Exodus 28 - Introduction
_AARON AND HIS SONS ARE SET APART FOR THE PRIEST'S OFFICE: THE HOLY VESTMENTS FOR THE HIGH-PRIEST, AND THE COMMON ONES FOR THE OTHER PRIESTS, ARE DESCRIBED._ _Before Christ 1491._... [ Continue Reading ]
_AARON AND HIS SONS ARE SET APART FOR THE PRIEST'S OFFICE: THE HOLY VESTMENTS FOR THE HIGH-PRIEST, AND THE COMMON ONES FOR THE OTHER PRIESTS, ARE DESCRIBED._ _Before Christ 1491._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TAKE THOU UNTO THEE AARON THY BROTHER— The house and the more material parts of the furniture being provided, Jehovah next appoints the ministers of that house, and by a solemn consecration sets apart Aaron and his sons. What we read, _that he may minister unto me,_ should certainly be read, acc... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT MAKE HOLY GARMENTS—FOR GLORY AND FOR BEAUTY— _Holy garments,_ or garments separated and set apart for the sole use of the priests, are directed to be made _for glory and for beauty;_ that is, very glorious and beautiful; not only that the high-priest might appear in a manner something wor... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THAT ARE WISE-HEARTED, WHOM I HAVE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM— These two clauses depend one upon the other: the meaning is, _all the wise in heart, whom I have made so, by filling them with the spirit of wisdom. Spirit,_ in the Hebrew, is often used for an affection or quality of the mind;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL TAKE GOLD, AND BLUE, &C.— For a full account of the manner in which these were used, see ch. 39: REFLECTIONS.—The altar being prepared, they who must minister to it are appointed with their robes. 1. Aaron and his sons. His descendants are preferred to Moses's own children. God choo... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EPHOD— The high-priest's garments are first described, the outermost of which was _the ephod_ or _super-humeral;_ which was a kind of close garment or short vest without sleeves, which hung behind upon the back and shoulders, and came down before upon the breast, somewhat in the nature of our he... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CURIOUS GIRDLE OF THE EPHOD— The word rendered _girdle_ here, as many critics have observed, is different from that so rendered in the 4th and 39th verses, and signifies, properly, _texture_ or _embroidery;_ and therefore, both here and in the other places where it occurs, it ought to be so rend... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT TAKE TWO ONYX-STONES— See Genesis 2:12. Moses was to cause the _names_ of the twelve tribes of Israel to be engraved, as letters or devices are cut in a seal, Exodus 28:11 _on two onyx-stones;_ six ranked _according to their seniority_ on each stone, Exodus 28:10 and these _stones_ were _... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BREAST-PLATE OF JUDGEMENT— This _breast-plate of judgement_ was the most superb and important of the high-priest's ornaments. It was called the breast-plate of _judgement,_ because the high-priest wore it upon his breast when he went to ask counsel or judgement of the Lord, Exodus 28:29. The wor... [ Continue Reading ]
GOLD, IN THEIR INCLOSINGS— Hebrew, _fillings._ In the 17th verse it is said, _Thou shalt set in it settings of stones;_ literally, _shalt fill up fillings of stones; i.e_. shalt fill the sockets with stones, or set stones in the sockets or cavities made to receive them; so, ch. Exodus 35:9 _stones t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AARON SHALL BEAR THE NAMES, &C.— See note on Exodus 28:9. _Note;_ 1. Though the holy place of heaven is not yet accessible, yet, our High-Priest bearing our names there, it is our privilege even now to sit with him by faith in heavenly places. 2. The spiritual graces adorning particular saints m... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT PUT IN THE BREAST-PLATE OF JUDGEMENT THE URIM AND THE THUMMIM— _Urim and Thummim, lights_ and _perfections,_ are mentioned here, and in Leviticus 8:8 as _put into the breast-plate_ of the high-priest. That these did, in some manner or other, give prophetical or oracular answers from _Jeho... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ROBE OF THE EPHOD— The _robe of the ephod,_ another part of the high-priest's vestments, is next described; which was long, reaching down to the ancles, in form something like one of the surplices used in our churches, without sleeves, made all of blue woollen cloth, in direct contradiction to t... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT MAKE A PLATE OF PURE GOLD— The word rendered _plate,_ properly signifies _a flower;_ and, probably, this plate was formed with indentations or rays like a flower. It is called in the next chapter, Exodus 28:6. נזר _nezer, a crown,_ a mark of separation, or distinguished dignity, either pr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT EMBROIDER THE COAT OF FINE LINEN— This was the inmost of the vestments, which reached down to the heels, with sleeves to the wrists. The _girdle_ or _sash_ was used to gird the priest's coat close to him, which was tucked up also in the girdle when he officiated, that it might not enc... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BONNETS— These _bonnets_ or _mitres_ were to be of linen, like the high-priests; differing only in this, that they wore no plate of gold upon them. Josephus, however, says, that the _high-priest's mitre_ had a _purple_ cover over it. See Antiq. b. 3: ch. 7.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL BE UPON AARON AND UPON HIS SONS— They, that is, all the sacerdotal vestments as above described, shall, on pain of death, be worn always during the time of their ministrations; but at no other time, and in no other place. See Ezekiel 42:14; Ezekiel 44:19. Hence some account for St. Paul's... [ Continue Reading ]