Exodus 28:5

28:1-5 Hitherto the heads of families were the priests, and offered sacrifices; but now this office was confined to the family of Aaron only; and so continued till the gospel dispensation. The holy garments not only distinguished the priests from the people, but were emblems of that holy conduct which should ever be the glory and beauty, the mark of the ministers of religion, without which their persons and ministrations will be had in contempt. They also typified the glory of the Divine majesty, and the beauty of complete holiness, which rendered Jesus Christ the great High Priest. But our adorning under the gospel, is not to be of gold and costly array, but the garments of salvation, the robe of righteousness.

And they shall take,.... The Targum of Jonathan adds, out of their substance; that is, those that were wise hearted, and had knowledge and skill in making such garments; these were to take, not out of their own personal substance, but they were to take or receive from Moses what the people freely offered for such service, Exodus 36:3 , gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen; pieces of gold, which they beat into thin plates, and drew into wires, and which they worked into stuffs, woollen or linen, or both, of the colours here mentioned; all which were made use of in the ephod, girdle, breastplate, &c. see Exodus 39:3 and had a mystical significance in them.

(5) They shall take gold, and blue. —Heb., the gold and the blue, &c.—i.e., they (the wise-hearted men of Exodus 28:3 ) shall receive (from Moses) the (necessary) gold, blue, &c., for the construction of the vestments. It is to be noted that the materials are the same as those employed for the vail and curtains of the sanctuary ( Exodus 26:1 ; Exodus 26:31 ; Exodus 26:36 ), but with the further addition of gold and precious stones ( Exodus 28:9 ; Exodus 28:17-21 ).

With the exception of the gold, the materials were the same as those of the tabernacle-cloth, the veil of the tabernacle and the entrance-curtain of the tent Exodus 26:1 , Exodus 26:31 , Exodus 26:36 ; Exodus 25:4 . The gold was made into thin flat wires which could either be woven with the woolen and linen threads, or worked with the needle. In regard to the mixture of linen and woollen threads in the High priest's dress, see Leviticus 19:19 .

Verse 5. - The materials for the priestly garments were to be limited to six - precious stones, which are not here mentioned, as being ornamental, rather than essential, parts of the apparel; a blue thread, known as "blue" (compare Exodus 25:4 ); a purple or crimson one, known as "purple;" a scarlet one, known as "scarlet;" and a white one, which is called "fine linen." These were the same materials as those used for the veil ( Exodus 26:31 ), and curtains ( ib , 1, 36) of the sanctuary; but probably the fabric was of a more delicate quality. They shall take - i.e. ," They," the wise-hearted men to whom the work was to be entrusted - "shall take," or receive from Moses - "the (necessary) gold, blue, purple," etc. In the original all these words have the definite article prefixed. The Ephod , Exodus 28:5

5 . the gold , &c.] mentioned above in Exodus 25:3-4 . 6–12 (cf. Exodus 39:2-7 ). The ephod . The ‘ephod’ (which, to judge from Isaiah 30:22 . Heb., will have signified a closely-fitting covering), according to the ordinary view (for another, see p. 312), was a kind of waistcoat , consisting of an oblong piece of richly variegated material, the ‘work of the designer,’ bound round the body under the arms, and reaching down as far, apparently, as the waist. It was supported by two ‘shoulder-pieces’ (Heb. shoulders ), i.e. probably two broad flaps or straps passing, like braces, over the shoulders, and attached to the ephod in front and behind: on the top of each of these shoulder-straps was an onyx-stone, enclosed in a filigree setting of gold, and engraved with the names of six of the tribes of Israel. Round the body the ephod was further held in its place by a band woven in one piece with it, but perhaps of a different pattern, probably forming a border at its lower edge, and passing closely round the waist. The ephod was worn over a long blue ‘robe,’ described in vv. 31–5.

2-5. holy garments—No inherent holiness belonged either to the material or the workmanship. But they are called "holy" simply because they were not worn on ordinary occasions, but assumed in the discharge of the sacred functions (Eze 44:19). for glory and for beauty—It was a grand and sumptuous attire. In material, elaborate embroidery, and color, it had an imposing splendor. The tabernacle being adapted to the infantine aid of the church, it was right and necessary that the priests' garments should be of such superb and dazzling appearance, that the people might be inspired with a due respect for the ministers as well as the rites of religion. But they had also a further meaning; for being all made of linen, they were symbolical of the truth, purity, and other qualities in Christ that rendered Him such a high priest as became us.

(cf. Exodus 39:1-31 ). Appointment and Clothing of the Priests. - Exodus 28:1 , Exodus 28:5 . "Let Aaron thy brother draw near to thee from among the children of Israel, and his sons with him, that he may be a priest to Me." Moses is distinguished from the people as the mediator of the covenant. Hence he was to cause Aaron and his sons to come to him, i.e., to separate them from the people, and install them as priests, or perpetual mediators between Jehovah and His people. The primary meaning of cohen, the priest, has been retained in the Arabic, where it signifies administrator alieni negotii, viz., to act as a mediator for a person, or as his plenipotentiary, from which it came to be employed chiefly in connection with priestly acts. Among the heathen Arabs it is used "maxime de hariolis vatibusque;" by the Hebrews it was mostly applied to the priests of Jehovah; and there are only a few placed in which it is used in connection with the higher officers of state, who stood next to the king, and acted as it were as mediators between the king and the nation (thus 2 Samuel 8:18 ; 2 Samuel 20:26 ; 1 Kings 4:5 ).

For the duties of their office the priests were to receive "holy garments for glory and for honour." Before they could draw near to Jehovah the Holy One ( Leviticus 11:45 ), it was necessary that their unholiness should be covered over with holy clothes, which were to be made by men endowed with wisdom, whom Jehovah had filled with the spirit of wisdom. "Wise-hearted," i.e., gifted with understanding and judgment; the heart being regarded as the birth-place of the thoughts. In the Old Testament wisdom is constantly used for practical intelligence in the affairs of life; here, for example, it is equivalent to artistic skill surpassing man's natural ability, which is therefore described as being filled with the divine spirit of wisdom. These clothes were to be used "to sanctify him (Aaron and his sons), that he might be a priest to Jehovah." Sanctification, as the indispensable condition of priestly service, was not merely the removal of the uncleanness which flowed from sin, but, as it were, the transformation of the natural into the glory of the image of God. In this sense the holy clothing served the priest for glory and ornament. The different portions of the priest's state-dress mentioned in Exodus 28:4 are described more fully afterwards. For making them, the skilled artists were to take the gold, the hyacinth, etc.