And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel
in
the breastplate of judgment upon his heart
Their names being engraven on the stones, and the stones put into
the breastplate of judgment, and this breastplate hanging down
upon the breast and heart of Aaron, he was a representative of
the twelve tribes of Israel, as Christ his antitype is the
representative of the whole Israel of God; and who lie near the
heart of Christ, are set as a seal upon it, are engraven on the
palms of his hands, and carried in his bosom, and whom he always
presents to his divine Father, and are accepted in him: he
represented them in eternity, and in time; in his sufferings and
death, in his burial and resurrection from the dead, when they
were crucified, buried, and raised with him; and he represents
them now in heaven, where they sit together in heavenly places in
him, as it here follows in the type:
when he goeth in unto the holy place;
to trim the lamps and offer incense, and especially when he went
into the most holy place once a year:
for a memorial before the Lord continually;
for a memorial to himself, to pray for them when he appeared
before the Lord, to put the Lord in remembrance of his covenant
with them, and promises to them, (See Gill on Exodus
28:12) (See Gill on Isaiah
43:26), the Targum of Jonathan is, "for a good memorial":
not a memorial for evil, but for good.
