1
“You shall bring your brother Aaron, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, to serve as priests to Me—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
2
You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
3
You shall speak to all who are skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, to make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may serve as priest to Me.
4
These are the garments they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and for his sons, that he may serve as priest to Me.
5
They shall take gold, blue cloth, purple cloth, scarlet cloth, and fine linen.
6
They shall make the ephod of gold, blue cloth, purple cloth, scarlet cloth, and finely twisted linen, the work of a skilled craftsman.
7
It shall have two shoulder pieces joined to it; at its two ends it shall be joined together.
8
The skillfully woven waistband that is on it shall be made like it, of the same workmanship, of gold, blue cloth, purple cloth, scarlet cloth, and finely twisted linen.
9
You shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,
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six of their names on the one stone, and the remaining six names on the other stone, in the order of their birth.
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As a jeweler engraves a seal, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; you shall set them in gold settings.
12
Then you shall place the two stones on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the children of Israel; Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders as a memorial.
13
You shall make gold settings
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and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them of braided cords, and you shall attach the braided chains to the settings.
15
You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skilled craftsman. You shall make it like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue cloth, purple cloth, scarlet cloth, and finely twisted linen you shall make it.
16
It shall be square and folded double, a span in length and a span in width.
17
You shall set it with inset stones, four rows of stones: a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald; this is the first row;
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the second row: a stone of blood-red jasper, lapis lazuli, and green jasper;
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the third row: a stone of amber, agate, and amethyst;
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the fourth row: a stone of turquoise, chrysoprase, and nephrite. They shall be set in gold filigree settings.
21
The stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve in number; and on each stone shall be engraved, like a seal, the name of one of the twelve tribes.
22
You shall also make for the breastpiece braided chains, like cords of pure gold.
23
You shall also make for the breastpiece two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece.
24
You shall put the two braided gold chains on the two rings, at the ends of the breastpiece.
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The other two ends of the two braided chains you shall fasten to the two gold settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, on its front side.
26
You shall make two gold rings and place them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge, facing the ephod.
27
You shall also make two gold rings and attach them to the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the lower part of the front, close to the place where it joins, above the ephod’s sash.
28
Then the breastpiece, with its rings, shall be bound to the rings of the ephod with a dark blue cord, so that it remains above the ephod’s sash, and the breastpiece does not move away from the ephod.
29
Thus Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastpiece of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a continual memorial before the LORD.
30
And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim; they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the LORD. So Aaron shall bear the judgment for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD continually.
31
You shall make the robe of the ephod entirely of dark blue cloth.
32
Its opening shall be in the middle of it; its opening shall have a binding around it, woven work, like the opening of a coat of mail; it shall have an opening so that it may not tear.
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On its hem you shall make pomegranates of dark blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, all around the hem, and between them all around shall be bells of gold,
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so that a golden bell and a pomegranate were always alternating around the hem of the robe.
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Aaron shall wear it when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he enters the holy place before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he may not die.
36
You shall also make a plate of pure gold, and engrave on it, engraved as on a seal: Holy to the LORD.
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You shall fasten it with a cord of dark blue, and it shall be attached to the turban, on the front of the turban.
38
It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the guilt of the holy things that the children of Israel consecrate, even all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that the LORD may accept them.
39
You shall weave the tunic of checkered work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash of woven work in colors.
40
For Aaron’s sons you shall also make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them, and you shall make headbands for them, for glory and for beauty.
41
You shall put all these on your brother Aaron and on his sons with him, and then you shall anoint them, ordain them, and consecrate them, that they may serve as priests to Me.
42
You shall make linen undergarments for them to cover their naked flesh; they shall reach from the waist to the thighs.
43
Aaron and his sons shall wear them when they enter the Tent of Meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. It shall be a perpetual statute for him and for his descendants.”
👔👑🕊️ Summary of Exodus 28 – Holy Garments for the Priests
In Exodus 28, God gives specific instructions concerning the holy garments for Aaron and his sons who will carry out the duties of priests. These garments were designed not only for beauty, but to declare glory and holiness in worship before God.
1. Aaron and His Sons Chosen as Priests (verse 1)
- Aaron and his four sons (Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, Ithamar) were appointed as priests to serve God.
2. The Holy Garments of the High Priest (verses 2–43)
A. The Garments Commanded (verses 2–4)
- Ephod
- Ephod breastpiece
- Robe
- Head covering
- Sash
B. The Ephod and Shoulder Straps (verses 5–14)
- The ephod was made of gold, blue cloth, purple, scarlet, and fine linen.
- On the shoulders were two onyx stones engraved with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel (6 on each stone) — signifying the priest’s burden for the people before the Lord.
C. The Breastpiece of Judgment (verses 15–30)
- Square-shaped, set with 12 precious stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel.
- Inside it were Urim and Thummim for knowing the will of God.
- The priest carried the names of God’s people on his heart when he entered before the Lord.
D. The Robe (verses 31–35)
It was given gold bells and pomegranates made of colored yarn, so that the priest would not die while ministering in the holy place.
E. The Gold Plate (verses 36–38)
On the priest’s forehead was placed a gold plate inscribed “Holy to the LORD”, as a sign that the priest stood representing the people before God.
F. The Garments of Aaron’s Sons (verses 40–43)
- They also wore tunics, sashes, and head coverings.
- Special undergarments were worn to preserve holiness.
- All these commands were to prevent death when drawing near before the Lord.
📖 Main Teaching
- The priest’s duty is holy and serious—it requires preparation, garments, and a right heart.
- The priestly garments are not a symbol of worldly status, but a sign of the glory of God and spiritual responsibility.
- The priest bears the people on his shoulders and in his heart, showing a role of mediation and love.
- Beauty and order in worship reflect the glory and holiness of God.
- Outward and inward purity is the chief requirement in drawing near to God.
✨ Spiritual Meaning
- The High Priest is a shadow of Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest who brings the people before the Father, not with stones and garments, but with His own blood (Hebrews 4:14–16).
- The bells and pomegranates symbolize the balance between testimony and the fruit of life (conduct and service).
- The golden plate, “Holy to the LORD”, emphasizes that all service must be centered on the glory of God, not man.
- We now are spiritual priests (1 Peter 2:9), and our lives must also reflect the holiness and light of Christ.
