1Aaron and his sons are set apart for the priest's office. 2Holy garments are appointed. 6The ephod. 15The breastplate with twelve precious stones. 30The Urim and Thummim. 31The robe of the ephod, with pomegranates and bells. 36The plate of the mitre. 39The embroidered coat. 40The garments for Aaron's sons.
1AND 1take 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, evena Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
1 Namely, after the work of the tabernacle shall be completed.
a Heb. 5:4.
2And thou shalt make 2holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
2 That is, such garments as he shall put on and wear when he goes about to administer his priestly office in the sanctuary. Hebr. clothes of holiness.
3And thou shalt speak unto all that are 3wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
3 See Job 9:4.
4And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an 4ephod, and a 5robe, and a 6broidered coat, a 7mitre, and a girdle: and 8they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
4 Or, girdle, or, shoulder-piece, see Exod. 25:7.
5 Or, upper vest, upper garment, whereon the bells hung. See verse 31.
6 Understand, curiously wrought with embellishments, in fashion of eyes. This is held to be the undercoat, being longer than the upper robe.
7 This was a cover which was, as it were, wound round about the head, after the manner of the Turkish turban; it was the head cover and ornament for kings and priests.
8 Namely, the wise men, or skillful artificers spoken of in verse 3.
5And 9they shall take 10gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
9 Namely, the wise men, or skillful artificers spoken of in verse 3.
10 Namely, which the children of Israel shall have voluntarily brought in, whereof mention is made in Exodus 25.
6¶Andb they shall make the ephod of 11gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.
b Exod. 39:2.
11 The golden ephod was only to be worn by the high priest, but there were likewise ephods made of linen which other priests and other people also did wear. See 1 Sam. 2:18; 22:18, 2 Sam. 6:14.
7It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.
8And 12the curiousc girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, 13according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
12 Namely, wherewith the ephod was to be girded about. Whether this ephod hung from the shoulder both before and behind down to the loins, and under this girdle, or else whether it hung only on the back down to the girdle, or upon, or over it; or, whether being open before and behind, and fastened to the shoulders, it hung from the loins down to the feet, opinions do much vary. Yet the latter is embraced by the most learned Hebrew scholars.
c embroidered*
13 Namely, of the same cloth whereof the ephod is made. Other, out of it, that is, of the very same piece.
9And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
10Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.
11With the work of an engraver in stone, 14like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in 15ouches of gold.
14 That is, in the most pretty and in the most perfect manner. Hebr. the graving of a seal.
15 Thus the concavities or hollow places are called, in rings, or jewels, wherein precious stones are to be set.
12And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones 16of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders 17for a memorial.
16 The sense of these words is: that Aaron standing before Him, God would be reminded of the children of Israel.
17 The sense of these words is: that Aaron standing before Him, God would be reminded of the children of Israel.
13¶And thou shalt make ouches of gold;
14And two chains of pure gold 18at the ends; of 19wreathend work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.
18 That is, of equal size and length; also verse 22.
19 Other, wreathed, or, wrested work.
d twisted. like cord*
15¶And thoue shalt make 20the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
e Exod. 39:8.
20 Thus called, because the high priest put it on when there fell out anything of great weight and concernment, which was very doubtful and difficult, to ask God’s advice and direction in the same.
16Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a spanfshall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.
f (Heb. zereth) distance from extended little finger to thumb, 3 handbreadths; 9 inches or 229 millimeters
17And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first 21row shall be a 22sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle:gthis shall be the first row.
21 That is, the first, as Gen. 1:5; 2:11.
22 About the translation of the names of these stones the most learned translators differ much; we followed the most and chiefest, both ancient and modern translators. The Hebrew names of all these twelve stones stand thus: 1st row, odem, pitda, bareketh; 2nd row, nophech, sappir, jahalom; 3rd row, leschem, schebo, achlamah; 4th row, tarschisch, schoham, jaspe.
g a deep red gem*
18And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
19And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
20And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper:h they shall be set in gold 23in their inclosings.
h precious stone of various colors*
23 That is, in the ouches wherein they shall be set. Compare Exod. 25 on verse 7.
21And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
22¶And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.
23And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
24And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.
25And the other two ends 24of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before 25it.
24 Hebr. of both the turnings, or, wreathings, wreaths.
25 Hebr. face.
26¶And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the 26border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.
26 Hebr. lip.
27And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the 27forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
27 Other, joining together.
28And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
29And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.
30¶And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment 28the 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.
28 These words might be rendered, lights and perfections. God was pleased by them to impart His clear and perfect answers to the high priest. Nevertheless what they were, is uncertain. We read nowhere that God commanded Moses to make the same, much less how and whereof they were made. Compare Lev. 8:8.
31¶And thou shalt make thei29robe of the ephod all of blue.
i Exod. 39:22.
29 Namely, the cloak or coat, which was to be worn under the ephod.
32And there shall be an 30hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon,j that 31it be not rent.
30 That is, the open place above, through which the priest’s head was to pass, to hang or sit on his shoulder. Hebr. the mouth of its head.
j linen undergarment*
31 Namely, the hole; other, make it relate to the ephod.
33¶And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold 32between them round about:
32 Other, in the midst of them.
34A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.
35And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and 33his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, 34that he die not.
33 Understand the sound or noise of his bells.
34 Understand being smitten by God the Lord.
36¶And thou shalt make ak35plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, 36like the engravings of a signet, 37HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
k Exod. 39:30.
35 Hebr. a flower, which is fair to the eye.
36 Hebr. with the graving of a seal.
37 Other, holiness of the Lord.
37And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon 38the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
38 See verse 4.
38And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, 39that Aaron may 40bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be 41always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.
39 Here Aaron is a type of Christ, Who by His own Holiness has taken away the sins of His people, which they do frequently commit, even in their most holy acts and services, John 1:29; 2 Cor. 5:19, and 1 John 2:1.
40 That is, bearing, remove, or take away.
41 Understand, whenever the high priest was to wear his miter, serving and administering his office.
39¶And thou shalt embroider the coatl of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.
l verse 4.
40¶And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make 42coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and 43bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
42 Namely, of fine linen, as those of the high priest were, Exod. 39:27. Understand this likewise of the girdle and of their miters, or bonnets, which were not much different from the high priest.
43 Or, raised bonnets, which were bound to, or wound about the head, Lev. 8:13.
41And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons 44with him; and 45shalt anoint them, and consecrate 46them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
44 Or, also.
45 Namely, with the holy oil, which God commanded to be made. See Exod. 29:7; 30:23.
46 See Lev. 8:33.
42And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
43And they shall be upon 47Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear 48not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.
47 Other, Now Aaron and his sons shall have them on, etc.
48 That is, punishment of, or for iniquity, see Lev. 5:1.