Exodus 28:37

37 And thou shalt bind that plate with a lace of jacinth, and it shall be on the mitre, and it shall nigh [to] the forehead of the bishop. (And thou shalt tie that plate to the turban with a lace of jacinth, and it shall be on the forehead of the High Priest.)

Exodus 28:37 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 28:37

And thou shalt put it on a blue lace
The plate of gold:

that it may be upon the mitre;
either the plate or the lace; the lace is the nearest antecedent, but it seems by what follows it should be the plate:

upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be;
the plate of gold; the mitre was of linen, a wrap of linen about the head, and was like a turban on it, in the top of it; it did not come down low upon the forehead, but left that bare for this plate of gold to be put upon it. Jarchi seems to understand all this of the lace, by comparing it with the following verse, and ( Exodus 39:31 ) as if the plate was represented as in the lace, and the lace upon the plate and upon the mitre above; all which he thinks is to be reconciled by observing, that the plate had three holes, and in every hole was a blue lace, and each lace was divided into two parts, so that there were six in all, two laces at each end of the plate, and two in the middle, by which they were fastened upon the top of the mitre, by which it was kept from falling off; and of this middle lace, he thinks, the text is to be understood. The Targum of Jonathan observes, that this plate was put on a blue lace, to make atonement for the impudent.

Exodus 28:37 In-Context

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.)
36 And thou shalt make a plate (out) of purest gold, in which thou shalt grave by the work of a graver, The Holy to the Lord (on which thou shalt engrave by the work of an engraver, Holy to the Lord), that is, the name of the Lord, Tetragrammaton.
37 And thou shalt bind that plate with a lace of jacinth, and it shall be on the mitre, and it shall nigh [to] the forehead of the bishop. (And thou shalt tie that plate to the turban with a lace of jacinth, and it shall be on the forehead of the High Priest.)
38 And Aaron shall bear the wickednesses of those things that the sons of Israel shall offer, and hallow in all their gifts to God, and in their free gifts to men; and the plate shall ever[more] be in Aaron's forehead, that the Lord be pleased to them. (And Aaron shall bear the wickednesses done when the Israelites offer, and dedicate, all their gifts to the Lord; and the plate shall always be on his forehead, so that these gifts shall be acceptable to the Lord.)
39 And thou shalt bind the coat of bis, (that is, the linen cloth,) and the mitre of bis, and thou shalt make also a girdle, by embroidery work. (And thou shalt make the shirt, or the tunic, and the turban, and the sash out of fine linen, and the sash shall be embroidered.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.