Exodus 28:33

33 Forsooth beneath at the feet of the same coat, by compass, thou shalt make as pomegranates, of jacinth, and purple, and of red silk twice-dyed, and of bis folded again; (And beneath, all around on the lower hem of the robe, thou shalt put pomegranates made out of jacinth, and purple, and red silk twice-dyed, and finely woven linen;)

Exodus 28:33 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 28:33

And beneath upon the hem of it
Or the skirts of it, at the bottom of the robe:

thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet,
round about the hem thereof;
these were figures made of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, in the form of pomegranates: Jarchi says they were round and hollow, and made like hens' eggs, about the size of them, and of an oval form:

and bells of gold between them round about;
according to some, the bells were put into the pomegranates, which is supposed to be the meaning of the phrase "between them", or, "in the midst of them"; and so Aben Ezra observes, that some say the bells did not appear, they were only in the midst of the pomegranates, and there they caused their sound to be heard: but according to our version and others, the bells were placed between the pomegranates, between every pomegranate and pomegranate there was a golden bell; and this seems to be plainly the sense of the following verse.

Exodus 28:33 In-Context

31 And thou shalt make the coat of the cloak on the shoulder(s) all of jacinth, (And thou shalt make the robe to wear under the ephod out of jacinth,)
32 in whose middle above shall be an hood, that is, an hole for the head, and a woven hem by compass thereof, as it is wont to be done in the hems of clothes, lest it be broken lightly. (in whose middle on top shall be a hole for the head, with a hem woven all around it, as it is wont to be done in the hems of clothes, lest it be easily broken.)
33 Forsooth beneath at the feet of the same coat, by compass, thou shalt make as pomegranates, of jacinth, and purple, and of red silk twice-dyed, and of bis folded again; (And beneath, all around on the lower hem of the robe, thou shalt put pomegranates made out of jacinth, and purple, and red silk twice-dyed, and finely woven linen;)
34 while small bells be meddled in the midst, so that a little gold bell be and a pomegranate, and again another little bell of gold and a pomegranate. (with little bells mixed, or mingled, in the midst thereof, so that there be a little gold bell and a pomegranate, and another little gold bell and a pomegranate, and so on, all around the hem.)
35 And Aaron shall be clothed with that coat, or alb, in the office of his service, that the sound be heard, when he entereth into the saintuary, and goeth out, in the sight of the Lord; and that he die not. (And Aaron shall be clothed with that robe, or that alb, when he ministereth, so that the sound can be heard when he entereth into the sanctuary before the Lord, and when he goeth out; and so that he shall not die/and so that he shall not be killed.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.