Exodus 28:39

_AND THOU SHALT MAKE A PLATE OF PURE GOLD, AND GRAVE UPON IT, LIKE THE ENGRAVINGS OF A SIGNET, HOLINESS TO_ _ THE LORD._ Plate - literally, petal of a flower, which seems to have been the figure of this burnished plate of gold, which was tied with a ribbon of blue on the front of the mitre, so that everyone facing him could read the inscription. MITRE, х_ MITSNAAPET_ (H4701)] - a turban, a tiara; crown-like cap for the head, not covering the entire head, but adhering closely to it, composed of fine linen. The Scripture has not described its form; but from Josephus ('Antiquities,' b. 3:, ch. 7:, sec. 3) we may gather that it was conical in shape, as he distinguishes the mitres of the common priests by saying that they were not conical; that it was encircled with swathes of blue embroidered, and that it was covered by one piece of fine linen to hide the seams (Braun, 'De Vest. Sacerd. He...

31-39 The robe of the ephod was under the ephod, and reached down to the knees, without sleeves. Aaron must minister in the garments appointed. We must serve the Lord with holy fear, as those who know they deserve to die. A golden plate was fixed on Aaron's forehead, engraven with "Holiness to the Lord." Aaron was hereby reminded that God is holy, and that his priests must be holy, devoted to the Lord. This must appear in their forehead, in open profession of their relation to God. It must be engraven like the engravings of a signet; deep and durable; not painted so as to be washed off, but firm and lasting; such must our holiness to the Lord be. Christ is our High Priest; through him sins are forgiven to us, and not laid to our charge. Our persons, our doings, are pleasing to God upon the account of Christ, and not otherwise....

(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 TUNIC AND GIRDLE. From the outer garments, which were the most important and distinctive, a transition is now made to the inner ones, in which there was nothing very remarkable. The linen drawers are for the present omitted, as not peculiar to the high priest. Directions are given for the tunic and the girdle. The former is to be woven in some peculiar way—so as to be diapered, as some think—and the latter is to be "the work of the embroiderer." EXODUS 28:39 THOU SHALT EMBROIDER. This is certainly not the meaning of the Hebrew. Some peculiar mode of weaving the coat is intended. THE COAT. Rather, "the tunic" or "shirt." The _keloneth_ was a long linen gown or cassock, worn immediately over the drawers. It reached to the feet,

AND THOU SHALL EMBROIDER THE COAT OF FINE LINEN,.... Which was a distinct garment from the ephod, and from the robe of the ephod, and was the innermost of all; it was made of fine linen, curiously wrought in the weaving of it: according to some, it was full of a sort of eyelet holes; but as the word is that, from whence comes that for ouches, Exodus 28:6. Jarchi thinks it was full of holes, like those ouches or sockets, in which the stones were set; and so this coat was decked and adorned with gems and precious stones stuck in those holes or ouches: but rather it was figured with such little cornered holes as are in the stomach of animals that chew the cud, called the "reticulum"; being in the form of network, as Maimonides i observes, and which is approved by Braunius k: this was an emblem of the righteousness of Christ, comparable to fine linen richly embroidered, decked and adorned wi...

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...

MAKE. The making deferred to Exodus 39:3....

The high priest's TUNIC, TURBAN, and SASH. With _vv._39 42 compare (condensed) Exodus 39:27-29. _the coat the_ TUNIC. This was made of fine linen, the -work of the weaver" (Exodus 39:27), woven in one piece. Josephus says (_Ant._iii. 7. 2) that it reached down to the feet, fitted close to the body, and had tight sleeves: it had a narrow aperture about the neck, and was girt about the breast by a sash (see below). It would thus resemble a cassock or dressing-gown (see ill. of an ordinary tunic in _DB._i. 624 b). Linen, as a clean and cool material, was much prized in antiquity (cf. on Exodus 25:4); and was worn in particular by priests both in Egypt Hdt. ii. 37; Wilk.-B. ii. 159),

AND THOU SHALT EMBROIDER THE COAT OF FINE LINEN— This was the inmost of the vestments, which reached down to the heels, with sleeves to the wrists. The _girdle_ or _sash_ was used to gird the priest's coat close to him, which was tucked up also in the girdle when he officiated, that it might not encumber him in his service. _Note;_ 1. From the golden plate on Aaron's forehead we may learn, (1.) That God's ministers must never be ashamed of their profession. (2.) That they who appear before God should have holiness written on their hearts. (3.) That true holiness is not a superficial thing, but deeply engraven and durable. 2. His linen mitre or diadem may remind us, that our High-Priest is also our King; he not only atones for our sins, but will subdue all our enemies within or without us....