Exodus 39:2

2 Bezalel made the ephod of finely woven linen and embroidered it with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread.

Exodus 39:2 Meaning and Commentary

Ver. 2-31. And he made the ephod of gold
From hence to the end of verse thirty one we have a very particular account of the making of the priest's garments exactly according to the directions given to Moses, (See Gill on Exodus 28:1) &c. to end of chapter twenty eight; only it may be observed, that here in ( Exodus 39:3 ) an account is given of the manner in which they made the gold fit to be worked along with the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; they beat the gold into thin plates, and then cut them into wires, and then twisted them together with the yarn: the gold that was used in the weaving of the ephod and the breastplate, spoken of in the law, was wrought after this manner; the workman took one thread of pure gold, and put it with six threads of blue, and twisted the seven threads as one, and so he wrought a thread of gold with six of purple, and another thread with six of scarlet, and another with six of linen or flax, so that there were four threads of gold, and all the threads were twenty eight, as it is said; "they did beat" or spread out "the gold" "to work in the midst of blue" from whence is learnt that the thread of gold was twisted in the midst of them ^F25: and it may be further observed, that after the enumeration of the stones in the breastplate, ( Exodus 39:10-13 ) no mention is made of the Urim and Thummim, which seems to confirm the opinion of many, and which is my own, that they are the same with the stones: moreover, in ( Exodus 39:28 ) , it may be observed, that what the coats for the common priests were made of is expressed, which is not before, which was linen; expressive of their purity and holiness, and in which they ought always to appear before God and man, and in which apparel they have been imitated among the Heathens: the priests of Hercules are said to be clothed with linen ^F26, and the Egyptian priests wore only a linen garment ^F1; hence the priests of Isis, with whom she is represented as surrounded by Juvenal ^F2, are called by him "grex liniger", and by Martial, "linigeri" ^F3.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Maimon. Cele Hamikdash, c. 9. sect. 5.
F26 Silius Ital. de Bell. Punic. l. 3.
F1 Herodot. Euterpe sive, l. 2. c. 38.
F2 Satyr. 6.
F3 L. 12. Epigram. 26.

Exodus 39:2 In-Context

1 The craftsmen made beautiful sacred garments of blue, purple, and scarlet cloth—clothing for Aaron to wear while ministering in the Holy Place, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

2 Bezalel made the ephod of finely woven linen and embroidered it with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread.

3 He made gold thread by hammering out thin sheets of gold and cutting it into fine strands. With great skill and care, he worked it into the fine linen with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread.

4 The ephod consisted of two pieces, front and back, joined at the shoulders with two shoulder-pieces.

5 The decorative sash was made of the same materials: finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew He; also in 39:8, 22 .