Exodus 28

Exodus 28 belongs to the regulations for the tabernacle in chapters 25 through 31 of Exodus. Following Exodus 27, which deals with the tabernacle furnishings and the court, this chapter addresses the garments of the priests who are to minister there.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 Moses is commanded to set apart Aaron and his four sons as priests. Those who are "wise hearted" are to make six garments: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle. The materials are gold thread; blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; and fine twined linen.
• Verses 6–14 The ephod and its girdle are made. Two onyx stones are set on the two shoulderpieces, each engraved with six names of the sons of Israel in the order of their birth.
• Verses 15–30 The breastplate of judgment is made square, a span in length and breadth, and doubled. Twelve precious stones are set in four rows, each engraved with the name of one tribe, and the breastplate is fastened to the ephod with gold chains, gold rings, and a lace of blue. The Urim and Thummim are placed in the breastplate.
• Verses 31–35 The robe of the ephod is made, all of blue. Pomegranates and golden bells alternate around its hem.
• Verses 36–38 A plate of pure gold is engraved with "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" and fastened to the front of the mitre.
• Verses 39–43 The coat, the mitre, and the girdle are made, along with garments for Aaron's sons and linen breeches. Clothing the priests in these garments, anointing them, and consecrating them is established as a statute for ever.

Key Verses

• Exodus 28:2 "And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty." This verse states the purpose of the priestly garments.
• Exodus 28:29 "And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart." This verse conveys that the high priest stands before God as the representative of the people.
• Exodus 28:36 "HOLINESS TO THE LORD." This phrase sums up the character of the priestly office.

People and Places

• Moses: The recipient of these commands. The "thou" of the text refers to Moses.
• Aaron: Moses' elder brother, who becomes the first high priest.
• Nadab and Abihu: Aaron's eldest and second sons.
• Eleazar and Ithamar: Aaron's third and fourth sons.
• The twelve tribes of Israel: Their names are engraved on the shoulder stones and on the breastplate.
• The sanctuary and the tabernacle of the congregation: The places where the priests minister wearing these garments.

Points for Reflection

• The text does not explain what the Urim and Thummim were or how they were used, and as a result various conjectures have been proposed.
• The ancient names of the twelve stones are difficult to match precisely with modern gemstones, so translations differ in how they render them.
• Christian interpretation has traditionally read this chapter as a type of Jesus Christ, the great high priest described in Hebrews. A type is a foreshadowing that prefigures something to come. However, assigning symbolic meaning to each color or ornament of the garments reflects the interpreter's own reading and is not something the text itself states.
• In Protestant teaching, this chapter is sometimes linked to the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, which holds, on the basis of passages such as 1 Peter 2:5, that every believer is a priest.