Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 29:5
And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:
5. the coat ] the tunic (Exo 28:39). After the tunic, the sash seems to have been accidentally omitted: see Lev 8:7 (EVV. ‘girdle’).
the breastplate ] the pouch: Exo 28:15 ff.
and fasten (it) to him with the band of the ephod ] see on Exo 28:8. The verb rendered ‘fasten’ is formed from ‘ephod,’ and means only to fit or fasten as an ephod. In Lev 8:7 rendered bound, which, however, connects it incorrectly with the preceding ‘band.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
5 7. The investiture and anointing of the high priest. The high priest is to be arrayed in the garments described in ch. 28, and then to have his head anointed. Cf. Lev 8:7-10 a, 12 ( vv. 10b 11, relating to the anointing of the Dwelling, altar, &c., have no parallel in Exodus 29, and seem out of place).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 5. Thou shalt take the garments] As most offices of spiritual and secular dignity had appropriate habits and insignia, hence, when a person was appointed to an office and habited for the purpose, he was said to be invested with that office, from in, used intensively, and vestio, I clothe, because he was then clothed with the vestments peculiar to that office.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Not about the loins, but about the paps, or breast, as Christ and his ministers are represented, Rev 1:13. The linen breeches are here omitted, because they were put on privately before they came to the door of the tabernacle, where the other things were put on.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And thou shall take the garments,…. The priestly garments before ordered to be made, and when made:
and put upon Aaron the coat: the broidered coat, the coat of fine linen, which was put on first and was next to his flesh, for all these garments were put on in the order in which they are here placed:
and the robe of the ephod: which was all of blue, and had pomegranates and golden bells at the hem of it; this was put over the broidered coat:
and the ephod; which was made of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen: this was a short garment put over the robe of the ephod:
and the breastplate; with the Urim and Thummim in it, or the twelve precious stones on which were engraven the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, which hung down over the breast by wreathen chains of gold, from the shoulder pieces of the ephod:
and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod; which was made of the same material and after the same manner as the ephod itself, and which girt all his garments tight and close to him; the significance of these has been observed already; and unless thus clothed he could not minister in his office, and these he had only on while ministering in it: no mention is made of the breeches, because these were doubtless to be put on by the high priest himself in a private manner before he came there; whereas all these garments were put on him publicly at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, where it would not have been so seemly and decent to put on the other.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(5) Thou shalt take the garmentsi.e., those described in the preceding chapter.
The coati.e., the linen tunic (Exo. 28:39). As the inner garment, this had to be put on first. Comp. Lev. 8:7-9, where the investiture is more fully described, and is seen to have comprised nine acts:(1) The putting on of the tunic; (2) The girding of the tunic with the under-girdle; (3) The putting on of the robe of the ephod; (4) The putting on of the ephod; (5) Girding with the curious girdle of the ephod; (6) The putting on of the breastplate; (7) The putting of the Urim and Thummim into the bag of the breastplate; (8) The putting on of the mitre; and (9) The attachment of the golden plate to the front of the mitre. These minute directions may well be regarded as justifying those given in our own Ordinal with respect to the vesting of bishops at the time of their consecration.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5, 6. The garments These, so fully described in the foregoing chapter, were to be formally placed upon the priest’s person as a part of the ceremony of consecration . Comp . Lev 8:7-9.
The holy crown The graven plate of gold described in Exo 28:36-38; Exo 39:30-31.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Dressing and Anointing of Aaron as The Priest ( Exo 29:5-7 ).
Exo 29:5-6
“And you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the under-robe, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastpouch, and gird him with the skilfully woven band of the ephod. And you shall set the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban.”
Having been washed, and having had all earthiness removed (he has yet to be cleansed), Aaron is now arrayed in the priestly garments, those described in Exodus 28. (Note the lack of mention of the breeches, either here or in Lev 8:7-9, even though he would have them on, confirming our suggestion in Exo 28:42-43). The holy crown must represent the golden plate which has on it ‘Holy to Yahweh’. A fuller description of all this is given in Lev 8:7-9. Here there is no mention of the under-girdle or the Urim and Thummim.
By this he is depicted as covered by and before God as to purity, as representing the whole people, and as totally Yahweh’s, as ‘holy to Yahweh’.
The fact that the golden plate can be described as a ‘holy crown’ (compare Lev 8:9) may be seen as indicating Yahweh’s Overlordship with the Priest being seen as His representative. He is a royal priest, announcing judgments on His behalf. He did not, however, have supreme rulership. While Moses and Joshua were alive they, rather than ‘the Priest’, had overall control, and they seem to have been followed by a council of elders (Jos 24:31). These could call the tribes together and pass major judgments (Jdg 20:2), while the Priest came into prominence when Yahweh had to be consulted through the Urim and Thummim (Jdg 20:27-28). During this period prominent ‘Judges’ would often take the lead in various parts of the country, but it is doubtful if their authority was seen as applying to the whole of Israel. And not all tribes would respond to the call to arms (Jdg 5:12-18). However, by the time of Eli, ‘the Priest’ seems to have gained a position of overall authority as Judge (1Sa 4:18), and although Samuel the Judge was never called ‘the Priest’ he may well have been so unofficially, with His authority coming from the One Who was King over Israel (1Sa 8:7). This, however, was the last time when ‘the Priest’ would have such a prominent role, with Saul being anointed ‘Prince’ (nagid – war-leader, and prince under Yahweh) over all Israel ( 1Sa 10:1 ; 1Sa 10:20; 1Sa 10:24) followed by David, who would actually again rule over all Israel. Even later, however, some time after the Exile, the priesthood would come into its own when the High Priests again virtually ruled Israel. Jesus came as both king and priest taking over both roles.
Exo 29:7
“Then you shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him.”
While his sons will also be anointed (Exo 28:41; Exo 30:30; Exo 40:15) all concentration here is on Aaron. He is to be ‘the Priest’, the foundation priest of a permanent priesthood. They derive their position through him, and their anointing is secondary. Nothing is to come in the way of this great fact that Aaron is to be ‘the Priest’, the anointed of Yahweh, and that once he is anointed his family are set aside as the priests of Yahweh ‘for everlasting’ (Exo 40:15). All other anointing follows from this. That is why here only his anointing is described. It is all embracing.
Anointing does not indicate the reception of power. It represents the specific setting aside of someone or something for a divine purpose (although with men chosen by God the reception of power often accompanies it). Nor does oil necessarily signify the Holy Spirit (the priests are never described as ‘filled with the Spirit of God’ or as having the Spirit of God coming on them). It indicates dedication to a holy purpose, and a setting apart as Yahweh’s. So here Aaron is set aside as the one who will act on behalf of Israel between man and God. But it is always as the suppliant. He comes to God on behalf of Israel and himself and offers their worship and receives God’s favours. And all his family for future generations are anointed in him. Thus they too will be anointed as a sign of this fact. But that is not mentioned here because the concentration is in the official anointing of the whole Aaronide priesthood.
The composition of the oil is given in Exo 30:23-25 (compare Exo 25:6). It was very costly. And it is poured on his head to anoint him, to set him apart for a sacred task through the centuries, to dedicate him totally to Yahweh. Not now was it realised that it would be his failure in that dedication as the representative of the people before God that would bring about his death (Num 20:22-29).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Exo 29:5. And thou shalt take the garments This was the next part of the ceremony; figuring, says Ainsworth, that, after being purified from the pollutions of sin, they were to study to be clothed with the robes of righteousness, whereof their holy vestments were an emblem. Psa 9:16. Rev 19:8 compared with Mat 22:11 and Php 3:9. The LXX render the latter part of the verse, and fasten it to the shoulder-pieces of the ephod.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
How plainly is the Lord Jesus here typified? Isa 59:17 . But was not the clothing of the soul, in the robes of Jesus’ righteousness, hereby shadowed out? Psa 132:9 . For are not all true believers made kings and priests to God? Rev 1:6 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
ephod. See note on Exo 28:6.
curious = embroidered.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
garments
The priest’s garments were put on in reverse order of the instructions for making them:
(1) The “coat” Exo 28:39 the oriental long garment worn next to the person, made of fine linen. Exo 27:9.
(2) The “robe of the ephod” Exo 28:31-35 a long seamless garment of blue linen with an opening for the head, worn over the “coat.” Pomegranates, symbol of fruitfulness, were embroidered on the skirt of the robe in blue, purple, and scarlet, alternated with golden bells, symbol of testimony, which gave a sound as the high priest went in and out of the sanctuary. The robe was secured by a golden girdle.
(3) The ephod Exo 28:5-12 was next put on. A short garment made of linen, embroidered with gold, blue, purple, and scarlet, it consisted of two pieces, front and back, united by two shoulder-pieces and by a band about the bottom. Two onyx stones, set in gold and fastened upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, were engraved with the names of the twelve tribes: “and Aaron shall bear their names before Jehovah upon his two shoulders (the place of strength) for a memorial.” Cf.; Isa 9:6; Luk 15:4; Luk 15:5.
(4) The breastplate was a square pouch Exo 28:16 of linen to contain the Urim and Thummim. (See Scofield “Exo 28:30”).
To the linen pouch was attached the oblong gold setting containing four rows of precious stones, on each stone a tribal name. The breastplate with the jewel work was attached at the upper corners to the shoulder-pieces of the ephod by golden chains. Golden rings were sewn on ephod and breastplate, and the latter was further secured to the ephod by laces of blue through the rings. Altogether, it was called “the breastplate of judgment” because worn by the high priest when judging the causes of the people. (See Scofield “Exo 28:30”).
(5) A mitre (or “turban”) of fine line was made Exo 28:37 to cover the head, bearing upon the front a gold plate engraved, “Holiness to the Lord” Exo 29:36.
(6) To these were added linen breeches, “from the loins even to the thighs” Exo 28:42. The “coat” and linen breeches were made for the priests, also, and were the ordinary garments of high priest and priests as distinguished from the other garments, which were “for glory and beauty.”
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
garments: Exo 28:2-8, Lev 8:7, Lev 8:8
curious: The word cheshev, translated curious girdle, simply signifies a kind of diaper or embroidered work, of the same texture as the ephod itself. Exo 28:8
Reciprocal: Exo 29:29 – anointed Exo 39:5 – curious Lev 16:24 – his garments Psa 105:26 – Aaron
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 29:5. They shalt take the garments, &c. This was to signify that it was not sufficient for them to put away the pollutions of sin, but that they must put on divine graces, and be clothed with righteousness, Psa 132:10. They must also be girded, as men prepared and strengthened for their work, and they must be robed and crowned, as men that counted their work and office their true honour.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
29:5 And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the {b} robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:
(b) Which was next under the Ephod.