Êxodo 28

BLIVRE · Chapter 28/40

1E tu aproxima a ti a Arão teu irmão, e a seus filhos consigo, dentre os filhos de Israel, para que sejam meus sacerdotes; a Arão, Nadabe e Abiú, Eleazar e Itamar, filhos de Arão.

2E farás vestimentas sagradas a Arão teu irmão, para honra e formosura.

3E tu falarás a todos os sábios de coração, aos quais eu enchi de espírito de sabedoria; a fim de que façam as roupas de Arão, para consagrar-lhe a que me sirva de sacerdote.

4As vestimentas que farão são estes: o peitoral, e o éfode, e o manto, e a túnica bordada, a mitra, e o cinturão. Façam, pois, as sagradas vestimentas a Arão teu irmão, e a seus filhos, para que sejam meus sacerdotes.

5Tomarão ouro, e azul, e púrpura, e carmesim, e linho torcido.

6E farão o éfode de ouro e azul, e púrpura, e carmesim, e linho torcido de obra de bordador.

7Terá duas ombreiras que se juntem a seus dois lados, e se juntará.

8E o artifício de seu cinto que está sobre ele, será de sua mesma obra, do mesmo; de ouro, azul, e púrpura, e carmesim, e linho torcido.

9E tomarás duas pedras de ônix, e gravarás nelas os nomes dos filhos de Israel:

10Os seis de seus nomes em uma pedra, e os outros seis nomes na outra pedra, conforme o nascimento deles.

11De obra de escultor em pedra a modo de gravuras de selo, farás gravar aquelas duas pedras com os nomes dos filhos de Israel; farás para eles ao redor engastes de ouro.

12E porás aquelas duas pedras sobre os ombros do éfode, para pedras de memória aos filhos de Israel; e Arão levará os nomes deles diante do SENHOR em seus dois ombros por memória.

13Farás, pois, engastes de ouro,

14E duas correntinhas de ouro fino; as quais farás de feitura de trança; e fixarás as correntes de feitura de trança nos engastes.

15Farás também o peitoral do juízo de primorosa obra, lhe farás conforme a obra do éfode, de ouro, e azul, e púrpura, e carmesim, e linho torcido.

16Será quadrado e duplo, de um palmo de comprimento e um palmo de largura:

17E o encherás de pedrarias com quatro ordens de pedras: uma ordem de uma pedra sárdio, um topázio, e um carbúnculo; será a primeira ordem;

18A segunda ordem, uma esmeralda, uma safira, e um diamante;

19A terceira ordem, um rubi, uma ágata, e uma ametista;

20E a quarta ordem, um berilo, um ônix, e um jaspe: estarão engastadas em ouro em seus encaixes.

21E serão aquelas pedra segundo os nomes dos filhos de Israel, doze segundo seus nomes; como gravuras de selo cada uma com seu nome, virão a ser segundo as doze tribos.

22Farás também no peitoral correntes de feitura de tranças de ouro fino.

23E farás no peitoral dois anéis de ouro, os quais dois anéis porás às duas pontas do peitoral.

24E porás as duas tranças de ouro nos dois anéis às duas pontas do peitoral:

25E as duas extremidades das duas tranças sobre os dois engastes, e as porás aos lados do éfode na parte dianteira.

26Farás também dois anéis de ouro, os quais porás às duas pontas do peitoral, em sua orla que está ao lado do éfode da parte de dentro.

27Farás também dois anéis de ouro, os quais porás aos dois lados do éfode abaixo na parte dianteira, diante de sua juntura sobre o cinto do éfode.

28E juntarão o peitoral com seus anéis aos anéis do éfode com um cordão de azul, para que esteja sobre o cinto do éfode, e não se separe o peitoral do éfode.

29E levará Arão os nomes dos filhos de Israel no peitoral do juízo sobre seu coração, quando entrar no santuário, para memória diante do SENHOR continuamente.

30E porás no peitoral do juízo Urim e Tumim, para que estejam sobre o coração de Arão quando entrar diante do SENHOR: e levará sempre Arão o juízo dos filhos de Israel sobre seu coração diante do SENHOR.

31Farás o manto do éfode todo de material azul:

32E em meio dele por acima haverá uma abertura, a qual terá uma borda ao redor de obra de tecelão, como a abertura de um colarinho, para que não se rompa.

33E abaixo em suas orlas farás romãs de material azul, e púrpura, e carmesim, por suas bordas ao redor; e entre elas sinos de ouro ao redor.

34Um sino de ouro e uma granada, sino de ouro e granada, pelas orlas do manto ao redor.

35E estará sobre Arão quando ministrar; e se ouvirá seu som quando ele entrar no santuário diante do SENHOR e quando sair, porque não morra.

36Farás também uma prancha de ouro fino, e gravarás nela gravura de selo, SANTIDADE AO SENHOR.

37E a porás com um cordão de azul, e estará sobre a mitra; pela frente anterior da mitra estará.

38E estará sobre a testa de Arão: e levará Arão o pecado das coisas santas, que os filhos de Israel houverem consagrado em todas as suas santas ofertas; e sobre sua testa estará continuamente para que tenham favor diante do SENHOR.

39E bordarás uma túnica de linho, e farás uma mitra de linho; farás também um cinto de obra de bordador.

40E para os filhos de Arão farás túnicas; também lhes farás cintos, e lhes formarás tiaras para honra e adorno.

41E com eles vestirás a Arão teu irmão, e a seus filhos com ele: e os ungirás, e os consagrarás, e santificarás, para que sejam meus sacerdotes.

42E lhes farás calções de linho para cobrir a carne vergonhosa; serão desde os lombos até as coxas:

43E estarão sobre Arão e sobre seus filhos quando entrarem no tabernáculo de testemunho, ou quando se achegarem ao altar para servir no santuário, para que não levem pecado, e morram. Estatuto perpétuo para ele, e para sua semente depois dele.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The sacred garments that Aaron and his sons would wear as priests are described in detail, including the ephod, the breastplate with twelve precious stones representing the tribes of Israel, and the gold plate inscribed 'Holiness to the Lord.'

Explanation

This chapter sets out the high priest's garments in rich detail, each element carrying profound symbolic meaning. The breastplate, engraved with twelve precious stones bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, meant that Aaron literally carried the whole people 'upon his heart' whenever he entered God's presence, a powerful image of priestly representation and intercession. The gold plate on his forehead, engraved with the words 'Holiness to the Lord,' allowed the priest himself to 'bear the iniquity of the holy things' offered by the people, ensuring their acceptance before God despite the inevitable imperfections of human rites. The Urim and Thummim, briefly mentioned (v. 30), were objects used to discern God's will in important decisions, though their exact form remains uncertain to this day. This entire set of garments shows that mediating between God and the people demanded careful preparation, visible dignity, and deep spiritual responsibility.

Fun facts

  • The twelve precious stones of the breastplate, each representing a tribe of Israel, are taken up symbolically again in the book of Revelation (21:19-20), where twelve similar precious stones form the foundations of the New Jerusalem, linking this ancient priestly symbol to a prophetic vision of the end of the age.
  • The exact meaning of the Urim and Thummim (v. 30), used to seek divine guidance in important decisions, is still debated by scholars today, with no consensus on their exact physical form, though their use is mentioned in other texts such as Numbers 27:21 and 1 Samuel 28:6, showing their continued importance in Israel's religious life.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Êxodo 28:1Here begins the appointment of Aaron, Moses’s brother, and his sons to the office of priests, the only ones authorized to carry out the rituals inside the tabernacle. From this point on, the priesthood in Israel would be restricted to this family, Aaron’s descendants.
  2. Êxodo 28:2The high priest’s garments were not ordinary clothes: they had to convey dignity and beauty, visually marking the difference between Aaron and the rest of the people.
  3. Êxodo 28:3Making these garments was the task of especially skilled craftsmen, described as having received that talent directly from God.
  4. Êxodo 28:4Lists the six main pieces of the priestly garb: breastplate, ephod, robe, embroidered tunic, turban, and sash, each detailed in the following verses.
  5. Êxodo 28:5The same materials used in building the tabernacle, gold and the colored fabrics, also made up the priestly garments, linking the priest to the sanctuary itself.
  6. Êxodo 28:6The ephod, a kind of vest, was the most elaborate piece, woven with threads of gold interlaced with the colored fabrics and fine linen.
  7. Êxodo 28:7Two shoulder straps connected the front and back of the ephod, joining the piece into a single structure.
  8. Êxodo 28:8The ephod’s waistband, made with the same materials and technique as the main piece, held the vest firmly to the priest’s body.
  9. Êxodo 28:9Two precious stones were to be engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, a piece that symbolically carried the whole people.
  10. Êxodo 28:10The twelve names were divided equally between the two stones, six on each side, probably following the birth order of Jacob’s sons.
  11. Êxodo 28:11The engraving on the stones followed the technique used for personal identification seals, common in the ancient world, and each stone was framed in gold.
  12. Êxodo 28:12Two precious stones, one on each shoulder of the priestly vest (the ephod), bore the engraved names of the twelve tribes of Israel, six on each stone. The idea was that, on entering the sanctuary to serve, Aaron would literally carry the whole people on his shoulders before God.
  13. Êxodo 28:13Gold settings were to be prepared specifically to fix these engraved stones on the shoulders of the ephod.
  14. Êxodo 28:14Chains of pure gold, braided like interwoven threads, fastened the stones to the settings on the shoulders of the piece.
  15. Êxodo 28:15The “breastplate of judgment” was a square piece of embroidered fabric, fastened over the high priest’s chest, with twelve precious stones, one for each tribe. It was called “of judgment” because it also held the Urim and the Thummim, used to seek decisions in God’s name.
  16. Êxodo 28:16The breastplate was square and folded in half, forming a kind of pouch, about 9 inches on each side.
  17. Êxodo 28:17The breastplate’s first row of precious stones included sardius, topaz, and carbuncle, each representing one of the twelve tribes.
  18. Êxodo 28:18The second row carried emerald, sapphire, and diamond, continuing the sequence of twelve different stones.
  19. Êxodo 28:19The third row included ligure, agate, and amethyst, keeping the pattern of three stones per row.
  20. Êxodo 28:20The fourth and final row carried beryl, onyx, and jasper, completing the twelve precious stones set in gold.
  21. Êxodo 28:21Each of the twelve stones bore the engraved name of a tribe of Israel, like a personal seal, reinforcing the same symbolic idea as the shoulder stones.
  22. Êxodo 28:22The breastplate also received chains of braided gold, following the same technique used for the chains on the ephod’s shoulders.
  23. Êxodo 28:23Two gold rings at the breastplate’s upper corners served as attachment points to fasten the piece to the rest of the garb.
  24. Êxodo 28:24The braided gold chains passed through these two rings, connecting the breastplate to the ephod’s structure.
  25. Êxodo 28:25The other ends of these chains were fastened to the shoulder-stone settings, on the front of the ephod.
  26. Êxodo 28:26Two more gold rings, placed at the bottom of the breastplate, held the piece more firmly against the body, on the inner side of the ephod.
  27. Êxodo 28:27Two more rings, placed at the bottom of the ephod’s shoulder straps, near the waistband, completed the breastplate’s fastening system.
  28. Êxodo 28:28A blue cord tied the breastplate’s rings to the ephod’s rings, ensuring the piece would never come loose or swing during the priestly service.
  29. Êxodo 28:29Whenever he entered the sanctuary, Aaron would symbolically carry the names of the whole people of Israel close to his heart, through the breastplate.
  30. Êxodo 28:30The Urim and the Thummim were two objects, with no exact description in the Bible of their shape, kept inside the high priest’s breastplate and used as a kind of sacred lot to seek answers from God on important decisions. The text does not explain how they worked in practice, only that they stayed with the breastplate, near Aaron’s heart.
  31. Êxodo 28:31The robe worn underneath the ephod was made entirely of a single blue fabric, without the mix of colors seen in the other pieces.
  32. Êxodo 28:32The robe’s head opening had a reinforced, woven border, similar to the collar of a coat of mail, to keep the fabric from tearing with use.
  33. Êxodo 28:33Along the hem of the high priest’s robe, small pomegranate-shaped ornaments (the fruit) alternated with little gold bells. It was a decorative detail, but it also had a practical function, explained in the next verse.
  34. Êxodo 28:34All around the hem of the robe, embroidered pomegranates and gold bells alternated continuously, a decorative pattern whose function is explained in verse 35.
  35. Êxodo 28:35The sound of the bells signaled that the priest was moving through the sacred space while carrying out the ritual correctly. The rule treated entering the sanctuary without following the procedures as something risky; the constant sound was, in a way, a guarantee that everything was being done as it should.
  36. Êxodo 28:36A small plate of pure gold, engraved like a seal, bore the inscription ‘HOLINESS TO THE LORD,’ the most visible piece identifying the priestly office.
  37. Êxodo 28:37This plate was tied with a blue cord to the front of the high priest’s turban, staying clearly visible on his forehead.
  38. Êxodo 28:38This plate’s function was spiritual: it represented Aaron’s intercession, covering any imperfection in the holy offerings brought by the people.
  39. Êxodo 28:39The inner tunic and the turban were made of plain fine linen, while the sash received a more elaborate embroidered finish.
  40. Êxodo 28:40Aaron’s sons, the ordinary priests, also received garments of their own, simpler than the high priest’s, but still dignified and ornamented.
  41. Êxodo 28:41The consecration ceremony included putting on these clothes, anointing with oil, and formally setting apart Aaron and his sons for priestly service.
  42. Êxodo 28:42This undergarment was required specifically to keep the priests from being physically exposed while climbing the altar’s steps during the rituals, as the next verse makes clear. It was a practical requirement of decency within the sacred service.
  43. Êxodo 28:43These garments, including the linen breeches already mentioned, were mandatory during any service in the sanctuary, on pain of severe punishment.

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