Exodus 28

The Priestly Garments

¹“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: Aaron, with Nadab, 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.

⁴These 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.

⁵They shall use the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.

The Ephod

⁶“They 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.

⁹You 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 names of the six that remain 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, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel. Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for a memorial.

¹³You shall make settings of gold,

¹⁴and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them like cords of braided work. You shall put the braided chains on the settings.

The Breastpiece

¹⁵“You shall make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it; of gold, of 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.

²²You shall make on the breastplate chains like cords, 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 its forepart.

²⁶You 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 its forepart, 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 swing out from the ephod.

²⁹Aaron 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 the LORD continually.

³⁰You shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel on his heart before the LORD continually.

Other Priestly Vestments

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, as it were 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; with bells of gold between and around them:

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 the LORD, 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 THE LORD.’

³⁷You shall put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be on the sash. It shall be on the 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 make holy in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

³⁹You 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. You shall make sashes for them. 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.

⁴²You shall make them linen pants to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the waist even to the thighs.

⁴³They shall be on Aaron and on his sons, when they go in to 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. This shall be a statute forever to him and to his offspring after him.

Previous Exodus 27

Next Exodus 29

God commands Moses to consecrate Aaron and his sons as priests and provides detailed instructions for crafting their sacred vestments. The elaborate priestly garments—including the ephod with engraved stones bearing the names of Israel's twelve tribes and the jeweled breastpiece—symbolize the priests' role as mediators between God and His people. These holy garments serve both functional and symbolic purposes, representing the beauty, dignity, and sacred responsibility of the priesthood.

Context

Following the tabernacle construction plans in chapters 25-27, this chapter establishes the priesthood that will serve in that sacred space.

Key Themes

Outline

1-5
Consecration and Overview of Priestly Garments God designates Aaron and his sons as priests and commands the creation of holy garments for glory and beauty.
6-14
The Ephod with Memorial Stones Detailed instructions for crafting the ephod with onyx stones engraved with the names of Israel's twelve tribes.
15-30
The Breastpiece of Judgment Specifications for the square breastpiece with twelve precious stones representing the tribes and containing the Urim and Thummim.
31-43
Additional Priestly Vestments Instructions for the robe, golden plate, turban, tunics, sashes, and undergarments to complete the sacred wardrobe.

The Priestly Garments

28:1–28:5

law instruction solemn

God commands Moses to bring Aaron and his sons near to serve as priests and to make holy garments for them. The passage establishes the priestly calling and describes the sacred vestments that will set apart Aaron's family for divine service.

person_contrast

Aaron transforms from Moses' spokesperson into God's chosen high priest, marking the only passage where divine selection explicitly grants him independent religious authority rather than supporting Moses.

The Ephod

28:6–28:14

law instruction solemn

Detailed instructions for making the ephod, a sacred vestment with onyx stones bearing the names of Israel's twelve tribes. Aaron will bear the names of the children of Israel before the Lord as a memorial on his shoulders.

person_contrast

Aaron transforms from Moses' spokesperson into Israel's living memorial, literally shouldering the nation's identity through engraved stones that make him a walking embodiment of God's chosen people.

The Breastpiece

28:15–28:30

law instruction solemn

Instructions for creating the breastplate of judgment with twelve precious stones representing the tribes of Israel. Aaron will bear the names of Israel's children on his heart when entering the holy place before the Lord.

person_contrast

Aaron's breastplate transforms him from mere ritual performer into judicial representative, as the Hebrew "mishpat" (judgment) appears here uniquely linked to his intercessory role bearing Israel's tribal names.

Other Priestly Vestments

28:31–28:43

law instruction solemn

Instructions for additional priestly garments including the blue robe with bells and pomegranates, and a gold plate inscribed 'HOLY TO THE LORD.' These vestments ensure proper approach to God and bear the iniquity of holy offerings.

person_contrast

Aaron's golden headplate bearing "HOLY TO THE LORD" uniquely transforms him from law-receiver into sin-bearer, making him responsible for Israel's ritual failures rather than merely following divine commands.

Insight Character Study

Aaron transforms from Moses' spokesperson into Israel's living memorial, literally shouldering the nation's identity through engraved stones that make him a walking embodiment of God's chosen people.

Insight Character Study