Exodus 28:35

35 And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers; and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD and when he cometh out, that he die not.

Exodus 28:35 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 28:35

And it shall be upon Aaron to minister
That is, the robe before described shall be put upon him, that he might minister in the priest's office, for without this, as well as the other garments, he might not:

and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place
before the Lord, and when he cometh out;
by means of which the priests would have notice that they might depart, and he be alone in his ministrations; or rather, that the people might know his going out and coming in, and so give themselves up to prayer, while he was offering incense, see ( Luke 1:9 Luke 1:10 ) though the instance of Zacharias is not of an high priest, but of a common priest:

that he die not
the Targum of Jonathan adds, with flaming fire. This is added, to make him, and all succeeding priests, careful that this robe, nor any other of the priestly garments, were wanting, when they ministered before the Lord; should any be wanting, it would be highly resented by the Lord: and such an one would be in danger of being cut off by death from the immediate hand of God, as Nadab and Abihu were for offering strange fire to the Lord; for, according to the Jewish writers F5, a priest not rightly attired, either with more or fewer garments than he should have, his service was illegal, and he was as a stranger, and his service strange service, unacceptable to God, yea, provoking to him; and so Jarchi on the text says, if he wanted one of these garments, he was guilty of death by the hand of heaven, the immediate hand of God.


FOOTNOTES:

F5 Maimon. Cele Hamikdash, c. 10. sect. 4, 5.

Exodus 28:35 In-Context

33 And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue and of purple and of scarlet round about the hem thereof, and bells of gold between them round about:
34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.
35 And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers; and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD and when he cometh out, that he die not.
36 "And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold and engrave upon it, like the engravings of a signet: Holiness to the LORD.
37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the miter; upon the forefront of the miter it shall be.
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.