Exodus 28:33

33 Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn[a] on its lower hem and all around it. Put gold bells between them all the way around,

Exodus 28:33 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 28:33

And beneath upon the hem of it
Or the skirts of it, at the bottom of the robe:

thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet,
round about the hem thereof;
these were figures made of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, in the form of pomegranates: Jarchi says they were round and hollow, and made like hens' eggs, about the size of them, and of an oval form:

and bells of gold between them round about;
according to some, the bells were put into the pomegranates, which is supposed to be the meaning of the phrase "between them", or, "in the midst of them"; and so Aben Ezra observes, that some say the bells did not appear, they were only in the midst of the pomegranates, and there they caused their sound to be heard: but according to our version and others, the bells were placed between the pomegranates, between every pomegranate and pomegranate there was a golden bell; and this seems to be plainly the sense of the following verse.

Exodus 28:33 In-Context

31 "You are to make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue yarn.
32 There should be an opening at its top in the center of it. Around the opening, there should be a woven collar with an opening like that for body armor so that it does not tear.
33 Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn on its lower hem and all around it. Put gold bells between them all the way around,
34 [so that] gold bells and pomegranates alternate around the lower hem of the robe.
35 The robe must be [worn by] Aaron whenever he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he enters the sanctuary before the Lord and when he exits, so that he does not die.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Sam, LXX add of finely spun linen
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