Exodus 28:10

_AND THEY SHALL MAKE THE EPHOD OF GOLD, OF BLUE, AND OF PURPLE, OF SCARLET, AND FINE TWINED LINEN, WITH CUNNING WORK._ Ephod. It was a very gorgeous robe, made of byssus, curiously embroidered, and dyed with variegated colours, and further enriched with golden tissue, the threads of gold being either originally interwoven or afterward 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. It was essential to all acts of divine worship; and none ever inquired of the...

6-14 This richly-wrought ephod was the outmost garment of the high priest; plain linen ephods were worn by the inferior priests. It was a short coat without sleeves, fastened close to the body with a girdle. The shoulder-pieces were buttoned together with precious stones set in gold, one on each shoulder, on which were engraven the names of the children of Israel. Thus Christ, our High Priest, presents his people before the Lord for a memorial. As Christ's coat had no seam, but was woven from the top throughout, so it was with the ephod. The golden bells on this ephod, by their preciousness and pleasant sound, well represent the good profession that the saints make, and the pomegranates the fruit they bring forth....

(Compare Exodus 39:1.) 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 Exodus 13:2; Numbers 3:12. 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...

EXPOSITION THE HOLY GARMENTS. 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 28:4-2). It consists of an ephod ...

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. a Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 3. c. 7. sect. 5.) b Hilchot Cele Hamikdash, ut supra. (c. 9. sect. 9.)...

CHAPTER 28 THE PRIESTHOOD _ 1. Aaron and his sons (Exodus 28:1)_ 2. The garments mentioned (Exodus 28:2) 3. The ephod (Exodus 28:5) 4. The breastplate (Exodus 28:15) 5. The robe of the ephod (Exodus 28:31) 6. The mitre (Exodus 28:35) 7. The ordinary garments (Exodus 28:39) This chapter is still richer in typical lessons, a ver

EXODUS 28. P (Exodus 28:26; Exodus 28:41 later). PRIESTLY VESTMENTS. After the sanctuary and its fittings have been ordered, the vestments for the priesthood come up for mention. For the strange story of the development of the priest-hood in Israel, _see_ pp. 106f. Here we find, no doubt, a simple assumption that Aaron and his sons wore the same vestments as were worn by the Zadokite High Priest and his assistants in the Temple of Zerub- babel. Sir_45:9-22; Sir_50:1-21 are a complete proof that the splendour of the Temple ritual and its religious value were fully appreciated by the Hebrew sages, cultivated men of the world who cared deeply for religion as well as for morality. Of Aaron's four sons, Nadab and Abihu are named in...

ACCORDING TO THEIR BIRTH. Here, on the shoulders (the place of strength), all were borne up alike; but over the heart (the place of love) the order was "according to the tribes" as God chose them, Exodus 28:2....

Two onyx stones, enclosed in filigree settings of gold, and each engraved with the names of six of the tribes of Israel, to be fixed on the top of the two shoulder-straps. _onyx_ see on _v._20....

THE TEXT OF EXODUS TRANSLATION 28 And bring thou near unto thee Aar-on thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Is-ra-el, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aar-on, Na-dab and A-bi-hu, E-le-a-zar and Ith-a-mar, Aaron's sons. (2) And thou shalt make holy garments for Aar-on thy brother, for glory and for beauty. (3) And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aar-on's garments to sanctify him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. (4) And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an eph-od, and a robe, and a coat of checker work, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aar-on thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. (5) And they shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple,...