Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 28:8
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.
8. And the artistically woven band (or simply, And the band: see below) of its attachment, which is upon it, shall be, &c.] ‘Artistically woven band’ is in the Heb. one word, sheb, cognate apparently with shb, ‘designer,’ v. 6. As however the entire ephod was to be of the same material, and the sheb was indeed to be of the same piece with it, it is not apparent why the term should be applied to this particular part of the entire fabric: hence many suppose sheb to be derived by metathesis from besh (from bash, to bind on), and to mean simply band (cf. ksheb, and kbesh, both = ‘lamb’). Whichever etymology be adopted, the general sense remains the same: the band, as the following words shew, was to be of the same work, and the same piece, as the ephod itself, though perhaps of a different pattern, so as to form a border along the bottom of the ephod. The word is used only of this band of the ephod: vv. 27, 28, Exo 29:5 (|| Lev 8:7), Exo 39:5; Exo 39:20-21 .
of its attachment ] cognate with ‘ephod’; the word which in Isa 30:22 is rendered ‘plating’ (viz. of gold round an idol), probably lit. encasement. The rend. ‘to gird ’ is not sufficiently distinctive.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 8. The curious girdle of the ephod] The word chesheb, rendered here curious girdle, signifies merely a kind of diaper, or embroidered work; (See Clarke on Ex 26:1😉 and it is widely different from abnet, which is properly translated girdle, Ex 28:4. The meaning therefore of the text, according to some, is this, that the two pieces, Ex 28:7, which connected the parts of the ephod at the shoulders where the onyx stones were set, should be of the same texture with the ephod itself, i.e., of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, embroidered together. But others suppose that some kind of a girdle is meant, different from the abnet, Ex 28:39, being only of plain workmanship.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The girdle of the ephod was for the closer fastening and girding of it. Which is upon it: this is added to distinguish it from the other girdle, Exo 28:4, which was to gird all the garments, and was tied in a lower place.
Of the same; either,
1. Of the same piece; or rather,
2. Of the same kind of materials and workmanship, as the following words explain it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it,…. Which was worn along with it, and went out from it like two thongs, as Jarchi says, which girt the ephod close to the back and breast:
shall be of the same; of the same matter as the ephod, and woven in the same manner, and together with it:
according to the work thereof; wrought with the same coloured, curious, and cunning work:
even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; and from the gold in it, it was called a golden girdle, to distinguish it from others, and with it the priest was girt under the arm holes about the paps, to which the allusion is, Re 1:13 and is an emblem of the close union of the human nature of Christ to his divine which is the effect of his love to his people; which, as it is seen in his incarnation, so more especially in his sufferings and death; and it may denote his strength to do his work as a priest, his readiness to perform it, and his faithfulness and integrity in it; righteousness being the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(8) The curious girdle.The word khsheb, which is thus translated, means properly device, ornamental work, and has not in itself the sense of belt or girdle. Still, there is no reason to doubt that the khsheb of the ephod was in fact a girdle, as Josephus calls it (Ant. Jud., iii. 7, 4), though named from the peculiar skill displayed in its patterning. Josephus says it was a girdle dyed of many hues, with gold interwoven in it.
Shall be of the same.Not sewn on, but woven continuously with the front or back piece.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. The curious girdle By means of which the two pieces of the ephod were to be fastened about the body . These were of the same material as the rest . Comp . Exo 28:6.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 28:8. The curious girdle of the ephod The word rendered girdle here, as many critics have observed, is different from that so rendered in the 4th and 39th verses, and signifies, properly, texture or embroidery; and therefore, both here and in the other places where it occurs, it ought to be so rendered: and I apprehend, that this verse informs us of the materials of the two shoulder-pieces, which were of great consequence, as they contained the two stones of memorial, and therefore Moses is directed to make them of the same materials with the ephod itself; so that the verse might be rendered, and the texture of that which is upon the ephod, like the work of the ephod itself, shall be of gold, &c. The LXX understand it in this manner. Houbigant renders it, textura limbi, the texture of the edge which is upon it, shall be, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
curious = embroidered.
gold. Note the number five in these items. App-10.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
curious: or, embroidered, Exo 28:27, Exo 28:28, Exo 29:5, Exo 39:20, Exo 39:21, Lev 8:7, Isa 11:5, 1Pe 1:13, Rev 1:13
Reciprocal: Exo 28:39 – the girdle Exo 39:5 – curious
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
28:8 And the {d} 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.
(d) Which went about his upmost coat.