Exodus 28:6-39

6 And they shall make the shoulder-piece of fine linen spun, the woven work of the embroiderer.
7 It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined together, fastened on the two sides.
8 And the woven work of the shoulder-pieces which is upon it, shall be of one piece according to the work, of pure gold and blue and purple, and spun scarlet and fine twined linen.
9 And thou shalt take the two stones, the stones of emerald, and thou shalt grave on them the names of the children of Israel.
10 Six names on the first stone, and the other six names on the second stone, according to their births.
11 the work of the stone-engraver's art; as the graving of a seal thou shalt engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel.
12 And thou shalt put the two stones on the shoulders of the shoulder-piece: they are memorial-stones for the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel before the Lord on his two shoulders, a memorial for them.
13 And thou shalt make circlets of pure gold;
14 and thou shalt make two fringes of pure gold, variegated with flowers wreathen work; and thou shalt put the wreathen fringes on the circlets, fastening them on their shoulder-pieces in front.
15 And thou shalt make the oracle of judgment, the work of the embroiderer: in keeping with the ephod, thou shalt make it of gold, and blue and purple, and spun scarlet, and fine linen spun.
16 Thou shalt make it square: it shall be double; of a span the length of it, and of a span the breadth.
17 And thou shalt interweave with it a texture of four rows of stone; there shall be a row of stones, a sardius, a topaz, and emerald, the first row.
18 And the second row, a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a jasper.
19 And the third row, a ligure, an agate, an amethyst:
20 and the fourth row, a chrysolite, and a beryl, and an onyx stone, set round with gold, bound together with gold: let them be according to their row.
21 And let the stones of the names of the children of Israel be twelve according to their names, engravings as of seals: let them be for the twelve tribes each according to the name.
22 And thou shalt make on the oracle woven fringes, a chain-work of pure gold.
23 And Aaron shall take the names of the children of Israel, on the oracle of judgment on his breast; a memorial before God for him as he goes into the sanctuary.
24 And thou shalt put the fringes on the oracle of judgment; thou shalt put the wreaths on both sides of the oracle,
25 and thou shalt put the two circlets on both the shoulders of the ephod in front.
26 And thou shalt put the Manifestation and the Truth on the oracle of judgment; and it shall be on the breast of Aaron, when he goes into the holy place before the Lord; and Aaron shall bear the judgments of the children of Israel on his breast before the Lord continually.
27 And thou shalt make the full-length tunic all of blue.
28 And the opening of it shall be in the middle having a fringe round about the opening, the work of the weaver, woven together in the joining of the same piece that it might not be rent.
29 And under the fringe of the robe below thou shalt make as it were pomegranates of a flowering pomegranate tree, of blue, and purple, and spun scarlet, and fine linen spun, under the fringe of the robe round about: golden pomegranates of the same shape, and bells round about between these.
30 A bell by the side of a golden pomegranate, and flower-work on the fringe of the robe round about.
31 And the sound of Aaron shall be audible when he ministers, as he goes into the sanctuary before the Lord, and has he goes out, that he die not.
32 And thou shalt make a plate pure gold, and thou shalt grave on it the graving of a signet, Holiness of the Lord.
33 And thou shalt put it on the spun blue cloth, and it shall be on the mitre: it shall be in the front of the mitre.
34 And it shall be on the forehead of Aaron; and Aaron shall bear away the sins of their holy things, all that the children of Israel shall sanctify of every gift of their holy things, and it shall be on the forehead of Aaron continually acceptable for them before the Lord.
35 And the fringes of the garments of fine linen; and thou shalt make a tire of fine linen, and thou shalt make a girdle, the work of the embroiderer.
36 And for the sons of Aaron thou shalt make tunics and girdles, and thou shalt make for them tires for honour and glory.
37 And thou shalt put them on Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, and thou shalt anoint them and fill their hands: and thou shalt sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest's office.
38 And thou shalt make for them linen drawers to cover the nakedness of their flesh; they shall reach from the loins to the thighs.
39 And Aaron shall have them, and his sons, whenever they enter into the tabernacle of witness, or when they shall advance to the altar of the sanctuary to minister, so they shall not bring sin upon themselves, lest they die: a perpetual statute for him, and for his seed after him.

Exodus 28:6-39 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 28

This chapter informs us of the servants God would have to minister to him in the house, or tabernacle, he had ordered to be made, even Aaron and his sons, Ex 28:1 of the garments they were to wear in their service, Ex 28:2-5 and first of the garments of the high priest, and particularly of the ephod, with the girdle, on the shoulder pieces of which were to be two onyx stones, with the names of the children of Israel engraved on them, Ex 28:6-14, and that of the breastplate of judgment, with the Urim and Thummum in it, Ex 28:15-30 and of the robe of the ephod, Ex 28:31-35, and of the mitre, Ex 28:36-39 and then of the garments of the common priests, Ex 28:40-43.

Footnotes 5

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.