Shemot 28:31

31 And thou shalt make the Me’il HaEphod all of turquoise wool.

Shemot 28:31 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 28:31

And thou shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
] This was a different garment from the ephod, was longer than that, and was under it, and of different materials: that was made of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen; this only of linen, and wholly of a blue colour, without any curious figures upon it, as were on that: in ( Exodus 39:22 ) , it is said to be of woven work; it was woven from top to bottom, and had no seam in it: so Josephus says F2,

``the coat did not consist of two parts, nor was it sewed upon the shoulder, nor on the side, but was one long piece of woven work;''

and such was the seamless coat our Lord Jesus Christ wore, literally understood, ( John 19:23 ) and both were an emblem of his perfect righteousness, which has nothing of the works of men joined to it, to justify them before God, and make them acceptable to him: for this robe signifies the robe of Christ's righteousness, the best robe; it has its name from a word which signifies prevarication or sin, because it covers the sins of God's people; the matter of it was linen, and so fitly points at the fine linen, that is the righteousness of the saints, and being blue or sky coloured may denote heaven and happiness, which that entitles to, see ( Matthew 5:20 ) , the Septuagint version calls it a garment down to the feet, using the same word as in ( Revelation 1:13 ) and fitly agrees with that righteousness with which all Christ's members are covered and justified, ( Isaiah 45:24 Isaiah 45:25 ) ( Romans 3:22 Romans 3:23 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F2 Antiqu. l. 3. c. 7. sect. 4.

Shemot 28:31 In-Context

29 And Aharon shall bear the Shemot Bnei Yisroel in the Choshen HaMishpat upon his lev, when he goeth in unto HaKodesh, for a zikaron (memorial) before Hashem tamid.
30 And thou shalt put in the Choshen HaMishpat the Urim and the Tummim; and they shall be upon the lev Aharon, when he goeth in before Hashem; and Aharon shall nasa (bear [see this word Yeshayah 53:12]) the Mishpat Bnei Yisroel upon his lev before Hashem tamid.
31 And thou shalt make the Me’il HaEphod all of turquoise wool.
32 And there shall be a head opening in the top of it, in the middle thereof; it shall have a border of artistic embroidery around the head opening of it, like the head opening of a coat of mail; that it be not torn.
33 And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of turquoise, and of purple, and of scarlet, around the hem thereof; and bells of zahav between them round about:
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.