Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 28:43
And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy [place]; that they bear not iniquity, and die: [it shall be] a statute forever unto him and his seed after him.
43. the altar ] i.e. the altar of burnt-offering: cf. on Exo 27:1.
the holy place ] i.e. the sanctuary in general (including the court), as Exo 36:1; Exo 36:3-4; Exo 36:6; not in the special sense of Exo 26:33; for the altar of burnt-offering did not stand in the Dwelling, but in the court (Exo 40:6). With to minister, as Exo 29:30, Exo 35:19 al. (P); Eze 44:27.
bear iniquity and die, cf. Lev 22:16 (H); and on v. 35 above.
a statute for ever ] as Exo 30:21, Lev 6:18; Lev 6:22; Lev 7:34; Lev 10:15; Lev 24:9, Num 18:8; Num 18:11; Num 18:19 (all P): cf. on Exo 12:14 (where the Heb. is uh, the fem. of , the word used here).
and his seed after him ] one of P’s standing expressions: Gen 9:9; Gen 17:7-10; Gen 17:19; Gen 35:12; Gen 48:4, Num 25:13.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And they shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons,…. Not the linen breeches only, but all the other garments:
when they come into the tabernacle of the congregation; even into that part of it where the people assembled, the court of the tabernacle, and where stood the altar of burnt offering, on which they offered the sacrifices of the people, but never without the priestly garments on:
or when they came near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; at the altar of incense which stood there; or when they came to trim the lamps of the candlestick, and set the shewbread on the table, and take away the old, which candlestick and shewbread table were both in the holy place,
that they bear not iniquity and die; be guilty of sin in not having their priestly garments on in time of service, and so bear the punishment of it and die for it; the Targum of Jonathan adds, with flaming fire, with fire from heaven, such as Nadab and Abihu were afterwards consumed with; an high priest that had not the eight garments on, or a common priest that had not his four garments, his service was illegal and rejected, and he was guilty of death by the hand of heaven, as Maimonides s says; that is, he was deserving of immediate death from the hand of God, and might expect it:
it shall be a statute for ever unto him, and his seed after him; as long as the Aaronic priesthood continued, until Christ should arise, made an high priest, not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchizedek, and should put an end to the priesthood of the former, by answering and fulfilling all the types and shadows of it; this respects all that is said in this chapter concerning the vestments of the priests, one and another.
s Cele Hamikdash, c. 10. sect. 4, 5.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(43) The tabernacle of the congregation.Heb., the tent of meeting.
The holy place seems to be here the court of the tabernacle, within which the altar was to be set up (Exo. 40:6; Exo. 40:29).
That they bear not iniquity, and die.The death penalty is threatened against the sin of ministering without the garments needed for decency, as against the sin of neglecting to wear the robe of the ephod (Exo. 28:35). In both cases a Divine vengeance, rather than a legal punishment, is probably intended.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Concluding Statement Exo 28:43 serves as a concluding remark about all of the pieces of the priestly garment.
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Exo 28:43. They shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons They, that is, all the sacerdotal vestments as above described, shall, on pain of death, be worn always during the time of their ministrations; but at no other time, and in no other place. See Eze 42:14; Eze 44:19. Hence some account for St. Paul’s not knowing the high-priests, Act 23:5 as he was not clothed in his sacerdotal vestments. It shall be a statute for ever, means as long as the Jewish policy and priesthood shall subsist.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
REFLECTIONS
Look up, my soul, and see that great high priest of thy profession, that Almighty Aaron of the New Testament dispensation, the Lord Jesus Christ, going in, clothed in his holy garments of everlasting glory and of eternal beauty, before God and the Father; and still wearing on his precious person as a lamb that had been slain, the marks of thy redemption. And oh for grace in full exercise, to come trader the all-powerful, all-prevailing, all-atoning, all-sufficient merits and righteousness of his person an offering! Oh! do thou bear me on thine heart and on thine arm, when thou presentest thy memorial before the throne. Behold, thou blessed Jesus, what my wants are, and do thou supply them all. Let every case and every circumstance of my soul, and the souls of thy people, come in for a part in thy remembrance. And when thou bringest me near my Father’s footstool, to receive the grace to help in every time of need, do thou put on, by thy blessed Spirit, those robes of thy righteousness and garments of thy salvation, that I may be accepted in thee, the beloved. For it is thy province to do all this, both to provide, and to put on, both to furnish and to make meet, thy people for thy salvation. I humbly pray for grace, into thy dear hands to commit all my concerns, for time and for eternity. Thou hast purchased our eternal redemption, and it is thine to bestow it, to preserve it, to carry it on, and to perfect it in us, unto the day of thy coining. Oh! do thou keep that which I have committed unto thee against that day.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 28:43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy [place]; that they bear not iniquity, and die: [it shall be] a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.
Ver. 43. That they bear not the iniquity, and die, ] sc., For not hiding their nakedness. See on Exo 20:26 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
tabernacle = tent. Hebrew. ‘ohel. App-40.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
unto the altar: Exo 20:26
bear not iniquity: Lev 5:1, Lev 5:17, Lev 20:19, Lev 20:20, Lev 22:9, Num 9:13, Num 18:22, Mat 22:12, Mat 22:13
a statute: Exo 27:21, Lev 17:7
Reciprocal: Exo 28:38 – bear the iniquity Exo 30:21 – a statute Lev 10:17 – to bear Num 16:5 – will cause 1Sa 2:30 – I said Eze 44:17 – they shall Eze 44:18 – linen breeches
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 28:43. It shall be a statute for ever That is, it is to continue as long as the priesthood continues. And it is to have its perpetuity in the substance of which these things were the shadow.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
28:43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy [place]; that they {r} bear not iniquity, and die: [it shall be] a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.
(r) In not hiding their nakedness.