BIBLE CHAPTER STUDY
Exodus 28 — The Priestly Garments and Ordination
Exodus 28 records God's instructions for the priestly vestments of Aaron and his sons, including the ephod, the twelve-stone breastplate of judgment holding the Urim and Thummim, and the gold plate inscribed 'Holy to Jehovah.'
Scripture
1And bring thou near unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
2And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty.
3And thou shalt speak unto all that 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 unto me in the priest's office.
4And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of checker work, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
5And they shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.
6And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skilful workman.
7It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined to the two ends thereof, that it may be joined together.
8And the skilfully woven band, which is upon it, wherewith to gird it on, shall be like the work thereof and of the same piece; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
10six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, according to their birth.
11With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones, according to the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be inclosed in settings of gold.
12And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before Jehovah upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
13And thou shalt make settings of gold,
14and two chains of pure gold; like cords shalt thou make them, of wreathen work: and thou shalt put the wreathen chains on the settings.
15And thou shalt make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skilful workman; like the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
16Foursquare it shall be and double; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof.
17And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row;
18and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;
19and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
20and the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be inclosed in gold in their settings.
21And the stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, every one according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes.
22And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains like cords, of wreathen work of pure gold.
23And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
24And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.
25And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod in the forepart thereof.
26And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate, upon the edge thereof, which is toward the side of the ephod inward.
27And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and shalt put them on the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod underneath, in the forepart thereof, close by the coupling thereof, above the skilfully woven band of the ephod.
28And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be upon the skilfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
29And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before Jehovah continually.
30And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before Jehovah: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before Jehovah continually.
31And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
32And it shall have a hole for the head in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of a coat of mail, that it be not rent.
33And upon the skirts of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the skirts thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
34a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about.
35And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and the sound thereof shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before Jehovah, and when he cometh out, that he die not.
36And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLY TO JEHOVAH.
37And thou shalt put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
38And it shall be upon 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 upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before Jehovah.
39And thou shalt weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and thou shalt make a mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make a girdle, the work of the embroiderer.
40And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and head-tires shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
41And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and upon his sons with him, and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
42And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
43and they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they go in unto the tent of meeting, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and unto his seed after him.
What this passage means
The chapter centers on the separation of a priestly family from the rest of Israel. Aaron and his four sons are named (Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, Ithamar) and brought near to serve as priests, establishing a hereditary office that mediates between the people and the presence of God.
The garments themselves are described as 'holy garments ... for glory and for beauty,' crafted by Spirit-filled artisans. Each piece — the ephod with onyx stones bearing the tribes' names, the square breastplate holding twelve precious stones representing the twelve tribes, and the Urim and Thummim placed upon the high priest's heart — visualizes the priest carrying the people before God in judgment, remembrance, and representation.
The chapter closes with the golden plate inscribed 'HOLY TO JEHOVAH' worn on the turban, which bears the people's iniquity in holy gifts so they may be accepted. Bells on the robe, linen breeches, and the anointing and consecration of the priesthood frame the entire passage around the requirement that holiness be both worn and borne by the one who stands before God.
Context
The chapter is set during the instructions given at Sinai after the laws of the tabernacle (Exodus 25–27). It transitions from the construction of the sanctuary to the consecration of those who will serve within it, and is immediately followed by further ordination procedures in Exodus 29. The text repeatedly names the materials — gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen — which match the tabernacle fabric described in prior chapters.
Within the chapter, the placement of the twelve tribal names is emphasized three times: on the two onyx stones on the ephod's shoulders (vv. 9–12), on the twelve stones of the breastplate (vv. 17–21), and on Aaron's heart whenever he enters the holy place (vv. 29–30). The Urim and Thummim, placed inside the breastplate, are not defined in this chapter but are referenced later as the means by which priestly decisions are sought (cf. Numbers 27:21). The text does not provide external background on who these named individuals were outside of their priestly role.
Key words in the original
- H3547 The Hebrew root כהן (kāhan) means 'to serve as priest' or 'to officiate as a priest.' In verse 1 it is used to describe Aaron and his sons being brought near to minister in the priest's office, framing the entire chapter around priestly service rather than a generic religious function.
- H6944 The term קֹדֶשׁ (qōdeš) appears in verse 2 in the phrase 'holy garments' (בִגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ). The root denotes a sacred separation or consecrated status, indicating that the garments are not merely decorative but set apart for use in approaching God.
- H6213 The verb עָשָׂה (ʿāśāh, 'to do/make') recurs throughout Exodus 28 as the standard term for the artisans' work of producing the priestly garments (e.g., vv. 2, 4, 6). Its breadth — 'to do or make in the widest application' — encompasses both the construction of the ephod and the weaving of the simpler linen coat.
Related verses
- Leviticus 8:8 Leviticus 8:8 records the fulfillment of Exodus 28's command: Moses placed the breastplate upon Aaron and put the Urim and the Thummim inside it, showing that the instructions given here were carried out at the priestly ordination.
- Numbers 27:21 Numbers 27:21 shows the practical use of the Urim placed in the breastplate: Joshua and the congregation would 'go out and come in' at the word sought through Eleazar the priest, demonstrating how the high priest carried the judgment of Israel before Jehovah.
- Leviticus 8:30 Leviticus 8:30 describes Moses sprinkling the anointing oil and altar blood upon Aaron, his garments, his sons, and their garments, sanctifying them together. This fulfills Exodus 28:41's command to anoint and consecrate the priesthood, linking the making of the garments to the full ritual of ordination.
Common questions
Who are the four sons of Aaron named in Exodus 28:1?
Verse 1 names Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar as the sons of Aaron who are to be brought near with him to minister as priests. The chapter does not provide further details about them beyond their priestly appointment.
What are the Urim and the Thummim mentioned in Exodus 28:30?
Exodus 28:30 instructs that the Urim and the Thummim be placed inside the breastplate of judgment upon Aaron's heart when he goes in before Jehovah, but the chapter itself does not define what they are. Later passages (e.g., Numbers 27:21) refer to inquiring of the Urim for decisions, indicating their role as a means of seeking divine guidance.
What is inscribed on the golden plate worn by the high priest?
According to verse 36, the golden plate is engraved with the inscription 'HOLY TO JEHOVAH' (like the engravings of a signet). It is tied with a blue cord to the front of the turban, so that it is always upon Aaron's forehead to bear the iniquity of the holy things the Israelites hallow (v. 38).