Exodus 28:10

10 six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to their birth.

Exodus 28:10 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 28:10

Six of their names on one stone
The names of the six eldest on the stone upon the right shoulder:

and the other six names of the rest on the other stone:
the names of the six youngest on the stone upon the left shoulder; for these stones, as afterwards said, were put on the shoulders of the priests,

according to their birth;
the order of it; so that upon the first stone were engraven the names of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, and Naphtali; and on the second stone the names of Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin; and so they are disposed by Jarchi, with whom Josephus agrees ^F1; though some Jewish writers, and particularly Maimonides ^F2, place them otherwise; but this seems most agreeable to the letter and sense of the text.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 3. c. 7. sect. 5.)
F2 Hilchot Cele Hamikdash, ut supra. (c. 9. sect. 9.)

Exodus 28:10 In-Context

8 "The skillfully woven band, which is on it, shall be like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.

9 "You shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,

10 six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to their birth.

11 "As a jeweler engraves a signet, you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel; you shall set them in filigree settings of gold.

12 "You shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for a memorial.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "second"