Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 28:6
And they shall make the ephod [of] gold, [of] blue, and [of] purple, [of] scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.
6. gold ] i.e. gold thread (see Exo 39:3). The other materials for the ephod were the same as those for the curtains (Exo 26:1): but the ephod would be the handsomer on account of the gold thread interwoven with them.
the work of the designer ] or pattern-weaver: see on Exo 26:1.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Exo 28:6-14
The ephod.
The ephod
The ephod, with its curious girdle and the oynx stones upon its shoulder-pieces, was the distinctive priestly garment. It hung upon the shoulders down to the waist, and was formed of the most costly and beautiful materials, corresponding exactly to those employed in the interior decoration of the holy place. The girdle was made of the same materials, with the same combination of colours. As garments were associated in the Hebrew mind with character, and the girdle with energy in work, we find in the correspondence of both with the interior of the holy place, a memorial of the necessity that those who enter the house of the Lord must be themselves holy and beautiful in character, and be engaged in high and holy service. But the most important parts of the ephod were the shoulder-pieces, on which were set two oynx stones, with the names of the tribes engraven on them (see Exo 28:12). Here we have the idea of representation clearly and beautifully symbolized. The shoulders, to a Hebrew mind, were the symbol of strength; and the idea was, that when the high priest entered the holy place he did not go alone, but carried with him on his strong shoulders the children of Israel whom he represented; and the estimation in which the people were held was expressed in the value of the precious stones on which the names were engraved, and the setting of pure gold with which they were surrounded. (J. M. Gibson, D. D.)
The ephod
The ephod, with the breastplate and girdle fastened to it, and put upon the person of Aaron, constituted him a worshipper; adorned with this he could draw near and worship in the holy place. It was put on over the blue robe, and is supposed to have been much shorter than that garment, reaching a little below the knees, whilst the blue robe reached down to the feet. It fitted closely to the person, and was kept in its place by the girdle. It was made of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen. These materials represent the purity, loveliness, and glory of Christ as the Man Jesus Christ and the mighty God. It would spangle with gold, and the colours would be so blended as to display their richness and beauty in the best possible way. The four materials were the same as the vail was made of, viz., fine linen, blue, purple, and scarlet, which represent the manhood of Christ in all its perfection as such (Heb 10:19-20); but in the gold thread with which that cloth was embroidered (Exo 39:3), I see the Godhead of the Lord, and the two are so joined together that you cannot have one without the other. The back and front parts of the ephod were joined at the shoulders, by means of the shoulder-pieces from which it was suspended. In each shoulder-piece was a precious stone set in gold–an oynx stone, a beautiful white and half-transparent stone. In these precious stones the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraven. Aaron carried the names of his people upon his shoulders. He presented them thus before the Lord, and when God looked down upon Aaron, He saw the names of His people indelibly engraven in white stones. The shoulder is the place of strength. The omnipotent strength of Christ is ours. He carries His peoples burdens and themselves too (Isa 63:9; Isa 40:11; Isa 46:4; Psa 55:22). The government is upon His shoulder, and the crown is upon His head. (G. Rodgers.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Of gold, beaten out into plates, and cut into wires.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6-14. ephodIt was a verygorgeous robe made of byssus, curiously embroidered, and dyed withvariegated colors, and further enriched with golden tissue, thethreads of gold being either originally interwoven or afterwardsinserted by the embroiderer. It was shortreaching from the breastto a little below the loinsand though destitute of sleeves,retained its position by the support of straps thrown over eachshoulder. These straps or braces, connecting the one with the back,the other with the front piece of which the tunic was composed, wereunited on the shoulder by two onyx stones, serving as buttons, and onwhich the names of the twelve tribes were engraved, and set in goldenencasements. The symbolical design of this was, that the high priest,who bore the names along with him in all his ministrations before theLord, might be kept in remembrance of his duty to plead their cause,and supplicate the accomplishment of the divine promises in theirfavor. The ephod was fastened by a girdle of the same costlymaterials, that is, dyed, embroidered, and wrought with threads ofgold. It was about a handbreadth wide and wound twice round the upperpart of the waist; it fastened in front, the ends hanging down atgreat length (Re 1:13).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they shall make the ephod,…. This was the outermost garment of, all, and was put over the robe; it was a short garment, reaching to the loins, as Kimchi p; or to the buttocks, as Abarbinel q; and not to the heels or feet, as Jarchi r, and Maimonides s; for Josephus t says it was but a cubit long, which was little more than half a yard; he means that part of it which was distinct from the shoulder pieces, and came down from thence: the hinder part of it covered the back, and reached to the middle of the buttocks; and the forepart covered the breast and belly, and with shoulder pieces under the arm holes was buttoned with onyx stones upon the top of the shoulders, and was girt about the breast with a curious girdle: it had no sleeves, though Josephus u says it had, as appears from the make of it; it was different from the linen ephod worn by the common priests and others, and was a symbol of the human nature of Christ, our great High Priest: it was made of
gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work; the stuff of which it was made was interwoven with threads of gold, and threads of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and threads of linen, wrought with divers figures in a curious manner, which looked very beautiful; and was a fit emblem of the glory, excellency, and purity of Christ’s human nature; of the various graces of the Spirit in it; of his heavenly original; of his blood, sufferings, and death, and glorious exaltation; and of its being a curious piece of workmanship wrought by the Lord himself, Heb 10:5.
p Comment. in 1 Chron. 15. 27. q Comment. in loc. r Comment. in loc. s Hilchot Cele Hamikdash, c. 9. sect. 9. t Antiqu. l. 3. c. 7. sect. 5. u Ib.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The first part mentioned of Aaron’s holy dress, i.e., of the official dress of the high priest, is the ephod. The etymology of this word is uncertain; the Sept. rendering is ( Vulg. superhumerale , shoulder-dress; Luther, “body-coat”). It was to be made of gold, hyacinth, etc., artistically woven, – of the same material, therefore, as the inner drapery and curtain of the tabernacle; but instead of having the figures of cherubim woven into it, it was to be worked throughout with gold, i.e., with gold thread. According to Exo 39:3, the gold plates used for the purpose were beaten out, and then threads were cut (from them), to be worked into the hyacinth, purple, scarlet, and byssus. It follows from this, that gold threads were taken for every one of these four yearns, and woven with them.
(Note: The art of weaving fabrics with gold thread (cf. Plin. h. n. 33, c. 3, s. 19, “ aurum netur ac texitur lanae modo et sine lana ”), was known in ancient Egypt. “Among the coloured Egyptian costumes which are represented upon the monuments, there are some that are probably woven with gold thread.” – Wilkinson 3, 131. Hengstenberg, Egypt, etc., p. 140.)
Exo 28:7 “Two connecting shoulder-pieces shall it have for its two ends, that it may be bound together.” If we compare the statement in Exo 39:4, – “shoulder-pieces they made for it, connecting; at its two ends was it connected,” – there can hardly be any doubt that the ephod consisted of two pieces, which were connected together at the top upon (over) the shoulders; and that Knobel is wrong in supposing that it consisted of a single piece, with a hole cut on each side for the arms to be put through. If it had been a compact garment, which had to be drawn over the head like the robe (Exo 28:31, Exo 28:32), the opening for the head would certainly have been mentioned, as it is in the case of the latter (Exo 28:32). The words of the text point most decidedly to the rabbinical idea, that it consisted of two pieces reaching to about the hip, one hanging over the breast, the other down the back, and that it was constructed with two shoulder-pieces which joined the two together. These shoulder-pieces were not made separate, however, and then sewed upon one of the pieces; but they were woven along with the front piece, and that no merely at the top, so as to cover the shoulders when the ephod was worn, but according to Exo 28:25 (? 27), reaching down on both sides from the shoulders to the girdle (Exo 28:8).
Exo 28:8 “ And the girdle of its putting on which (is) upon it, shall be of it, like its work, gold, etc.” There was to be a girdle upon the ephod, of the same material and the same artistic work as the ephod, and joined to it, not separated from it. The mentioned along with the ephod cannot mean , textura (lxx, Cler., etc.), but is to be traced to = to bind, to fasten, and to be understood in the sense of cingulum, a girdle (compare Exo 29:5 with Lev 8:7, “he girded him with the girdle of the ephod”). is no doubt to be derived from , and signifies the putting on of the ephod. In Isa 30:22 it is applied to the covering of a statue; at the same time, this does not warrant us in attributing to the verb, as used in Exo 9:5 and Lev 8:7, the meaning, to put on or clothe. This girdle, by which the two parts of the ephod were fastened tightly to the body, so as not to hang loose, was attached to the lower part or extremity of the ephod, so that it was fastened round the body below the breastplate (cf. Exo 28:27, Exo 28:28; Exo 39:20-21).
Exo 28:9-10 Upon the shoulder-piece of the ephod two beryls (previous stones) were to be placed, one upon each shoulder; and upon these the names of the sons of Israel were to be engraved, six names upon each “according to their generations,” i.e., according to their respective ages, or, as Josephus has correctly explained it, so that the names of the six elder sons were engraved upon the previous stone on the right shoulder, and those of the six younger sons upon that on the left.
Exo 28:11 “ Work of the engraver in stone, of seal-cutting shalt thou engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel.” The engraver in stone: lit., one who works stones; here, one who cuts and polishes precious stones. The meaning is, that just as precious stones are cut, and seals engraved upon them, so these two stones were to be engraved according to the name of the sons of Israel, i.e., so that the engraving should answer to their names, or their names be cut into the stones. “ Surrounded by gold-twist shalt thou make it.” , from to twist, is used in Exo 28:39 (cf. Psa 45:14) for a texture woven in checks; and here it denotes not merely a simple gold-setting, but, according to Exo 28:13, gold-twists or ornaments representing plaits, which surrounded the golden setting in which the stones were fixed, and not only served to fasten the stones upon the woven fabric, but formed at the same time clasps or brooches, by which the two parts of the ephod were fastened together. Thus Josephus says (Ant. iii. 7, 5) there were two sardonyxes upon the shoulders, to be used for clasps.
Exo 28:12 The precious stones were to be upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, stones of memorial for the sons of Israel; and Aaron was to bear their names before Jehovah upon his two shoulders for a memorial, i.e., that Jehovah might remember the sons of Israel when Aaron appeared before Him clothed with the ephod (cf. Exo 28:29). As a shoulder-dress, the ephod was par excellence the official dress of the high priest. The burden of the office rested upon the shoulder, and the insignia of the office were also worn upon it (Isa 22:22). The duty of the high priest was to enter into the presence of God and made atonement for the people as their mediator. To show that as mediator he brought the nation to God, the names of the twelve tribes were engraved upon precious stones on the shoulders of the ephod. The precious stones, with their richness and brilliancy, formed the most suitable earthly substratum to represent the glory into which Israel was to be transformed as the possession of Jehovah (Exo 19:5); whilst the colours and material of the ephod, answering to the colours and texture of the hangings of the sanctuary, indicated the service performed in the sanctuary by the person clothed with the ephod, and the gold with which the coloured fabric was worked, the glory of that service.
Exo 28:13-14 There were also to be made for the ephod two (see Exo 28:25) golden plaits, golden borders (probably small plaits in the form of rosettes), and two small chains of pure gold: “ close shalt thou make them, corded ” (lit., work of cords or strings), i.e., not formed of links, but of gold thread twisted into cords, which were to be placed upon the golden plaits or fastened to them. As these chains served to fasten the choshen to the ephod, a description of them forms a fitting introduction to the account of this most important ornament upon the state-dress of the high priest.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. 7 It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together. 8 And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: 10 Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth. 11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold. 12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial. 13 And thou shalt make ouches of gold; 14 And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.
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 Sam. xxii. 18. Samuel wore one when he was a child (1 Sam. ii. 18), and David when he danced before the ark (2 Sam. vi. 14); but this which the high priest only wore was called a golden ephod, because there was a great deal of gold woven into it. It was a short coat without sleeves, buttoned closely to him, with a curious girdle of the same stuff (v. 6-8); the shoulder-pieces were buttoned together with two precious stones set in gold, one on each shoulder, on which were engraven the names of the children of Israel, v. 9-12. In allusion to this, 1. Christ our high priest appeared to John girt about the breast with a golden girdle, such as was the curious girdle of the ephod, Rev. i. 13. Righteousness is the girdle of his loins (Isa. xi. 6), and should be of ours, Eph. vi. 14. He is girt with strength for the work of our salvation, and is ready for it. 2. The government is said to be upon his shoulders (Isa. ix. 6), as Aaron had the names of all Israel upon his shoulders in precious stone. He presents to himself and to his Father a glorious church, Eph. v. 27. He has power to support them, interest to recommend them, and it is in him that they are remembered with honour and favour. He bears them before the Lord for a memorial (v. 12), in token of his appearing before God as the representative of all Israel and an advocate for them.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Verses 6-12:
“Ephod” here denotes the special outer garment whose main’ purpose was to hold or support the breastplate. It was a kind of vest or waistcoat made of two pieces, one for the chest and the other for the back. It was joined at the shoulders, then tied at the waist by a “curious girdle” or belt. This belt was woven on either the ephod, and was not to be sewn on the garment later. It was passed around the body and fastened to hold the garment in place.
The ephod was of the same material and workmanship as the curtains of the tabernacle. This identified the high priest with the sacred place in which he served.
Two brooches fastened the garment at the shoulders. These were “ouches” or setting of gold, holding two onyx stones, on which were engraved the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. They were listed in the order of their birth, six on each stone. The high priest bore these stones on his shoulders as a memorial, symbolizing the Lord’s tender care for His own, see Lu 15:5.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(6) With cunning work.On this phrase, see Note on Exo. 26:1.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
1. THE EPHOD.
(6-12) The ephod was, as already observed (Note on Exo. 28:4), a sort of jerkin or waistcoat. It was made in two pieces, a front piece and a back piece, which were joined together at the shoulders, apparently by a seam (Exo. 28:7). The pieces descended to the waist; and there one or other of them was expanded into a band, called the curious girdle of the ephod, which being passed round the waist and fastened, kept both front and back pieces in place (Exo. 28:8). On either shoulder was an onyx stone set in gold (Exo. 28:9-11), and engraved with the names of six of the tribes.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. The ephod This was the most conspicuous garment of the high priest, and was made of the same material as the tabernacle-cloth and vail, (Exo 26:1; Exo 26:31,) but was interlaced with gold threads, the cunning work of the weaver . According to Wilkinson the Egyptian monuments exhibit coloured costumes woven with what appear like threads of gold .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 28:6. The ephod The high-priest’s garments are first described, the outermost of which was the ephod or super-humeral; which was a kind of close garment or short vest without sleeves, which hung behind upon the back and shoulders, and came down before upon the breast, somewhat in the nature of our heralds’ robes. It was joined by two shoulder-pieces; and this, which was appropriated to the high-priest, was made of fine linen embroidered with gold, blue, purple, and scarlet: the ephods worn by the common priests were made with linen only; see 1Sa 2:18; 1Sa 22:18.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Exo 28:6 And they shall make the ephod [of] gold, [of] blue, and [of] purple, [of] scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.
Ver. 6. The ephod of gold. ] This the high priest only might wear; neither might any imitate it; for that was the fall of Gideon’s house. Jdg 8:26-27
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
ephod. From Hebrew aphad, to bind on, because it held the breastplate in its place. See Exo 28:28. Worn by Aaron the priest, Samuel the prophet (1Sa 2:18), and David the king (2Sa 6:14), Christ combining all three offices.
cunning work = work of a skilful weaver.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
ephod Gold, Deity in manifestation; blue, heavenly; purple, royalty; scarlet, sacrifice; fine linen, personal righteousness, see margin ref., Exo 26:1.
(See Scofield “Exo 26:1”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
linen: Exo 26:1
Reciprocal: Exo 25:7 – ephod Exo 28:4 – ephod Exo 28:15 – after Exo 35:6 – blue Exo 39:2 – General Lev 8:7 – the ephod Jdg 8:27 – an ephod 1Sa 2:28 – And did I 1Sa 21:9 – behind 1Ch 22:15 – all manner Rev 1:13 – and girt
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 28:6. They shall make the ephod of gold This was the outmost garment of the high-priest. Linen ephods were worn by the inferior priests; but this which the high-priest wore was called a golden ephod, because there was a great deal of gold woven into it. It was a short linen coat without sleeves, of various colours, which hung behind upon the back and shoulders, and came down before upon the breast. The shoulder pieces were buttoned together with two onyx-stones, set in gold, one on each shoulder. And on these two onyx-stones were engraven the names of the twelve sons of Israel, six on each stone, according to their seniority, that the high-priest might bear their names before the Lord in his ministrations, in token of his appearing before God as their representative, and for a memorial, that he might both remember to plead their cause as their advocate, and also might put the Lord in remembrance, so to speak, of his promises to them, Isa 9:6. A similar reason is given, (Exo 28:29,) for his wearing the breast-plate. Le Clerc gives it as his opinion, that these names upon the two precious stones signified further, 1st, The union of all the tribes in one commonwealth; 2d, Their union in one religion and priesthood; and, 3d, That the care of the public religion rested, as it were, upon the high-priest, and was, of all concerns, to be next his heart. According to our translation, and as most interpreters have understood the expression, the ephod was girt on with a girdle over the breast, dyed, embroidered, and interwoven with gold, like the other parts of the ephod.
Thus Christ appeared to John, girt about the paps with a golden girdle, Rev 1:13. Righteousness was the girdle of his loins. He was girt with strength for the work of our salvation, and was clad with zeal as with a cloak. The government also is upon his shoulders, and he ever liveth to make intercession for his people, bearing their names before God, as a memorial, not engraven on stones of onyx, but in characters of unspeakable and everlasting love upon his heart. Hence, as their representative and advocate, he interposes in their behalf, prevalently pleads their cause, and will present them to himself and to his Father, a glorious church, (Eph 5:27,) without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The ephod 28:6-14
The ephod (a transliteration of the Hebrew word) was the most important and outermost garment of the high priest. It was an apron-like piece of clothing that fit over his robe (Exo 28:31-35).
"The duty of the high priest was to enter into the presence of God and make atonement for the people as their mediator. To show that as mediator he brought the nation to God, the names of the twelve tribes were engraved upon precious stones on the shoulders of the ephod. The precious stones, with their richness and brilliancy, formed the most suitable earthly substratum to represent the glory into which Israel was to be transformed as the possession of Jehovah (xix. 5); whilst the colours and material of the ephod, answering to the colours and texture of the hangings of the sanctuary, indicated the service performed in the sanctuary by the person clothed with the ephod, and the gold with which the coloured fabric was worked, the glory of that service." [Note: Keil and Delitzsch, 2:195.]
Josephus wrote that the names of Jacob’s six oldest sons were on the stone on the right shoulder, and the names of his six youngest sons were on the stone on the left. [Note: Josephus, 3:7:5.]