Exodus 28
The Clothing of the Priests
1 “And you, bring near to you your brother Aaron and his sons with him from among the Israelites, so that they may minister as my priests – Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
God chose Aaron’s family to become the priests of Israel.
2 You must make holy garments for your brother Aaron, for glory and for beauty.
Aaron was appointed by God as the High Priest. He was to wear special clothes. Since he was representing God, the clothes were to show the beauty and glory of God.
3 You are to speak to all who are specially skilled, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, so that they may make Aaron’s garments to set him apart to minister as my priest.
Professional artists were to make the clothes of Aaron.
4 Now these are the garments that they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a fitted tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make holy garments for your brother Aaron and for his sons, that they may minister as my priests.
The skilled artists were to make six items of clothing.
5 The artisans are to use the gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen.
The professional artisans were to use gold and linen. The linen was to be blue, purple, and scarlet.
6 “They are to make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twisted linen, the work of an artistic designer.
The ephod was the jacket which the High Priest wore over his white linen. It signified the office of the High Priest. It was to be made of gold. The linen was to be blue, purple, and scarlet. The linen was to be twisted. The ephod was to be made by a professional artisan.
7 It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be joined together.
The shoulder pieces would hold the ephod on the chest of the High Priest.
8 The artistically woven waistband of the ephod that is on it is to be like it, of one piece with the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twisted linen.
The waistband was a belt which would go around the robe of the High Priest.
9 “You are to take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,
Two onyx stones would be engraved with the twelve tribes of Israel.
10 six of their names on one stone, and the six remaining names on the second stone, according to the order of their birth.
Six tribes would be carried on the right shoulder and the other six tribes would be carried on the left shoulder.
11 You are to engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel with the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a seal; you are to have them set in gold filigree settings.
Professional artisans would engrave the stones.
12 You are to put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod, stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron will bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for a memorial.
The High Priest would bear the burdens of Israel before God.
13 You are to make filigree settings of gold
The artisans were to make settings of gold so that the stones could be enclosed inside of them.
14 and two braided chains of pure gold, like a cord, and attach the chains to the settings.
The chain which held the ephod on the shoulder would be made of gold.
15 “You are to make a breastpiece for use in making decisions, the work of an artistic designer; you are to make it in the same fashion as the ephod; you are to make it of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twisted linen.
The breastpiece was to be made by professional designers. It was to be made of gold and linen. The linen would be twisted into the three colors of blue, purple, and scarlet.
16 It is to be square when doubled, nine inches long and nine inches wide.
The breastplate was to be in the shape of a square.
17 You are to set in it a setting for stones, four rows of stones, a row with a ruby, a topaz, and a beryl – the first row;
The breastplate was to possess four rows of three stones each. The ruby, topaz, and beryl were placed on the top row.
18 and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald;
The turquoise, sapphire, and emerald were placed on the second row.
19 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
The jacinth, agate, and amethyst were to be set on the third row.
20 and the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. They are to be enclosed in gold in their filigree settings.
The chrysolite, onyx, and jasper were placed on the fourth row.
21 The stones are to be for the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, according to the number of their names. Each name according to the twelve tribes is to be like the engravings of a seal.
Each of the twelve stones represented one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
22 “You are to make for the breastpiece braided chains like cords of pure gold,
The chains to hold the breastpiece over the shoulder were to be made of pure gold.
23 and you are to make for the breastpiece two gold rings and attach the two rings to the upper two ends of the breastpiece.
The rings were to be made of gold.
24 You are to attach the two gold chains to the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece; 25 the other two ends of the two chains you will attach to the two settings and then attach them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it. 26 You are to make two rings of gold and put them on the other two ends of the breastpiece, on its edge that is on the inner side of the ephod. 27 You are to make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the juncture above the waistband of the ephod. 28 They are to tie the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod by blue cord, so that it may be above the waistband of the ephod, and so that the breastpiece will not be loose from the ephod.
The two gold chains would attach the breastplate to the ephod.
29 Aaron will bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of decision over his heart when he goes into the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.
The High Priest would bear the twelve tribes of Israel on his shoulder whenever he entered the Holy Place.
30 “You are to put the Urim and the Thummim into the breastpiece of decision; and they are to be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord. Aaron is to bear the decisions of the Israelites over his heart before the Lord continually.
Urim means lights. Thummin means perfection. Whenever Israel needed divine answers from God, they could ask yes or no questions to the High Priest. If the answer was “yes,”then the stones on the breastplate would illuminate. Israel was the only nation who received supernatural divine information directly from God. This revelation was perfect light from God. The problem was that Israel would often refuse to ask God for information. Instead, they just did what was right in their own eyes.
31 “You are to make the robe of the ephod completely blue.
The robe of the ephod was to be completely blue.
32 There is to be an opening in its top in the center of it, with an edge all around the opening, the work of a weaver, like the opening of a collar, so that it cannot be torn.
The robe was to have an opening at the top for the head of the High Priest.
33 You are to make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet all around its hem and bells of gold between them all around. 34 The pattern is to be a gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe.
There would be 613 pomegranates that hung from the robe of the High Priest. The 613 pomegranates represented the 613 Mosaic Laws. The bells were placed upon the robe so that the High Priest could be heard while performing his duties in the Holy of Holies.
35 The robe is to be on Aaron as he ministers, and his sound will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he leaves, so that he does not die.
If the High Priest was struck dead, then the bells would cease to ring. Since no other man could enter the Holy of Holies, the High Priest would then be pulled out by a rope.
36 “You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it the way a seal is engraved: “Holiness to the Lord.”
The plate of pure gold would be engraved with קֹ֖דֶשׁ לַֽיהוָֽה (kodesh la-Jehovah), meaning “holiness to the promise-keeping God.”
37 You are to attach to it a blue cord so that it will be on the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban,
This gold plate would be worn on the turban of the High Priest. The message was that the High Priest was set apart to perform a task for God. He was to offer the lamb which would make temporary atonement for the nation.
38 It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron will bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the Israelites are to sanctify by all their holy gifts; it will always be on his forehead, for their acceptance before the Lord.
The gold-plate will be placed upon Aaron’s head.
39 You are to weave the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen, and make the sash the work of an embroiderer.
The High Priest was to wear the fine linen, the turban, and the sash as part of his High Priest official uniform.
40 “For Aaron’s sons you are to make tunics, sashes, and headbands for glory and for beauty.
The sons of Aaron were also to wear priestly clothing. They were in-training for the High Priest position.
41 “You are to clothe them – your brother Aaron and his sons with him – and anoint them and ordain them and set them apart as holy, so that they may minister as my priests.
The sons of Aaron were to be ordained and clothed as priests. Since these priests represented God, they were to be dressed in beautiful attire.
42 Make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked bodies; they must cover from the waist to the thighs.
The priests wore robes. The linen garments were underwear to cover the nakedness of the priests.
43 These must be on Aaron and his sons when they enter to the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they bear no iniquity and die. It is to be a perpetual ordinance for him and for his descendants after him.
If Aaron and the priests entered the Holy Place out of uniform, then they would die. Holiness and obedience are very important to God. Obedience to God keeps one out of sin so that he can serve God at the highest level.