Exodus 39

Listen to Exodus 39

Making the Priestly Garments

1 From the 1blue and purple and scarlet yarns they made 2finely woven garments,[a] for ministering in the Holy Place. They made the holy garments for Aaron, 3as the LORD had commanded Moses.
2 4He made the ephod of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.
3 And they hammered out gold leaf, and he cut it into threads to work into the blue and purple and the scarlet yarns, and into the fine twined linen, in skilled design.
4 They made for the ephod attaching shoulder pieces, joined to it at its two edges.
5 And the skillfully woven band on it was of one piece with it and made like it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
6 They made the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold filigree, and engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel.
7 And he set them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
8 5He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, in the style of the ephod, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.
9 It was square. They made the breastpiece doubled, a span[b] its length and a span its breadth when doubled.
10 And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row;
11 and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;
12 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
13 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree.
14 There were twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.
15 And they made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold.
16 And they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece.
17 And they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece.
18 They attached the two ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree. Thus they attached it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod.
19 Then they made two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod.
20 And they made two rings of gold, and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.
21 And they bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it should lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece should not come loose from the ephod, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
22 6He also made the robe of the ephod woven all of blue,
23 and the opening of the robe in it was like the opening in a garment, with a binding around the opening, so that it might not tear.
24 On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.
25 They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe, between the pomegranates--
26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe for ministering, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
27 7They also made the coats, woven of fine 8linen, for Aaron and his sons,
28 and the 9turban of fine linen, and the caps of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of fine twined linen,
29 and the sash of fine twined linen and of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, embroidered with needlework, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
30 10They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engraving of a signet, "Holy to the LORD."
31 And they tied to it a cord of blue to fasten it on the turban above, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did 11according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did.
33 Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its utensils, its hooks, its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases;
34 the covering of tanned rams' skins and goatskins, and the 12veil of the screen;
35 the ark of the testimony with its poles and the mercy seat;
36 the table with all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence;
37 13the lampstand of pure gold and its lamps with the lamps set and all its utensils, and the oil for the light;
38 14the golden altar, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and 15the screen for the entrance of the tent;
39 the bronze altar, and its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin and its stand;
40 16the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the 17screen for the gate of the court, its 18cords, and its pegs; and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting;
41 the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons for their service as priests.
42 19According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work.
43 And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses 20blessed them.

Exodus 39 Commentary

Chapter 39

The priests' garments. (1-31) The tabernacle completed. (32-43)

Verses 1-31 The priests' garments were rich and splendid. The church in its infancy was thus taught by shadows of good things to come; but the substance is Christ, and the grace of the gospel. Christ is our great High Priest. When he undertook the work of our redemption, he put on the clothes of service, he arrayed himself with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, girded himself with resolution to go through the undertaking, took charge of all God's spiritual Israel, laid them near his heart, engraved them on the palms of his hands, and presented them to his Father. And he crowned himself with holiness to the Lord, consecrating his whole undertaking to the honour of his Father's holiness. True believers are spiritual priests. The clean linen with which all their clothes of service must be made, is the righteousness of saints, ( Revelation 19:8 ) .

Verses 32-43 The tabernacle was a type or emblem of Jesus Christ. As the Most High dwelt visibly within the sanctuary, even on the ark, so did he reside in the human nature and tabernacle of his dear Son; in Christ dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, ( Colossians 2:9 ) . The tabernacle was a symbol of every real Christian. In the soul of every true follower of the Saviour the Father dwells, the object of his worship, and the author of his blessings. The tabernacle also typified the church of the Redeemer. The meanest and the mightiest are alike dear to the Father's love, freely exercised through faith in Christ. The tabernacle was a type and emblem of the heavenly temple, Re. 21:3 . What, then, will be the splendour of His appearance, when the cloud shall be withdrawn, and his faithful worshippers shall see him as he is!

Cross References 20

  • 1. Exodus 35:23, 25
  • 2. ver. 41; Exodus 31:10; Exodus 35:19
  • 3. Exodus 28:2-4
  • 4. For ver. 2-7, see Exodus 28:6-12
  • 5. For ver. 8-21, see Exodus 28:15-28
  • 6. For ver. 22-26, see Exodus 28:31-34
  • 7. Exodus 28:39, 40, 42
  • 8. Ezekiel 44:18
  • 9. [See ver. 27 above]
  • 10. Exodus 28:36, 37; Exodus 29:6
  • 11. ver. 42, 43; Exodus 25:40
  • 12. Exodus 35:12
  • 13. [Exodus 25:31]
  • 14. Exodus 30:3; Exodus 37:26; Exodus 40:5, 26
  • 15. Exodus 26:36; Exodus 36:37
  • 16. See Exodus 27:9-15; Exodus 38:9-17
  • 17. Exodus 27:16; Exodus 38:18
  • 18. Exodus 35:18
  • 19. Exodus 35:10
  • 20. Leviticus 9:22, 23; Joshua 22:6; 2 Samuel 6:18; 1 Kings 8:14; 2 Chronicles 6:3; 2 Chronicles 30:27; See Numbers 6:23-27

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Or garments for worship
  • [b]. A span was about 9 inches or 22 centimeters

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 39

In this chapter is continued the account of making the several things belonging to the sanctuary, particularly the clothes for the service of the tabernacle, and the garments of the priests, as the ephod and its curious girdle, Ex 39:1-7 the breastplate and the putting of the stones in it, and the fastening of it to the ephod, Ex 39:8-21 the robe of the ephod, with the bells and pomegranates to it, Ex 39:21-26 and the coats, mitre, bonnets, breeches, and girdle of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons, Ex 39:27-29 and the golden plate, Ex 39:30,31 and all being finished, the tabernacle and everything belonging to it were brought to Moses, and viewed by him; who seeing that all was done exactly according to the commandment of the Lord, blessed the people, and particularly the artificers, Ex 39:38-43.

Exodus 39 Commentaries

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.