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The Priests and Their Vestments

28 Bring Aaron your brother near to you from among the people of Israel, and his sons with him, so that he may minister to me in the priest’s office. Bring Aaron and Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother to give him honor and splendor. Speak to all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom,[a] so that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, so that he may minister to me in the priest’s office. These are the garments which they shall make: a chest pouch, a special vest, a robe, a specially woven tunic, a turban, and a sash.[b] They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and for his sons, so that he may minister to me in the priest’s office. The craftsmen shall use the gold, and the blue, purple, and scarlet material, and the fine linen.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 28:3 Wisdom in this context refers to practical artistic skill.
  2. Exodus 28:4 These terms are difficult to translate. The piece of clothing to be worn on the chest (hoshen) was a folded pouch. The ephod was a vest-like garment. Some sources say that a robe (me’il) is a long outer garment and a tunic (ketonet) is a shorter, knee-length undergarment. But it is clear that in this case the robe, which was worn directly under the vest, was shorter, and the tunic, which was worn against the skin, would hang down below the robe. The term translated specially woven is of uncertain meaning. It may refer to a special pattern. The headdress is called a turban because the Hebrew verb used to describe putting it on means wrap.

Instructions for Making Garments for Priests

28 “And bring near to you Aaron, your brother, and his sons with him from the midst of the Israelites[a] to serve as priests for me—Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron. And you will make holy garments[b] for Aaron, your brother, for glory and for splendor.[c] And you will speak to all the skilled of heart, whom I have given a gift of skill,[d] and they will make the garments of Aaron to consecrate him for his serving as my priest. And these are the garments that they will make: A breast piece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of specially woven fabric,[e] a turban and a sash. And they will make holy garments[f] for Aaron your brother, and for his sons to serve as priests for me.

“And they will take the gold and the blue and the purple and the crimson yarns and the fine linen,

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 28:1 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  2. Exodus 28:2 Or “garments of holiness”
  3. Exodus 28:2 Or “beauty”
  4. Exodus 28:3 Literally “a spirit of wisdom”
  5. Exodus 28:4 Precisely what kind of fabric this was is debated
  6. Exodus 28:4 Or “garments of holiness”