Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 25:7
Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
7. Precious stones.
onyx ] Heb. shham, a precious stone highly valued in OT. times (cf. Gen 2:12, Eze 28:13, Job 28:16, 1Ch 29:1). There is, how ever, some uncertainty what the shham was, though it is generally supposed to be either the onyx (LXX. in Job; Vulg.) or (RVm.) the beryl (LXX. in Ex.; Targ., Pesh.): see further on Exo 28:20. For the use made of these stones, see Exo 28:17; Exo 28:20.
stones to be set ] Cf. 1Ch 29:2; and see on Exo 28:17; Exo 28:20.
for the ephod, and for the pouch ] Exo 28:6 ff., Exo 28:13 ff.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 7. Onyx stones] We have already met with the stone called shoham, Ge 2:12, and acknowledged the difficulty of ascertaining what is meant by it. Some think the onyx, some the sardine, and some the emerald, is meant. We cannot say precisely what it was; possibly it might have been that fine pale pebble, called the Egyptian pebble, several specimens of which now lie before me, which were brought from the coast of the Red Sea, and other parts in Egypt, by a particular friend of mine, on purpose to add to my collection of minerals.
Stones to be set in the ephod] abney milluim, stones of filling up. Stones so cut as to be proper to be set in the gold work of the breastplate.
The ephod. – It is very difficult to tell what this was, or in what form it was made. It was a garment of some kind peculiar to the priests, and ever considered essential to all the parts of Divine worship, for without it no person attempted to inquire of God. As the word itself comes from the root aphad, he tied or bound close, Calmet supposes that it was a kind of girdle, which, brought from behind the neck and over the shoulders, and so hanging down before, was put cross upon the stomach, and then carried round the waist, and thus made a girdle to the tunic. Where the ephod crossed on the breast there was a square ornament called choshen, the breastplate, in which twelve precious stones were set, each bearing one of the names of the twelve sons of Jacob engraven on it. There were two sorts of ephods, one of plain linen for the priests, the other very much embroidered for the high priest. As there was nothing singular in this common sort, no particular description is given; but that of the high priest is described very much in detail Ex 28:6-8. It was distinguished from the common ephod by being composed of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, fine twisted linen, and cunning work, i.e., superbly ornamented and embroidered. This ephod was fastened on the shoulders with two precious stones, on which the twelve names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraved, six names on each stone. These two stones, thus engraved, were different from those on the breastplate, with which they have been confounded. From Calmet’s description the ephod seems to have been a series of belts, fastened to a collar, which were intended to keep the garments of the priest closely attached to his body: but there is some reason to believe that it was a sort of garment like that worn by our heralds; it covered the back, breast, and belly, and was open at the sides. A piece of the same kind of stuff with itself united it on the shoulders, where the two stones, already mentioned, were placed, and it was probably without sleeves. See Clarke on Ex 28:2, &c.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Onyx stones, or, sardonyx stones. Note, that the signification of the Hebrew names of the several stones are not agreed upon by the Jews at this day, and much more may we safely be ignorant of them, the religious use of them being now abolished.
Stones to be set in the ephod; stones of fulness, or filling, or perfecting stones; so called either because they did perfect and adorn the ephod, or because they filled up the ouches, or the hollow places, which were left vacant for this purpose. What the ephod and breastplate were, see Exo 28.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. ephoda square cloak,hanging down from the shoulders, and worn by priests.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Onyx stones,…. So called from their likeness to the nail of a man’s finger: the Targum of Onkelos calls them stones of beryl; and the Targum of Jonathan gems of beryl; and the Septuagint version, stones of sardius; and some take them to be the sardonyx stones, which have a likeness both to the onyx and to the sardius:
and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate; two onyx stones were set in the ephod, one of the garments of the high priest, and an onyx stone, with eleven other precious stones, were set in the breastplate of the high priest: these stones were doubtless among the jewels set in gold and silver the Israelites had of the Egyptians, and brought with them out of Egypt.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(7) Onyx stones.The Hebrew shoham is rendered here by sard (LXX.), sardonyx (Vulg. And Josephus), and beryl (Rosenmller and others). In Job. 28:16, the same word is rendered by the LXX. onyx. There is thus considerable doubt what stone is meant. Only three such stones seem to have been required as offerings, one for the high priests breast-plate (Exo. 28:20), and two for the shoulder- pieces of the ephod (Exo. 28:9-12).
Stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.Heb., stones of insertion for the ephod and for the breast-plate. The stones of the ephod were two only, both probably either onyx or sardonyx; those of the breast-plate were twelve in number, all different (Exo. 28:17-20).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Onyx stones Already mentioned Gen 2:12. These, and the other precious stones set in the breastplate, are mentioned more fully in Exo 28:17-21.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 25:7. Onyx-stonesephodbreast-plate See ch. Exo 28:6, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Exo 25:7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
Ver. 7. In the ephod, and in the breastplate. ] Of which see afterwards in Exo 28:1-43 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Onyx stones: Exo 28:9-21
ephod: Exo 28:4, Exo 28:6, Exo 28:15
Reciprocal: Exo 39:2 – General Exo 39:6 – onyx stones Exo 39:8 – General