Exodus 28:9-29

9 And thou shalt take two stones of onyx, and thou shalt grave in them the names of the sons of Israel, (And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and thou shalt engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,)
10 six names in one stone, and six others in the tother stone, by the order of their birth; (six names on one stone, and six names on the other stone, in their birth order;)
11 by the work of a graver, and by the painting of a man that adorneth with gems, thou shalt grave those stones with the names of the sons of Israel; and thou shalt enclose and compass with gold. (by the work of an engraver, and by the painting of a man who adorneth with gems, thou shalt engrave those stones with the names of the sons of Israel; and thou shalt enclose and encompass them with gold.)
12 And thou shalt set those stones in ever either side of the cloak on the shoulders, (as) a memorial to the sons of Israel; and Aaron shall bear the names of them before the Lord on ever either shoulder, for remembering. (And thou shalt fasten those stones on the two shoulder straps of the ephod, as a reminder of the twelve tribes of Israel; Aaron shall carry their names before the Lord on both shoulders, so that I shall remember them.)
13 And thou shalt make (two) hooks (out) of (pure) gold,
14 and two little chains of cleanest gold, cleaving to themselves together, which little chains thou shalt set in the hooks. (and two little chains out of pure gold, which shall be twisted like ropes, and which thou shalt fasten to the hooks.)
15 Also thou shalt make the rational of doom by work of diverse colours, after the weaving of the cloak on the shoulder(s), of gold, jacinth, and purple, of red silk twice-dyed, and of bis folded again. (And thou shalt make the breast-piece of judgement like the weaving of the ephod, out of gold, and jacinth, and purple, and red silk twice-dyed, and finely woven linen, and embroider it.)
16 It shall be four-cornered, and double; it shall have the measure of a palm of an hand, as well in the length, as in breadth. (It shall be square, and folded over double; its measurements, the length as well as the breadth, shall be the palm of a hand.)
17 And thou shalt set therein four orders of stones; in the first order shall be the stone sardius, topaz, and smaragdus; (And thou shalt fasten to it four rows of stones; in the first row shall be stones of sardius, topaz, and emerald;)
18 in the second order shall be carbuncle, sapphire, and jasper; (in the second row shall be carbuncle, sapphire, and jasper;)
19 in the third order shall be ligure, agate, and amethyst; (in the third row shall be ligure, agate, and amethyst;)
20 and in the fourth order shall by crystallite, onyx, and beryl; these shall be closed in gold, by their orders, (and in the fourth row shall by crystallite, onyx, and beryl; they shall all be enclosed in gold, and in their proper order,)
21 and shall have the names of the sons of Israel; these shall be graved with twelve names; all the stones by themselves, with the names of all the sons by themselves, by [the] twelve lineages. (and shall have on them the names of the sons of Israel; yea, they shall be engraved with their twelve names; each of the stones shall have the name of one of the sons, to represent the twelve tribes of Israel.)
22 Thou shalt make in the rational chains cleaving to themselves together of purest gold, (Thou shalt make chains for the breast-piece out of pure gold, which shall be twisted like ropes,)
23 and thou shalt make two golden rings, which thou shalt set in ever either highness of the rational. (and thou shalt make two gold rings, which thou shalt fasten to the upper corners of the breast-piece.)
24 And thou shalt join the golden chains with the rings that be in the margins thereof, (And thou shalt join these gold chains to the rings that be fastened to the corners of the breast-piece,)
25 and thou shalt couple the ends of the chains to the two hooks in ever either side of the cloak on the shoulder(s), that beholdeth the rational. (and the other ends of these chains shall be joined to the two hooks, that shall be fastened to the upper part of the front of the two shoulder straps of the ephod.)
26 And thou shalt make two golden rings, which thou shalt set in the highness of the rational, and in the hems of the cloak on the shoulder(s), that be even against, and behold the latter things thereof. (And thou shalt make two gold rings, which thou shalt fasten to the lower corners of the breast-piece, by the hem of the ephod, so that they be opposite each other.)
27 Also and thou shalt make twain other golden rings, that shall be set in ever either side of the cloak on the shoulder(s) beneath, that beholdeth against the face of the lower joining, that it may be set covenably with the cloak on the shoulder(s). (And thou shalt make two more gold rings, and fasten them to the lower part of the front of the two shoulder straps of the ephod, near the seam, and above the waistband.)
28 And the rational be bound by his rings with the rings of the cloak on the shoulder(s), with a lace of jacinth, that the joining made (may) craftily dwell, and that the rational and the cloak on the shoulder(s) may not be separated each from (the) other. (And the breast-piece shall be bound by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of jacinth, so that the joining shall dwell secure, and the breast-piece and the ephod shall not separate from each other.)
29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the rational of doom on his breast, when he entereth into the saintuary, a memorial before the Lord [into] without end. (And so Aaron shall carry the names of the tribes of Israel on the breast-piece of judgement on his breast, when he entereth into the sanctuary, as a reminder before the Lord forevermore.)

Exodus 28:9-29 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 28

This chapter informs us of the servants God would have to minister to him in the house, or tabernacle, he had ordered to be made, even Aaron and his sons, Ex 28:1 of the garments they were to wear in their service, Ex 28:2-5 and first of the garments of the high priest, and particularly of the ephod, with the girdle, on the shoulder pieces of which were to be two onyx stones, with the names of the children of Israel engraved on them, Ex 28:6-14, and that of the breastplate of judgment, with the Urim and Thummum in it, Ex 28:15-30 and of the robe of the ephod, Ex 28:31-35, and of the mitre, Ex 28:36-39 and then of the garments of the common priests, Ex 28:40-43.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.