Exodus 28:10

10 six names in one stone, and six others in the tother stone, by the order of their birth; (six names on one stone, and six names on the other stone, in their birth order;)

Exodus 28:10 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 28:10

Six of their names on one stone
The names of the six eldest on the stone upon the right shoulder:

and the other six names of the rest on the other stone:
the names of the six youngest on the stone upon the left shoulder; for these stones, as afterwards said, were put on the shoulders of the priests,

according to their birth;
the order of it; so that upon the first stone were engraven the names of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, and Naphtali; and on the second stone the names of Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin; and so they are disposed by Jarchi, with whom Josephus agrees ^F1; though some Jewish writers, and particularly Maimonides ^F2, place them otherwise; but this seems most agreeable to the letter and sense of the text.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 3. c. 7. sect. 5.)
F2 Hilchot Cele Hamikdash, ut supra. (c. 9. sect. 9.)

Exodus 28:10 In-Context

8 That (the) weaving, and all [the] diversity of the work shall be of gold, and of jacinth, and of purple, and of red silk twice-dyed, and of bis folded again. (And its waistband shall also be made out of gold, and jacinth, and purple, and red silk twice-dyed, and finely woven linen, and it shall be joined to the ephod to form one piece.)

9 And thou shalt take two stones of onyx, and thou shalt grave in them the names of the sons of Israel, (And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and thou shalt engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,)

10 six names in one stone, and six others in the tother stone, by the order of their birth; (six names on one stone, and six names on the other stone, in their birth order;)

11 by the work of a graver, and by the painting of a man that adorneth with gems, thou shalt grave those stones with the names of the sons of Israel; and thou shalt enclose and compass with gold. (by the work of an engraver, and by the painting of a man who adorneth with gems, thou shalt engrave those stones with the names of the sons of Israel; and thou shalt enclose and encompass them with gold.)

12 And thou shalt set those stones in ever either side of the cloak on the shoulders, (as) a memorial to the sons of Israel; and Aaron shall bear the names of them before the Lord on ever either shoulder, for remembering. (And thou shalt fasten those stones on the two shoulder straps of the ephod, as a reminder of the twelve tribes of Israel; Aaron shall carry their names before the Lord on both shoulders, so that I shall remember them.)