Breastplate of Judgment

Biblical Text and Content

The breastplate of judgment appears in Exodus 28:15–30, where God commands Moses to make the garments of the high priest. Its actual construction is recorded in Exodus 39:8–21. Leviticus 8:8 records that on the day Moses consecrated Aaron, he put the breastplate on him and placed the Urim and Thummim in it.

According to the text, the breastplate was made of the same materials as the ephod: gold thread; blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; and fine twined linen. The fabric was folded double to form a square one span long and one span wide. On its front were set four rows of three stones each, and on each stone one of the names of the sons of Israel was engraved, like the engravings of a signet. Gold rings were attached at the four corners of the breastplate. The upper corners were fastened with gold chains to the shoulder pieces of the ephod, and the lower corners were tied to the ephod with a blue cord so that the breastplate would not come loose.

The Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Gaejeong) renders the stones, beginning with the first row, roughly as ruby, topaz, and beryl; garnet, sapphire, and carnelian; amber, white agate, and amethyst; green stone, onyx, and jasper. It is uncertain, however, which modern minerals the Hebrew names correspond to, and translations therefore render them differently.

Name and Function

The Hebrew name is ḥōshen mishpāṭ. Mishpāṭ means "judgment" or "verdict"; the etymology of ḥōshen is unclear. The text describes two functions of the breastplate:

• Memorial: When Aaron goes into the holy place, he bears the names of the sons of Israel upon his heart "for a memorial before the LORD continually" (Exodus 28:29).
• Judgment: The Urim and Thummim are placed in the breastplate, and Aaron bears the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD (Exodus 28:30). Numbers 27:21 describes the priest seeking counsel "after the judgment of Urim before the LORD." For this reason, the name "judgment" is understood to be connected with the function of inquiring of God's will and receiving a decision.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

Because the high priest stands before God bearing the names of the entire people, the breastplate is read as an ornament expressing the high priest's representative and mediatorial role. Many Christian interpreters connect it with Christ in the New Testament. Hebrews presents Jesus Christ as the heavenly high priest (Hebrews 4:14–16). On the basis of this passage, interpreters find in the breastplate the idea that Christ carries his people upon his heart and intercedes for them before God.

The twelve stones that form the foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:19–20 share several names with the stones of the breastplate, and some interpreters therefore read the two passages together.

Interpretations and Points of Debate

• Order of the names: The text states only that the names were engraved according to the twelve tribes (Exodus 28:21). The instruction to follow birth order, given for the names engraved on the stones of the shoulder pieces (Exodus 28:10), does not appear in the passage on the breastplate. The actual order cannot be determined.
• Traditions outside the text: Later Jewish writings, such as those of Josephus, and some rabbinic traditions are reported to contain accounts in which the stones of the breastplate shone with light to indicate an answer. The biblical text, however, contains no such account.
• Scope of typology: Reading the breastplate as a type of Christ—that is, a shadow that foreshadows Christ—is widespread in many Protestant denominations. By contrast, allegorical interpretation that assigns a spiritual meaning to each individual stone, treating the details of the text as symbols, has been criticized as lacking textual support.

In Korean Churches

In preaching in Korean churches, the breastplate of judgment is treated mainly under the theme of Christ the high priest bearing the names of believers upon his heart. On this basis it is also cited to encourage intercessory prayer, in which believers carry one another's names in prayer. It is likewise introduced in Bible study materials and expositions on the tabernacle when the garments of the high priest are explained.