Exodus 28:14-24

14 and two chains of pure gold; you make them like cords shall, of braided work: and you shall put the braided chains on the settings.

15 "You shall make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skillful workman; like the work of the efod you shall make it; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, shall you make it.

16 It shall be square and folded double; a span shall be its length of it, and a span its breadth.

17 You shall set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a row of odem, pitdah, and bareket shall be the first row;

18 and the second row a nofek, a sappir, and an yahalom;

19 and the third row a lehshem, an shebu, and an akhlamah;

20 and the fourth row a tarshish, an shoham, and a yashefay: they shall be enclosed in gold in their settings.

21 The stones shall be according to the names of the children of Yisra'el, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, everyone according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes.

22 You shall make on the breastplate chains like cords, of braided work of pure gold.

23 You shall make on the breastplate two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

24 You shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.

Exodus 28:14-24 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.