Exodus 28:6-16

6 and shall make the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, scarlet and twined byssus, of artistic work.
7 It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined at the two ends thereof, where it is joined together.
8 And the girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to its work of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet and twined byssus.
9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the children of Israel:
10 six of their names on the one stone, and the six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.
11 According to the work of an engraver in stone, as the engravings of a seal, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; surrounded by enclosures of gold shalt thou make them.
12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod [as] stones of memorial for the children of Israel; and Aaron shall bear their names before Jehovah upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
13 And thou shalt make enclosures of gold;
14 and two chains of pure gold; of laced work shalt thou make them, of wreathen work, and fasten the wreathen chains to the enclosures.
15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment of artistic work, like the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined byssus shalt thou make it.
16 Square shall it be, doubled; a span the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof.

Exodus 28:6-16 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 3

  • [a]. The word means, of skilful workmanship: used only of the high priest's girdle -- vers. 27,28; Ex. 29.5; ch. 39.5,20,21; Lev. 8.7.
  • [b]. Or 'beryl.'
  • [c]. Or 'plaited-work:' so vers. 13,14,25, and ch. 39.6,13,16,18; Ps. 45.13.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.