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The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:1
Take thou unto thee. Literally, "Make to draw near to thee." Moses had hitherto been of all the people the one nearest to God, the medium of communication. He was now to abdicate a portion of his functions, transferring…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:1-38
Aaron in his priesthood the type of Jesus. I. IN HIS APPOINTMENT (Exodus 28:1). 1. He is chosen of God (Hebrews 5:4), and therefore our accepted intercessor. 2. He is taken from among his brethren; "from among the child…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:1-12
EXPOSITION THE HOLY GARMENTS. The special object of the present chapter is to prescribe the form, materials, colour, etc; of the holy garments—or the attire of those who were to minister in the tabernacle at the time of…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:2
Holy garments have provoked an extreme aversion and an extreme affection at different periods of the world's history. In Moses' time probably no one thought of raising any objection to them. Priestly dresses of many dif…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:3
Wise-hearted. In modern parlance the heart is made the seat of the affections and emotions, the brain of the intellect. But the Hebrew idiom was different. There the heart was constantly spoken of as the seat of wisdom.…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:4
These are the garments. The enumeration does not follow the same order exactly as the description. The two agree, however, in giving the precedence to the same three articles of apparel out of the six—viz; the breast-pl…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:5
The materials of the priestly garments. The materials for the priestly garments were to be limited to six—precious stones, which are not here mentioned, as being ornamental, rather than essential, parts of the apparel;…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 28:6-14
This richly-wrought ephod was the outmost garment of the high priest; plain linen ephods were worn by the inferior priests. It was a short coat without sleeves, fastened close to the body with a girdle. The shoulder-pie…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 28:6-14
Directions are here given concerning the ephod, which was the outmost garment of the high priest. Linen ephods were worn by the inferior priests, 1 Samuel 22:18. Samuel wore one when he was a child (1 Samuel 2:18), and…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:6
The Ephod, They shall make the ephod The word ephod signifies etymologically any "vestment" or "garment;" but in its use it is confined to the special vestment here described, the great object of which was to be a recep…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:7
The two shoulder-pieces thereof, Literally, "Two shoulder-pieces." There is no article, and no possessive pronoun. At the two edges thereof. Literally, "at its two ends." A union of the back and front flaps of the dress…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:8
The curious girdle. Josephus says of the ephod, ζώνῃ περισφίγγεται βάμμασι διαπεποικιλμένῃ χρυσοῦ συνυφασμένου, "it is fastened with a girdle dyed of many hues, with gold interwoven in it." Hence its name, khesh…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:9
Two onyx stones. The correctness of this rendering has been much disputed. The LXX. give σμάραγδος, "emeraid." as the Greek equivalent in the present passage, while many argue for the beryl (Winer, Rosenmuller, Bollerm…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:10
The other six names of the rest. Literally, "The remaining six names." According to their birth—i.e; in the order of seniority—or perhaps, in the order observed in Exodus 1:2-4, where the children of the two legitimate…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:11
With the work of an engraver. Rather, "an artificer." The engravings of a signet. Signets in Egypt were ordinarily rings, on the bezel of which the name of the owner was inscribed. Some were of solid gold; others with c…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:12
Stones of memorial unto the children of Israel. Rather "for the children of Israel"—stones, i.e. which should serve to remind God that the high priest represented the twelve tribes, officiated in their name, and pleaded…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:13-30
The Teachings of the Breast-plate. The breast-plate of judgment has many aspects, and teaches us several important truths—e.g.:— I. THE PRECIOUSNESS OF SOULS IN GOD'S SIGHT. The tribes of Israel are represented by gems—…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:13-30
EXPOSITION THE BREAST-PLATE. It has been noticed that the ephod had for its main object or purpose to be a receptacle for the breast-plate which was attached to it after it had been put on, and formed its principal orna…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:13
Ouches of gold. "Buttons" according to one view (Cook): "sockets," according to another (Kalisch): "rosettes," according to a third (Keil). Some small ornament of open-work (see the comment on Exodus 28:11), which could…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:14
At the ends. The meaning of the Hebrew word migaloth is very doubtful. Jarchi and Rosemuller approve of the rendering of our translators. Geddes, Boothroyd, and Dathe render "chains of equal length." Gesenius, Kalisch,…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 28:15-30
The chief ornament of the high priest, was the breastplate, a rich piece of cloth, curiously worked. The name of each tribe was graven in a precious stone, fixed in the breastplate, to signify how precious, in God's sig…
Aaron's Attire. (b. c. 1491.)
AARON'S ATTIRE. (B. C. 1491.) The most considerable of the ornaments of the high priest was this breast-plate, a rich piece of cloth, curiously wrought with gold and purple, &c., two spans long and a span broad, so that…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:15
The breast-plate. As the khoshen was to be worn upon the breast (Exodus 28:29), this name is appropriate; but it is not a translation of khoshen. Of judgment. See the introductory paragraph to this section. Kalisch tran…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 28:16
Four square … being doubled. It has been generally supposed that the doubling was merely for the purpose of giving additional strength to the work, which was to receive twelve heavy gems; but Gesenius and others are of…