Exodus 28:5

5 And they shall take gold, and jacinth, and purple, and red silk twice-dyed, and bis (and fine linen);

Exodus 28:5 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 28:5

And they shall take
The Targum of Jonathan adds, out of their substance; that is, those that were wise hearted, and had knowledge and skill in making such garments; these were to take, not out of their own personal substance, but they were to take or receive from Moses what the people freely offered for such service, ( Exodus 36:3 ) ,

gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen;
pieces of gold, which they beat into thin plates, and drew into wires, and which they worked into stuffs, woollen or linen, or both, of the colours here mentioned; all which were made use of in the ephod, girdle, breastplate see ( Exodus 39:3 ) and had a mystical significance in them.

Exodus 28:5 In-Context

3 And thou shalt speak to all [the] wise men in heart, which I have filled with the spirit of prudence, that they make clothes to Aaron (so that they make clothes for Aaron), in which he shall be hallowed, and shall minister to me.

4 Forsooth these shall be the clothes, which they shall make; they shall make a rational, that is, an ouch upon the breast, in which doom and truth shall be written, and a cloak on the shoulders, a coat, and a strait linen cloth, a mitre, and a girdle; holy clothes to Aaron, thy brother, and to his sons, that they be set in priesthood to me. (And these shall be the clothes, which they shall make; they shall make a breast-piece, that is, a pouch, or a pocket, upon the breast, in which shall be carried the Urim and the Thummim, and an ephod, a robe, and an embroidered linen shirt, or tunic, a turban, and a sash; these shall be the holy clothes for thy brother Aaron, and for his sons, when they serve as my priests.)

5 And they shall take gold, and jacinth, and purple, and red silk twice-dyed, and bis (and fine linen);

6 forsooth they shall make the cloak on the shoulders of gold, and of jacinth, and of purple, and of red silk twice-dyed, and of bis folded again, by embroidery work of diverse colours [with needlework of diverse colours]. (and they shall make the ephod out of gold, and jacinth, and purple, red silk twice-dyed, and finely woven linen, and embroider it with diverse colours.)

7 It shall have two hems joined to ever either side of [the] highness, that they go into one. (It shall have two shoulder straps, fastened to its top edges in the front, and behind, to secure the ephod in place.)