Exodus 28:11

11 After the worke of a stonegrauer, eue as sygnettes are grauen, shalt thou graue the .ij stones with the names of the childern of Israel, ad shalt make the to be set in ouches of golde.

Exodus 28:11 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 28:11

With the work of an engraver in stone
Not in common but precious stones: Moses was not to do this himself, as it could not be supposed he should, but he was to employ an engraver, whose business it was, and one that was capable of doing it in a professional manner:

[like] the engravings of a signet shall thou engrave the two stones
with the names of the children of Israel:
as in signets or seals, by which impressions are made on wax, the letters or figures are cut deep, that they might on the wax stand out; so it seems the letters of the names of the children of Israel were cut in these stones: this shows that engraving on precious stones is very old, and the ancients indeed are said to excel in this art:

thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold;
in beazils or sockets, such as precious stones in rings are set in; these with the stones in them served as buttons to fasten together the hinder and fore part of the ephod on the shoulder pieces of it.

Exodus 28:11 In-Context

9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones and graue in them the names of the childern of Israel:
10 sixe in the one stone, and the other sixe in the other stone: acordinge to the order of their birth.
11 After the worke of a stonegrauer, eue as sygnettes are grauen, shalt thou graue the .ij stones with the names of the childern of Israel, ad shalt make the to be set in ouches of golde.
12 And thou shalt put the two stones apo the two shulders of the Ephod, ad they shalbe stones off remembraunce vnto the childern off Israel. And Aaron shall bere their names before the Lorde vppon hys two shulders for a remembraunce.
13 And thou shalt make hokes off golde
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