Exodus 28:15-30

The Breastpiece

15 "You are to make an embroidered breastpiece for decisions.^[a] Make it with the same workmanship as the ephod; make it of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen.

16 It must be square and folded double, nine inches long and nine inches wide.^[b]

17 Place a setting of gemstones^[c] on it, four rows of stones: The first row should be a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald;^[d]

18 the second row, a turquoise,^[e] a sapphire,^[f] and a diamond;^[g]

19 the third row, a jacinth,^[h] an agate, and an amethyst;

20 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They should be adorned with gold filigree in their settings.

21 The 12 stones are to correspond to the names of Israel's sons. Each stone must be engraved like a seal, with one of the names of the 12 tribes.

22 "You are to make braided chains^[i] of pure gold cord work for the breastpiece.

23 Fashion two gold rings for the breastpiece and attach them to its two corners.

24 Then attach the two gold cords to the two gold rings at the corners of the breastpiece.

25 Attach the other ends of the two cords to the two filigree settings and in this way attach [them] to the ephod's shoulder pieces in the front.

26 Make two [other] gold rings and put them at the two other corners of the breastpiece on the edge that is next to the inner border of the ephod.

27 Make two [more] gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the ephod's two shoulder pieces on its front, close to its seam,^[j] and above the ephod's woven waistband.

28 The craftsmen are to tie the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece is above the ephod's waistband and does not come loose from the ephod.

29 "Whenever he enters the sanctuary, Aaron is to carry the names of Israel's sons over his heart on the breastpiece for decisions, as a continual reminder before the Lord.

30 Place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece for decisions, so that they will also be over Aaron's heart whenever he comes before the Lord. Aaron will continually carry the [means of] decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

Exodus 28:15-30 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Used for determining God's will; Nm 27:21
• [b]. Lit a span its length and a span its width
• [c]. Many of these stones cannot be identified with certainty.
• [d]. Or beryl
• [e]. Or malachite, or garnet
• [f]. Or lapis lazuli
• [g]. Hb obscure; LXX, Vg read jasper
• [h]. Hb obscure
• [i]. The same chains mentioned in v. 14
• [j]. The place where the shoulder pieces join the front of the ephod