Exodus 28 - Introduction

The vestmentsof the priests.

The directions for the sanctuary are complete; and provision has next to be made for the vestments and (ch. 29) consecration of the priests who are to serve it. The directions contained in these two Chapter s are founded upon the elaborately developed dress and ceremonial of the Zadokite priesthood of the writer's own day, the original institution of both being referred back to the appointment of Moses himself. Aaron represents the Zadokite high priest of later times; his -sons" represent the ordinary priests. The gorgeous, golden robes of the high priest are described at length: the simpler vestments of the ordinary priests are dismissed in 4 verses (vv.40 43). Limits of space forbid here more than the briefest notice of the history and functions of the Isr. priesthood (see more fully McNeile, p. lxiv ff.; Baudissin's article in DB.iv. 67 ff.; EB.iii. 3837 ff.). The present ch. reflects a late stage in the history of the priesthood. The main prerogatives of the older Isr. priest (JE, Jud., Sam.) were to give tôrâh(p. 161), to obtain Divine oracles by the Urim and Thummim (p. 313), and to pronounce decisions -before God" at a sanctuary (Exodus 22:8-9): no doubt he also offered sacrifice (1 Samuel 2:28), but the right of doing this was by no means at this time restricted to the priests (cf. on Exodus 20:24). A member of the guild (cf. on Exo Exodus 4:14), or tribe, of Levi was preferred as a priest (Judges 17:13). The priests mentioned in Sam. 1 [206] belong all to the line of Eli, who is first connected with Aaron, through Aaron's younger son Ithamar, in 1 Chronicles 24:3 (c.300 b.c.). Abiathar, the last of Eli's line, who had been David's principal priest, was deposed by Solomon; and Zadok was made principal priest in his stead (1 Kings 2:27; 1 Kings 2:35). Zadok's pedigree is not stated in 1 K.: in 1 Chronicles 6:8 &c., he is represented as descended from Aaron's elder son Eleazar. Zadok's descendants continued to hold the first place among the Jerusalem priests, with all the prestige and importance which their connexion with the Temple naturally gave them, throughout the period of the monarchy. Even in the 7th cent., however, Dt. (Deuteronomy 18:6-8) insists upon the right of every -Levite," i.e. of every member of the tribe, to officiate as priest, and draw the emoluments of the priesthood, if he but goes to reside at the central sanctuary 2 [207] : no doubt, however, the exclusiveness of the families established at Jerusalem placed difficulties in the way of this right being practically exercised: and in the end a sharp line of demarcation was drawn between those who were regarded as the full priestly members of the tribe, and those who did not succeed in securing this position: these latter are the -Levites" in P's sense of the term (cf. on Exodus 32:29), i.e. non-priestly members of the tribe. It is noticeable that, while Dt. represents the wholetribe as set apart by Jehovah for priestly functions (Exodus 10:8; cf. ibid.), in P Aaron and his sons are consecrated as priests solely in virtue of their own right: the -Levites" (i.e. the other members of the tribe) are appointed to be their assistants for menial duties only afterwards, Numbers 3:5-39; Numbers 8:5-26. For two striking poetical descriptions of the high priest and his ministrations, see Sir 45:9-22 (Aaron), Sir 50:1-21 (Simon).

[206] Except Zadok (on 2 Samuel 8:17, see DB.s.v.), David's sons (2 Samuel 8:18), a Ira (2 Samuel 20:26).

[207] Dr Orr (Problem of the O. T., p. 191 f.) endeavours in vain, by misunderstanding the plainest Heb. expressions, to escape this conclusion.

On the Ephod

The high priest's Ephod, it is clear, was a decorated garment: but the positionin which it was worn is not clearly stated; and though it has commonly been regarded as worn abovethe waist (like a waistcoat), Moore (EB.ii. 1308), Holz., and esp. E. Sellin in a paper on the ephod in Orient. Studien Theodor Nöldeke zum siebzigsten Geburtstag gewidmet(1906), ii.701 f. (cf. Rashi on Exodus 28:4; Exodus 28:6), argue that it was worn belowthe waist, and was in fact a kind of apron(Moore), or short tightly-fitting skirt: the -band" of the ephod, upon this view, was not at the bottom of the ephod, but at its top, the ephod being suspended from it; and the pouch (which was upon Aaron's -heart") was not uponthe ephod, but likewise aboveit (-alin v.28 being rendered not -upon," but -above"). Sellin urges the terms of v.27 f.; and it is certainly more natural to suppose that the straps ended at the top of the ephod, and that this was the place of the -juncture" spoken of in v.27, than that they were continued on the front, down each side, as the usual explanation requires. Still, neither this nor the other arguments adduced seem to be conclusive. It is true, the priests in Egypt wore round their loins short plain skirts (Erman, p. 296: for illustrations of such skirts, see pp. 59 (209), 62, 204, 205, 207, Perrot and Chipiez, Art in Phoen.ii. 11, 28, 31, 125, 129; cf. Maspero, i. 405, 468 f.): but this does not prove much; for we do not know that the idea of the high priest's ephod was derived from Egypt. (In Perrot and Chipiez's Egyptian Art, i. 247, 302, there are two figures wearing vest-like garments, reaching from the breasts nearly to the knees, with both a band round the waist, and shoulder-straps.)

As regards the notices of the -ephod," the earlier historical books mention (a) a linen ephod, with which Samuel and David are -girt," when performing sacred, if not priestly, offices either a plainlinen -waistcoat" (cf. p. 300), or a short skirtgirt about the waist (cf. the illustrations cited above); (b) an ephod -borne" (not -worn") by priests, valued by them as a distinctive possession (1 Samuel 2:28), and used in some way when Jehovah was consulted by means of the Urim and Thummim (1 Samuel 14:3; 1 Samuel 14:18 LXX. (see RVm.), Exodus 21:9; Exodus 22:18 [omit linenwith LXX.: the ephod is here -borne"; see Kennedy's note], Exodus 23:6; Exodus 23:9; Exodus 30:7); (c) the -ephod" made by Gideon, Judges 8:27; and (d) in conjunction with the oracular (Ezekiel 21:21) -teraphim," Judges 17:5; Judges 18:14; Judges 18:17; Judges 18:20; Hosea 3:4. In 1 Samuel 21:9, (c) and (d) -ephod" has often been taken to be a plated image(cf. the cognate "ăphuddâh, which clearly means the gold casingof an image in Isaiah 30:12): in 1 Samuel 14:3, &c. (b) it is clearly used in some way in obtaining an oracle, and the same is doubtless the case with (d), if not with (c). But though we thus learn the use to which the ephod is put, we do not learn whatthe ephod was. On the whole, however, it seems probable that at least in (b) and (d) the ephod was a more decorated garment than the -linen ephod" (a), worn at this time by the priest in his ordinary ministrations, and was one specially put on by him, as a mark of respect, when consulting the oracle (Sellin, pp. 712, 716; cf. Livy, xxiii. 11). As years went on, the dress of the priests, and especially of the high priest, became more elaborate and ornate; and the high-priestly ephod, as described by P, will be the form which this vestment ultimately assumed. The sacred lots were kept in a pouch attached to the high priest's ephod; it seems probable that this was already the case with the ephod mentioned in (b) and (d). This may explain why in (b) the ephod is spoken of, not as worn, but as -borne": it was not regularly -worn" by the priest; it was carried about by the priest from place to place, especially on a campaign, and only -brought near," and put on, when occasion required: it was not only a garment, but had also attached to it a receptacle for the sacred lots: it thus provided the means of consulting them; and to -bear," or carry, it was a highly prized prerogative of the priests (1 Samuel 2:28; 1 Samuel 22:18). See further DB.and EB.s.v., DB.iv. 840 a, v. 641 f.; Kennedy, Sam.p. 49; Holz., with ill., pp. 135 9; Benzinger, Arch.2 347 f., 359 (a skirt); and esp. Sellin, as cited).