Exodus 28:18

_AND THOU SHALT MAKE THE 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._ BREASTPLATE OF JUDGMENT, х_ CHOSHEN_ (H2833)] - a very splendid and richly embroidered piece of brocade, of the same texture and workmanship as the ephod, 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. (cf. Psalms 133:1.) 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 breastpl

15-30 The chief ornament of the high priest, was the breastplate, a rich piece of cloth, curiously worked. The name of each tribe was graven in a precious stone, fixed in the breastplate, to signify how precious, in God's sight, believers are, and how honourable. How small and poor soever the tribe was, it was as a precious stone in the breastplate of the high priest; thus are all the saints dear to Christ, however men esteem them. The high priest had the names of the tribes, both on his shoulders and on his breast, which reminds us of the power and the love with which our Lord Jesus pleads for those that are his. He not only bears them up in his arms with almighty strength, but he carries them in his bosom with tender affection. What comfort is this to us in all our addresses to God! The Urim and Thummim, by which the will of God was made known in doubtful cases, were put in this breas...

(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 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

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...

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...

Twelve precious stones, each engraved with the name of one of the tribes of Israel, to be arranged in gold settings in four rows of three each, and fastened in front of the pouch. The identity of several of the stones mentioned is very uncertain; for philology throws little or no light upon the meanings of the names, and the ancient Versions in several cases give inconsistent renderings, or renderings which are themselves of uncertain interpretation. The oldest interpretations of the names are those given by the LXX.; and in identifying these, much help is afforded by Theophrastus, _On Stones_[_c._300 b.c.), and notices in Pliny, _H. N._See more fully Petrie, _DB._iv. 619 ff., and esp. J. L. Myres, _EB._iv. 4799 ff. The list is repeated in Exodus 39:10-13: comp. also the lists in Eze

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,...

THE PRIESTLY GARMENTS 1. All Israel is a 'kingdom of priests' (see on Exodus 19:6), but for the special service of the sanetuary Aaron and his descendants are selected and solemnly consecrated: see Leviticus 8:9. Nadab and Abihu died (Leviticus 10) and the priesthood was continued in the descendants of Eleazar and Ithamar: see 1 Chronicles 24:1, and on Numbers 25:12....