Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 28:9
And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
9 12. Two onyx stones, enclosed in filigree settings of gold, and each engraved with the names of six of the tribes of Israel, to be fixed on the top of the two shoulder-straps.
onyx ] see on v. 20.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 9. Two onyx stones] See Clarke on Ex 25:7.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And thou shall take two onyx stones,…. called from the colour of a man’s nail, which they to resemble: the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan call them stones of beryl, and so the Syriac version; the Septuagint, stones of emerald, and the Arabic version, crystal stones: but, according to Josephus x, they were sardonyx stones, and in which Brannius y thinks he was right:
and grave on them the names of the children of Israel; the names of the twelve sons of Jacob, six on one stone and six on the other, as often mentioned, for which onyx stones are very fit; and they must be very large to have so many letters graved upon them; for there is no reason to believe the initial letters of their names only were engraved, but their whole names at length. In the Museum at Dresden is an oriental onyx which cost 48,000 dollars; it is of an oval figure, and its longest diameter is almost six inches, and in such an one might easily be engraved so many names: and Wagenseil makes mention of one in the possession of the bishop of Bamberg, in which were represented Christ sitting, and teaching his twelve apostles standing round him, of which he has given the figure z: the onyx stone being of the colour observed, was a fit emblem of Christ in his human nature, and if the sardonyx, of him in both his natures; and as the twelve tribes of Israel were a figure of the church, their names being on two stones may denote both the Jewish and Gentile churches; these being precious stones on which they were engraven, may signify how valuable the church and its members are to Christ; and being alike there, their being equally loved of God, chosen in Christ, redeemed by his blood, interested in all the blessings of his grace, and shall enjoy the same glory; and their names being there, the distinct knowledge had of them by name, and being in ouches of gold, their dignity and safety, as afterwards declared.
x Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 3. c. 7. sect. 5.) y De Vestitu Sacerd. Heb. l. 2. c. 18. sect. 4. p. 730. z Not. in Misn. Sotah, c. 9. p. 996.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
9. And thou shalt take two onyx-stones. That the connection between the priest and the people might be made more plain, God not only placed on his breast the memorials of the twelve tribes, but also engraved their names on his shoulders. Thus all occasion of envy was removed, since the people would understand that this one man was not separated from the others for the sake of private advantage, but that in his one person they were all a kingdom of priests, which Peter teaches to have been at length really fulfilled in Christ, (1Pe 2:5😉 as Isaiah had foretold that there should be priests of God, and Levites brought from the Gentiles, (Isa 66:21😉 to which John makes allusion in the Apocalypse, where he says that we are all priests in Christ, (Rev 1:6.) But we must remember the reason why our High Priest is said to bear us on His shoulders, for we not only crawl on earth, but we are plunged in the lowest depths of death; how then should we be able to ascend to heaven, unless the Son of God should raise us up with Him; Now, since there is no ability in us unto eternal life, but all our powers of mind and body lie prostrate, we must be borne up by His strength alone. Hence then arises our confidence of ascending to heaven, because Christ raises us up with Him; as Paul says, we “sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” (Eph 2:6😉 however weak then we may be in ourselves, herein is all our strength, that we are His burden. Therefore in this old type was prefigured what Paul teaches, that the Church is “his body,” and “the fullness of him,” (Eph 1:22.) It remains that each of us, conscious of our own weakness, should rest on Christ; for when in foolish arrogance we exalt ourselves, we do not suffer ourselves to be lifted up by Him, to be borne and sustained by His power. Let the proud then, by lifting themselves on high, fall down in ruin, whilst Christ supports us upon His shoulders. These stones are called “stones of memorial;” and again, “for a memorial” to the children of Israel; as is also afterwards repeated of the twelve stones; which some expound, that “God may be mindful of the children of Israel;” others, that “the priest himself may remember them;” others, that “the children of Israel may remember that God is reconciled to them for the sake of the one Mediator;” but I simply interpret it, that they were a monument of the mutual agreement between God and them; as if God would shew by a visible sign that He embraced them and received them into His sanctuary, as often as they were offered in this manner.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) Two onyx stones.The shham of the Hebrews has been regarded by some as the emerald, by others as the beryl; but it is probably either the stone usually called the onyx, or that variety which is known as the sardonyxa stone of three layersblack, white, and red. (See Joseph., Ant. Jud., iii. 7, 5.) Emeralds could not have been cut by any process known at the time. Onyx and sardonyx were used from a very early period, as stones for signets, both in Egypt and elsewhere.
And grave on them the names of the children of Israel.That gem-engraving was practised from a remote antiquity both in Egypt and in Babylonia appears from the remains found in those countries. The signet cylinders of Chaldan kings are regarded by the best Assyriologists as going back, at least, to B.C. 2,000. The signets of Egyptian monarchs reach, at any rate, to the twelfth dynasty, which is perhaps nearly as early. The hardest kinds of stonediamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire, topazdefied the art of the time; but stones of the second classsard, carnelian, onyx, beryl, jasper, lapis lazulireadily yielded to the engravers tools. There is no difficulty in supposing that among the Israelites were to be found persons who had been engaged in Egyptian workshops during the servitude, and were acquainted with Egyptian art in all its principal departments. The names to be engraved were doubtless the tribe names, as explained by Josephus.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9-12. Two onyx stones Hebrews, stones of shoham . Some render beryl, others, sardonyx . These were to have graven on them the names of the twelve sons of Israel; according to Josephus ( Ant . , 3: 7, 5) the elder sons’ names were on the right shoulder, so that the younger must have been on the left . Thus arranged according to their birth, if we are guided by Genesis 29, 30, they would have been as follows:
RIGHT. LEFT.
Reuben Gad
Simeon Asher
Levi Issachar
Judah Zebulun
Dan Joseph
Naphtali Benjamin.
The engraving of the names upon the two stones was to be after the manner of a signet, or seal, and the stones themselves were to be set upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial, continually admonishing the wearer of them that he acted as the consecrated representative of the twelve tribes of Israel, and not for himself alone. The stones were to be set in ouches of gold, or rather surrounded with textures of gold. According to Josephus, “there were two sardonyxes upon the ephod at the shoulders to fasten it, in the nature of buttons, having each end running to the sardonyxes of gold that they might be buttoned by them.” The vacant space ( e) in the cut indicates the place where the breastplate (described Exo 28:15-29) was to be worn.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 28:9. Thou shalt take two onyx-stones See Gen 2:12. Moses was to cause the names of the twelve tribes of Israel to be engraved, as letters or devices are cut in a seal, Exo 28:11 on two onyx-stones; six ranked according to their seniority on each stone, Exo 28:10 and these stones were to be set in ouches of gold: the original word signifies, small edges, or pieces of metal, which enclose and hold fast a seal, or any thing set in that manner. These stones were to be fastened upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be borne by the high-priest, for a memorial that he always appeared before God in behalf of the whole people of Israel. See Isa 9:6. In Exo 28:29 this reason is also given for his wearing the breast-plate; and Le Clerc thinks that three things were chiefly denoted by these names, which the high-priest wore on his shoulders and near his heart: first, the union of all the tribes in one common wealth; secondly, their union in one religion and priesthood; thirdly, the wearing of these names on his shoulders and near his heart, served to remind the priest, that the care of the public religion rested, as it were, upon his shoulders, and was, of all concerns, to be next his heart. See ch. Exo 30:16. Lev 2:2 from whence, as well as from Num 10:9-10 and Act 10:4 it appears, that the word memorial refers also to GOD. For thus Christ appears, Rev 1:13 ever living to make intercession for his people. He presents their names, not merely engraven on stones of onyx, but more deeply on his heart in characters of divine love. With respect to the chains mentioned in the 14th verse, we shall see their use hereafter.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Is not this beautifully explained to us in a spiritual sense, where the church begs to be set upon the Redeemer’s heart and arm? Son 8:6 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 28:9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
Ver. 9. Two onyx stones. ] These signified Christ’s perpetual love to his people, and how precious they be to him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
two . . . stones, with six names on each: the names collectively, on the shoulders, the place of strength. The names on the breastplate, one on each stone (individually) on the heart, the place of love, verses: Exo 28:15-2.
grave. Note the three gravings connected with the heart (Exo 28:9), the shoulder (Exo 28:21), and the head (Exo 28:36).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
onyx: Exo 28:20, Exo 39:13, Gen 2:12, Job 28:16, Eze 28:13
grave: Exo 28:36, Exo 39:6, 2Ch 2:7, Son 8:6, Isa 49:16
Reciprocal: Exo 25:7 – Onyx stones Exo 28:17 – thou shalt Exo 28:21 – twelve Exo 31:5 – General Exo 32:4 – a graving Exo 35:9 – General