The Second Book of Moses, called Exodus
Exodus 28
Chapter XXVIII · Vol. I, pp. 341–343
1 Aaron and his sons are set apart for the priest's office. 2 Holy garments are appointed. 6 The ephod. 15 The breastplate with twelve precious stones. 30 The Urim and Thummim. 31 The robe of the ephod, with pomegranates and bells. 36 The plate of the mitre. 39 The embroidered coat. 40 The garments for Aaron's sons.
1 AND a take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even b Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
b ch. 6.23. Le. 10.1, 12. Nu. 3.2; 26.60. 1 Ch. 6.1,16; 24.1,2.
3 And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted,d 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.
d ch. 31.3,6; 35.31; 36.1. Is. 28.24-26.
4 And these are the garments1 which they shall make; e a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
A.M. 2513. B.C. 1491.
1 The high-priest's dress was composed of the ephod, the girdle, the shoulder-piece, the breast-plate, the Urim and Thummim, the robe of the ephod, the mitre, the coat of fine linen, the bonnets, and the linen breeches. The ephod was a close embroidered robe, reaching from the shoulders to the loins, confined there by the girdle. On each shoulder-piece was a socket of gold, containing an onyx-stone, with the names of the tribes; and on the breast-plate were twelve gems, also having the names of the tribes. The typical bearing of these is very significant, Is. 9.6. 1 Pe. 5.7. Jn. 15.9. He. 9.24. The Urim and Thummim, or 'lights and perfections,' were identical with the gems on the breastplate, compare ver. 29 with ver. 30; ch. 39.8-21 with Le. 8.8. As responses were anciently obtained by these, so will it be still. Our High-priest has all men constantly upon his heart, and is continually making intercession for them. The robe of the ephod was a long, blue, linen gown, reaching to the ankles, and decorated with pomegranates and bells. Christ's robe of righteousness covers the whole man. The mitre was a turban of fine linen, having a plate of gold, which the bonnets wanted. The believer's diadem will be a crown of glory that fadeth not away. The linen breeches reached from the loins to a little below the knee, made tight by strings drawn close like a purse.—C.
e ch. 29.5; 31.10; 39.1-26. Re. 1.13. Zec. 3.5. Ca. 5.10-16; 3.11, with Jn. 1.14. 1 Ti. 3.16.
6 Andg they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.
g ch. 39.2-8. Le. 8.7. 1 Sa. 2.28; 14.3, 21.9; 23.9.
7 It shall have the two shoulder-pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.
8 And the h curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
10 Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, k according to their birth.
11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.
12 And thou shalt l put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod, for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear2 their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
13 And thou shalt make ouches of gold;
14 And two chains of pure gold at the ends: of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.
15 And thou shalt make the m 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, thou shalt make it.
16 Four-square it shall be, being doubled; a span[≈ 23 cm · 9 in] shall be the length thereof, and a span[≈ 23 cm · 9 in] shall be the breadth thereof.
17 And thou shalt set in it settings of 3 stones, even n four rows of stones; the first row shall be a sardius,4 a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.
3 Heb. fill in it fillings of stone.
n Re. 21.19, 20. Mal. 3.17. ch. 39.10, &c.
4 Or, ruby. This breastplate denoted the church in which all people are ranked, and the covenant of grace by which they are immovably fixed on Jesus' heart, that he may be ever mindful of them.
18 And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper; they shall be set in gold in their enclosings.4
A.M. 2513. B.C. 1491.
4 Heb. fillings.
21 And the stones shall be o 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 p according to the twelve tribes.
o See ver. 9, 12, 29.
p ver. 10; ch. 1. 1-3. Nu. i. ii. x. xxvi. 1 Co. 14.31. Col. 2.5.
23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.
25 And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten5 in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod before it.
5 These fastenings denoted how firmly, closely, and divinely the faithful of the church are connected with Jesus' heart.
26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate, in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.
27 And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the fore-part thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
28 And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
29 And Aaron shall r 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.6
r Ca. 8.6. Is. 49.15, 16. 1 Pe. 5.7. He. 7.25; 9.24. Ro. 8.34. See ver. 9-12, 21.
6 'The breastplate of judgment' was so called, because the high-priest wore it whenever he consulted the Lord about the concerns of religion and government, in order to deliver the judgment of God to the rulers in the congregation. It was a piece of fine linen cloth, woven, dyed, and embroidered, like the golden ephod, and being doubled it was a span square. Upon it were fixed twelve precious stones, set in ouches, or sockets, of gold; and on each of them was engraven the name of one of the sons of Israel; these being considered as the representatives of the twelve tribes. It is doubted whether the name of Levi was engraven, as that tribe might be sufficiently represented by the high-priest himself; or whether Manasseh and Ephraim had each a separate stone as forming two tribes; but the text seems to imply that the names of all Jacob's sons were engraven and no other.—Scott.
30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the s 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.
s What the Urim and Thummim, or lights and perfections, were, I cannot certainly tell: perhaps God himself formed it, and by it the priest knew the mind of God, Le. 8.7. Nu. 27.18, 21. De. 33.8. Ju. 1.1; 20.18, 23, 28. 1 Sa. 23.9-12. Ezr. 2.63. Ne. 7.65. Is. 11.2, 3. Col. 2.3.
31 And thou shalt make t the robe of the ephod all of blue.
t ch. 39.22-26. Le. 8.7. Jn. 1.14. He. 7.26. 2 Co. 5.21; 10.4.
32 And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be u not rent.2
u Jn. 19.23. 1 Co. 1.10, 13. 1 Ti. 1.3. Ga. 1.8, 9. Ep. 4.3-16.
2 'And there shall be an opening for the head in the centre of it; and there shall be a binding round the opening of woven work, like the opening of a coat of mail shall it be, that it be not rent.'—P.
33 And beneath upon the hem8 of it, thou shalt make x pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and y bells of gold between them round about:
34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.
35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his z sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.
36 And thou shalt make a a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
a ch. 39.30. Le. 8.9. He. 7.26. 2 Co. 5.21. 1 Co. 1.30. Zec. 14.20. Ps. 93.5. Eze. 43.12.
37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace,9 that it may be upon the mitre;1 upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
9 Or, on a blue ribbon.—P.
1 It was a kind of crown made of rolled linen, somewhat in the form of a grenadier's cap.
38 And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may b bear the iniquity2 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.
b Le. 10.17. Nu. 18.1. Is. 64.6; 53.6, 11, 12. Jn. 1.29. 2 Co. 5.21. 1 Pe. 2.24; 3.18. Ep. 1.6, 7. 1 Jn. 1.7; 2.1, 2.
2 This expression here signifies, that he should be answerable for anything in the service of the sanctuary that was not according to the divine commands, and to declare that their gifts and sacrifices should be accepted only through the mediation of the great High-priest.—P.
39 And thou shalt embroider the c coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the d mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the e girdle of needle-work.
c See ver. 4, 6, 8, 31, 37; ch. 39.2, 18, 41. He. 7.26. Jn. 1.14. Re. 19.8. Is. 61.10. Ps. 132.9, 16.
d Eze. 21.26. 1 Co. 4.20, 21. 2 Co. 10.4, 6.
e Is. 11.5; 22.21. Ep. 6.14. 1 Pe. 1.13.
40 And f for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
f ch. 39.27-29. Le. 8.13. Is. 61.10. Ps. 132.9. 2 Co. 5.21. 1 Co. 1.30.
41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt g anoint them, and consecrate them,3 and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
g ch. 29.7; 30.23, 30; 40.15. Le. 10.7. Is. 61.1. Jn. 3.34. 1 Jn. 2.20, 27. 2 Co. 1.21, 22.
3 Heb. fill their hand.
42 And thou shalt make them linen h breeches to cover their4 nakedness; from the loins even i unto the thighs they shall reach.5
h ch. 39.28; 20.26. Re. 3.18; 16.15. Ro. 6.21; 13.14.
4 Heb. flesh of their nakedness.
i 1 Co. 1.30; 12.23, 24. 2 Co. 5.21.
5 Heb. be.
43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they k bear not iniquity, and die. It shall be a statute l for ever unto him, and his seed after him.
k Ps. 5.5, 6. Hab. 1.13. Mat. 22.12, 13.
l Ge. 17.7. ch. 12.17.
Notes
Reflections.—Come, my soul, is not the smell of my Redeemer's garments, his unspotted manhood, his mediatorial office, and his everlasting righteousness, as of a field which the Lord hath blessed! Are not these for glory and for beauty to himself and to his people! Is he not everyway fitted to attract the admiration of angels and of men! everyway qualified to atone for, to remember all men, and present them before God! Are not even the appearances and actions of his debased state calculated to promote his own and his Father's honour and our everlasting happiness! Let me then behold and receive him as the great High-priest of my profession; behold how, in his manhood, in his mediatorial office, and finished righteousness, he bears the names of all people in all their diversified conditions, and supports and presents them before God! What sweet fruits and joyful sounds of gospel grace issue from his incarnation, righteousness, and intercession! In what a dignified manner hath he put away our sins that we die not! And, though in all things he must have the pre-eminence, let me, and all his children, be arrayed in our priestly robes of righteousness imparted, grace implanted, and of a holy conversation; and let me ever remember that it is death, eternal death, to all, but chiefly to ministers, if they attempt to serve God without putting on the Lord Jesus, as made of God to them righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
Measures in square brackets are modern equivalents added for this edition. They are not in the King James text or in Brown’s notes. They use common scholarly estimates: a cubit is about 45.7 cm (18 in), a shekel about 11.4 g (0.4 oz), an ephah about 22 litres. Money values give the worth of the silver or gold at spot prices on 28 October 2026, not what the sum would buy in the ancient world.