Exodus 28 · WEB
The Priestly Garments
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"Bring Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, near to you from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
2You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
3You shall speak to all who are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to sanctify him, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.
4"These are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a fitted tunic, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.
5"They shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.
6They shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skillful workman.
7It shall have two shoulder straps joined to the two ends of it, that it may be joined together.
8The skillfully woven band, which is on it, shall be like its work and of the same piece; of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9"You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the children of Israel:
10six of their names on the one stone, and the six names of the rest on the other stone, in the order of their birth.
11With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones, according to the names of the children of Israel. You shall make them to be enclosed in settings of gold.
12You shall put the two stones on the shoulder straps of the ephod, as stones of memorial for the children of Israel. Aaron shall bear their names before Yahweh on his two shoulders for a memorial.
13"You shall make settings of gold,
14and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them of braided work. You shall put the braided chains on the settings.
15"You shall make the breastplate of judgment, the work of a skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, you shall make it.
16It shall be square and folded double; a span shall be its length, and a span its width.
17You shall set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a row of ruby, topaz, and beryl shall be the first row;
18and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald;
19and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
20and the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be enclosed in gold in their settings.
21The stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, everyone according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes.
22"You shall make on the breastplate chains of braided work of pure gold.
23You shall make on the breastplate two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
24You shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.
25The other two ends of the two braided chains you shall put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front of it.
26"You shall make two rings of gold, and you shall put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on its edge, which is toward the side of the ephod inward.
27You shall make two rings of gold, and shall put them on the two shoulder straps of the ephod underneath, in the front of it, close by its coupling, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.
28They shall bind the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate may not be loosed from the ephod.
29"Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart when he goes in to the holy place, for a memorial before Yahweh continually.
30You shall put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastplate of judgment; and they shall be on Aaron's heart when he goes in before Yahweh. Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel on his heart before Yahweh continually.
31"You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
32It shall have a hole for the head in the middle of it. It shall have a binding of woven work around its hole, like the hole of a coat of mail, that it not be torn.
33On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, all around its hem; and bells of gold between them all around:
34a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe.
35It shall be on Aaron to minister; and its sound shall be heard when he goes in to the holy place before Yahweh and when he comes out, that he not die.
36"You shall make a plate of pure gold, and engrave on it, like the engravings of a signet, 'HOLY TO YAHWEH.'
37You shall put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be on the sash; it shall be in front of the sash.
38It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always on his forehead, that they may be accepted before Yahweh.
39"You shall weave the tunic with fine linen. You shall make a turban of fine linen. You shall make a sash, the work of the embroiderer.
40"You shall make tunics for Aaron's sons, and you shall make sashes for them, and you shall make headbands for them, for glory and for beauty.
41You shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest's office.
42"You shall make them linen breeches to cover their naked flesh; from the waist even to the thighs they shall reach.
43They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place, that they don't bear iniquity and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him."
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Summary
God appoints Aaron and his four sons as priests and commands elaborate garments "for glory and for beauty." The high priestly vestments are described in detail: the ephod (a decorative apron of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and linen) with two onyx shoulder pieces engraved with Israel's twelve tribe names; the breastplate of judgment set with twelve gemstones (one per tribe) and housing the Urim and Thummim for divine guidance; the blue robe with golden bells and pomegranates on the hem; and the golden plate engraved "HOLY TO YAHWEH" worn on the forehead. Aaron literally carries the names of Israel's tribes on his shoulders and heart before God.
Themes
- Priestly intercession: the high priest carries Israel before God on his body
- Holiness as God's standard — the priest mediates the gap
- Beauty in worship: garments "for glory and for beauty"
- The high priest as a type of Christ our great High Priest
Key verses
- Ex 28:12 — “Aaron shall bear their names before Yahweh on his two shoulders for a memorial.”
- Ex 28:29-30 — “Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart… Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel on his heart before Yahweh continually.”
- Ex 28:36,38 — “HOLY TO YAHWEH… Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things.”
Context & background
The high priest's garments were the most elaborate clothing in the ancient world, combining precious metals, gemstones, and fine textile work. The Urim and Thummim (v. 30) were objects placed in the breastplate used to determine God's will in specific situations — their exact nature is unknown but they likely functioned as lots. The inscription "HOLY TO YAHWEH" on the golden plate bore the consecration of the entire sacrificial system — the priest bore Israel's failures before a holy God. The New Testament interprets Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of the high priestly role: he carries his people before the Father not on stones but in his own person (Hebrews 7-9).
Cross-references
- Hebrews 4:14-16 — Jesus as our "great high priest" who sympathizes with our weakness and gives us access to the throne of grace.
- Hebrews 7:24-25 — Jesus "always lives to make intercession" for us — permanently fulfilling what Aaron did in entering the Holy of Holies once a year.
- Revelation 21:19-20 — The twelve foundation stones of the New Jerusalem echo the twelve gemstones on Aaron's breastplate.
- Romans 8:34 — Christ "intercedes for us" at the right hand of God — the perpetual high-priestly ministry fulfilled in Christ.