Exodus 28:41-43

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 28:40-43

We have here, 1. Particular orders about the vestments of the inferior priests. They were to have coats, and girdles, and bonnets, of the same materials with those of the high priest; but there was a difference in shape between their bonnets and his mitre. Theirs, as his, were to be for glory and beauty (Exod. 28:40), that they might look great in their ministration: yet all this glory was nothing compared with the glory of grace, this beauty nothing to the beauty of holiness, of which these... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 28:41

And thou shall put them on Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him ,.... And this putting on of their garments by Moses, under the authority of God, was a solemn investiture of them with the priestly office also; for from henceforward they had a right to exercise it, having those garments on, without which they were never to officiate: and shall anoint them ; with the anointing oil, of which afterwards a particular account is given, and how to be made, and for what use, Exodus 30:22 ,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 28:42

And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness ,.... Or "the flesh of nakedness" F17 בשר ערוה "carnem nuditatis", Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius; "carnem nudam", Junius & Tremellius; "carnem verendorum", Tigurine version; "carnem pudendorum", Piscator. , that part of the body which ought not to be naked and exposed to view, and which, when it is, causes shame and ridicule; what part is designed is easily gathered from the next clause; great care was taken, in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 28:43

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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 28:42

Linen breeches - This command had in view the necessity of purity and decency in every part of the Divine worship, in opposition to the shocking indecency of the pagan worship in general, in which the priests often ministered naked, as in the sacrifices to Bacchus, etc. On the garments of the high priest some general reflections have already been made; see Exodus 28:2 ; (note): and to what is there said it may be just necessary to add, that there can be no doubt of their being all... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 28:42

Verse 42 42.And thou shalt make them linen breeches. Since men, in their natural levity and frowardness, lay hold of the very slightest causes of offense to the disparagement of holy things, and so religion easily sinks into contempt, God here, as a precaution against such a danger, delivers a precept respecting an apparently trivial matter, viz., that the priests should cover their nakedness with breeches. The sum is, that they should conduct themselves chastely and modestly, lest, if anything... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 28:40-42

The priests' attire. The dress of the ordinary priests teaches us— I. THAT NOT ONLY THE CHIEF , BUT THE SUBORDINATE , MINISTERS OF THE SANCTUARY MUST BE CLAD IN HOLINESS . The priests' garments are called "holy," no less than the high priest's ( Exodus 28:4 ). They are almost entirely of fine white linen. The linen drawers denote the need of holiness with respect to sins of the flesh. The linen cap implies purity of thought and imagination. The linen... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 28:40-43

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 28:41

Thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother , etc. These words serve to connect the present chapter with the following one. They contain the first intimation that Moses is not only to cause the holy garments to be made, but to invest the priests in them, and further to consecrate both Aaron and his sons by anointing. On this point, see the comment on Exodus 29:7-9 . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 28:42

Linen breeches . Rather, "linen drawers" (Kalisch), such as we see worn by the Egyptians generally, reaching from the waist to a little above the knee. This also was of linen (Herod. 2.83). Unto the thighs — i.e; to the bottom of the thighs where they adjoin on the knee. read more

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