Exodus 28:1-29

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 28:1-5

We have here, I. The priests nominated: Aaron and his sons, Exod. 28:1. Hitherto every master of a family was priest to his own family, and offered, as he saw cause, upon altars of earth; but now that the families of Israel began to be incorporated into a nation, and a tabernacle of the congregation was to be erected, as a visible centre of their unity, it was requisite there should be a public priesthood instituted. Moses, who had hitherto officiated, and is therefore reckoned among the... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 28:6-14

Directions are here given concerning the ephod, which was the outmost garment of the high priest. Linen ephods were worn by the inferior priests, 1 Sam. 22:18. Samuel wore one when he was a child (1 Sam. 2:18), and David when he danced before the ark (2 Sam. 6:14); but this which the high priest only wore was called a golden ephod, because there was a great deal of gold woven into it. It was a short coat without sleeves, buttoned closely to him, with a curious girdle of the same stuff (Exod.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 28:15-30

The most considerable of the ornaments of the high priest was this breast-plate, a rich piece of cloth, curiously wrought with gold and purple, etc., two spans long and a span broad, so that, being doubled, it was a span square, Exod. 28:16. This was fastened to the ephod with wreathen chains of gold (Exod. 28:13, 14, 22) both at top and bottom, so that the breast-plate might not be loosed from the ephod, Exod. 28:28. The ephod was the garment of service; the breast-plate of judgment was an... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 28:1

And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him ,.... Moses is bid to fetch or send for Aaron and his sons to him: or "cause" them to "draw near" F14 הקרב "appropinquare fac", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus. to him, and stand before him, that he might in the name of the Lord, and by his authority, distinguish and separate them from among the children of Israel : and before them all invest them with the office of priesthood, as it follows: that they may minister... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 28:2

And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother ,.... Called so, because in these he was to minister in the holy place, and perform holy service; and because typical of the holy human nature of Christ our great High Priest, and of his spotless righteousness, and of the garments of sanctification, both outward and inward, that all believers in him, who are made priests unto God, are arrayed with: Aaron and his sons being appointed priests, their garments are first described before... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 28:3

And thou shall speak unto all that are wise hearted ,.... That have knowledge and understanding in mechanic arts, particularly in making garments; and it required men of more than ordinary skill to be employed in making these, because they were uncommon ones, and required a good deal of thought and judgment, and care and application, to make them exactly as they should be: whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom ; for besides a common understanding of things, these required a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 28:4

And these are the garments which they shall make ,.... Some for Aaron and some for his sons, some peculiar to the high priest, and others in common to him and other priests: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle ; of each of which, with others, there is a more particular account in this chapter, and will be observed in their order: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons : as those before mentioned, with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 28:5

And they shall take ,.... The Targum of Jonathan adds, out of their substance; that is, those that were wise hearted, and had knowledge and skill in making such garments; these were to take, not out of their own personal substance, but they were to take or receive from Moses what the people freely offered for such service, Exodus 36:3 , gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen ; pieces of gold, which they beat into thin plates, and drew into wires, and which they worked... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 28:6

And they shall make the ephod ,.... This was the outermost garment of, all, and was put over the robe; it was a short garment, reaching to the loins, as Kimchi F16 Comment. in 1 Chron. 15. 27. ; or to the buttocks, as Abarbinel F17 Comment. in loc. ; and not to the heels or feet, as Jarchi F18 Comment. in loc. , and Maimonides F19 Hilchot Cele Hamikdash, c. 9. sect. 9. ; for Josephus F20 Antiqu. l. 3. c. 7. sect. 5. says it was but a cubit long, which was little... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 28:7

It shall have the two shoulder pieces thereof ,.... Which were two pieces that joined to the ephod, reaching from the arm holes to the shoulders both on the right and left, coming from before and behind; and meeting on the shoulders, were buttoned with two onyx stones, and covering the shoulders are called by this name: joined at the two edges thereof ; the two edges of the ephod; not sewed thereunto with a needle, as Maimonides F23 Ut supra. (Hilchot Cele Hamikdash, c. 9. sect. 9.) ... read more

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