Exode 28:11

11 Tu graveras sur les deux pierres, en travail de lapidaire, en gravure de cachet, les noms des enfants d'Israël; tu les enchâsseras dans des chatons d'or.

Exode 28:11 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 28:11

With the work of an engraver in stone
Not in common but precious stones: Moses was not to do this himself, as it could not be supposed he should, but he was to employ an engraver, whose business it was, and one that was capable of doing it in a professional manner:

[like] the engravings of a signet shall thou engrave the two stones
with the names of the children of Israel:
as in signets or seals, by which impressions are made on wax, the letters or figures are cut deep, that they might on the wax stand out; so it seems the letters of the names of the children of Israel were cut in these stones: this shows that engraving on precious stones is very old, and the ancients indeed are said to excel in this art:

thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold;
in beazils or sockets, such as precious stones in rings are set in; these with the stones in them served as buttons to fasten together the hinder and fore part of the ephod on the shoulder pieces of it.

Exode 28:11 In-Context

9 Et tu prendras deux pierres d'onyx, et tu graveras sur elles les noms des enfants d'Israël:
10 Six de leurs noms sur une pierre, et les six autres noms sur la seconde pierre, d'après l'ordre de leurs naissances.
11 Tu graveras sur les deux pierres, en travail de lapidaire, en gravure de cachet, les noms des enfants d'Israël; tu les enchâsseras dans des chatons d'or.
12 Et tu mettras les deux pierres sur les épaulettes de l'éphod, comme des pierres de mémorial pour les enfants d'Israël; et Aaron portera leurs noms devant l'Éternel, sur ses deux épaules, en mémorial.
13 Tu feras aussi des agrafes d'or,
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.