the priests reaching from the loins to the thighs
to cover their ‘nakedness’ (Exodus 28:42).
• They were to be worn when going into the Tent of Meeting (Exodus 28:43 a).
• They were to be worn when coming near the altar to minister in the Holy
Place (Exodus 28:43 b).
• This was so that they do not bear iniquity and die. This was to be a statute
for ever to Aaron and his seed after him (Exodus 28:43 c).
Linen breeches of a similar kind, from waist to above the knees, were certainly worn
in Egypt later and were no doubt so worn at this time, but here they have been given
special significance.
It will be noted that no prescription has been made for footwear. The priests were to
walk barefoot (compare Exodus 3:5), and must wash their feet (in the laver) prior to
entering the Holy Place or approaching the altar to officiate at it (Exodus 30:18-21).
Like the wearing of breeches this was a permanent statute.
otes for Christians.
In the priestly garments are symbols of God’s provision for His people. The ephod
symbolised God’s people being brought by the High Priest into His presence
constantly, for he wore their names on his shoulders. Thus does our great High
Priest ever bear our names before Him. While the clothing of us by God in His
heavenly nature (2 Peter 1:4), the appointing of us as His royal priests (1 Peter 2:5; 1
Peter 2:9) and His provision for us of the blood of Christ which cleanses from all sin
(1 John 1:7) provides for all that we need in order to serve Him, and through this
provision it is our responsibility to ‘wear the ephod’ and bring to God His people in
our prayers and worship. The breastpouch too is the symbol that our High Priest
bears our names upon His heart, and that from it by His Spirit He guides His
church and brings to us all truth (John 14:26; John 16:13), we must therefore be
ready to bring God’s guidance and truth to the world, by studying to show ourselves
workmen approved to God, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). The
clothing stresses again that we must wear the righteousnesses of the saints, and be
constantly heavenly, royal and cleansed. The breeches remind us that the people of
God must not treat lightly the sacredness of sex properly utilised, but must beware

of flaunting it before God who knows our hearts. The golden plate declaring
‘holiness to the Lord’ must be worn by His people constantly that the world might
know of what true holiness consists.
43 Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever
they enter the tent of meeting or approach the
altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they
will not incur guilt and die.
“This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and
his descendants.
BAR ES, "Exo_28:43
That they bear not iniquity and die - See Exo_28:35, note; Exo_28:38 note.
GILL, "And they shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons,.... Not the linen
breeches only, but all the other garments:
when they come into the tabernacle of the congregation; even into that part of
it where the people assembled, the court of the tabernacle, and where stood the altar of
burnt offering, on which they offered the sacrifices of the people, but never without the
priestly garments on:
or when they came near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; at the
altar of incense which stood there; or when they came to trim the lamps of the
candlestick, and set the shewbread on the table, and take away the old, which candlestick
and shewbread table were both in the holy place:
that they bear not iniquity and die; be guilty of sin in not having their priestly
garments on in time of service, and so bear the punishment of it and die for it; the
Targum of Jonathan adds, with flaming fire, with fire from heaven, such as Nadab and
Abihu were afterwards consumed with; an high priest that had not the eight garments
on, or a common priest that had not his four garments, his service was illegal and
rejected, and he was guilty of death by the hand of heaven, as Maimonides (s) says; that

is, he was deserving of immediate death from the hand of God, and might expect it:
it shall be a statute for ever unto him, and his seed after him; as long as the
Aaronic priesthood continued, until Christ should arise, made an high priest, not after
the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchizedek, and should put an end to the
priesthood of the former, by answering and fulfilling all the types and shadows of it; this
respects all that is said in this chapter concerning the vestments of the priests, one and
another.
K&D, "Exo_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 Exo_27:21.
ELLICOTT, "(43) The tabernacle of the congregation.—Heb., the tent of meeting.
The holy place seems to be here the court of the tabernacle, within which the altar
was to be set up (Exodus 40:6; Exodus 40:29).
That they bear not iniquity, and die.—The death penalty is threatened against the
sin of ministering without the garments needed for decency, as against the sin of
neglecting to wear the robe of the ephod (Exodus 28:35). In both cases a Divine
vengeance, rather than a legal punishment, is probably intended.
COKE, "Exodus 28:43. They shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons— They, that
is, all the sacerdotal vestments as above described, shall, on pain of death, be worn
always during the time of their ministrations; but at no other time, and in no other
place. See Ezekiel 42:14; Ezekiel 44:19. Hence some account for St. Paul's not

knowing the high-priests, Acts 23:5 as he was not clothed in his sacerdotal
vestments. It shall be a statute for ever, means as long as the Jewish policy and
priesthood shall subsist.

Exodus 28 commentary

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Exodus 28 commentary