Leviticus 8:7

8:1-13 The consecration of Aaron and his sons had been delayed until the tabernacle had been prepared, and the laws of the sacrifices given. Aaron and his sons were washed with water, to signify that they ought to purify themselves from all sinful dispositions, and ever after to keep themselves pure. Christ washes those from their sins in his own blood whom he makes kings and priests to our God, Re 1:5,6; and those that draw near to God must be washed in pure water, Heb 10:22. The anointing of Aaron was to typify the anointing of Christ with the Spirit, which was not given by measure to him. All believers have received the anointing.

Verses 7-9. - The robing. The various articles of the priestly dress had been appointed and described before ( Exodus 28, 29 ). In these verses we see the order in which they were put on . After the priests had, no doubt, changed their linen drawers, there came, first, the coat , that is, a close-fitting tunic of white linen, made with sleeves and covering the whole body; next the girdle of the tunic, that is, a linen sash for tying the tunic round the body, with variegated ends hanging on each side to the ankles; thirdly, the robe , that is, a blue vesture, woven of one piece, with holes for the head and arms to pass through, reaching from the neck to below the knee, the bottom being ornamented with blue, purple, and scarlet pomegranates, alternating with golden bells; fourthly, the ephod , which consisted of two shoulder-pieces, or epaulettes, made of variegated linen and gold thread, fastened together in front and at the back by a narrow strap or band, from which hung, before and behind the wearer, two pieces of cloth confined below by the curious girdle of the ephod , that is, by a sash made of the same material as the ephod itself. Into the ephod were sewn two onyxes, one on each shoulder, in gold filigree settings, one of them engraven with the names of half of the tribes, and the other with the remaining half; and from two rosettes or buttons by the side of these stones depended twisted gold chains for the support of the breastplate.

Fifth came the breastplate , which was a square pocket, made of embroidered linen, a span long and a span broad, worn upon the breast and hanging from the gold chains above mentioned, the lower ends of the gold chain being tied to two rings at the upper and outer corner of the breastplate, while the upper and inner corner of the same was attached to the ephod by blue thread running through two sets of rings in the breastplate and ephod respectively. The outer side of the breastplate was stiffened and adorned by twelve precious stones, set in four rows of three, each stone having on it the name of one of the tribes of Israel. The breastplate being double and the two sides and the bottom being sewn up, the pocket formed by it had its opening at the top.

7–9 . ( b ) vesting; cp. Exodus 29:5-6 . The garments are mentioned in a different order in Exodus 28:4 , and some of them are there described more fully in Leviticus 8:6 ff. The reader may refer to the notes in Driver’s commentary. The ‘linen breeches’ ( Exodus 28:42 ) are not mentioned here. the coat ] the tunic , Heb. kuttoneth or kĕthoneth . A long tunic with sleeves, secured by a girdle, or sash, somewhat like a dressing gown. It was the principal garment of ordinary life, and made of cotton, linen, or wool. The high priest’s coat, or tunic, was made of fine linen ( shçsh ) and ornamented with a pattern. Cp. Exodus 28:4 , where it is described as ‘a coat of chequer work’ ( a broidered coat , A.V.), and in Exodus 28:39 as woven ‘in chequer work of fine linen’; the exact meaning of the Heb. is uncertain, but it not improbably denotes something of the nature of a check. the girdle ] sash , the work of the embroiderer ( Exodus 28:39 ), made in the same way as the screen ( hanging A.V.) for the entrance to the Tent ( Exodus 26:36 ) and to the Court ( Leviticus 27:16 ). It was of considerable length (according to the Talmud about 48 ft.) and was passed round the body several times (Jos. Ant. iii. 7. 2). It seems to have been accidentally omitted in Exodus 29:5 . It must be distinguished from the ‘cunningly woven band of the ephod’ (cp.

Exodus 28:8 , etc.), translated in A.V. ‘curious girdle.’ the robe ] called ‘the robe of the ephod,’ Exodus 28:31 ; Exodus 29:5 ; Exodus 39:22 f. A garment all blue with a hole for the head, and a binding of woven work round the whole to prevent its being rent. The Heb. word mě‘îl is applied to the robe (A.V. coat ) made by Hannah for her son Samuel ( 1 Samuel 2:19 ), and to the robe (A.V. mantle ) of Samuel which was rent by Saul ( 1 Samuel 15:27 ). The clothing of the High Priest, though of costly material, is so far like that of other people, and similar to that worn by the Arabs of the present day; an under garment bound with a sash, and an outer robe reaching nearly to the ground, but this outer garment is now worn open in front. According to Josephus ( Ant. iii. 7. 4, B.J. 8:5. 7) the robe of the ephod reached to the feet, but some writers describe it as shorter than the tunic. Its fringe of pomegranates and bells is described Exodus 28:33-35 ; Exodus 39:24-26 note the addition of ‘pure’ to ‘gold’ in the second passage), but being a part of the robe is not mentioned here or in Exodus 29. the ephod ] This garment (described Exodus 28:6 ff; Exodus 39:2-5 ) was made of fine twined linen with blue purple and scarlet threads, and fine gold wire. Its exact shape cannot be determined.

7-9. he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle—The splendor of the official vestments, together with the gorgeous tiara of the high priest, was intended, doubtless, in the first instance, to produce in the minds of the people a high respect for the ministers of religion; and in the next, from the predominant use of linen, to inculcate upon Aaron and his sons the duty of maintaining unspotted righteousness in their characters and lives.

(7) And he put upon him the coat. —Better, and he put upon him the tunic. For this garment see Leviticus 6:10 , and Exodus 28:39 . It will be seen that the first article of dress—viz., the drawers—distinctly mentioned in Exodus 28:42 , is here omitted. This arises from the fact that, being nearest to the skin, Aaron put them on himself behind the curtain, immediately after his ablution. And girded him with the girdle.—Not the band of the ephod, which is mentioned further on by the name of “curious girdle,” but the one made of needlework, with which the tunic was girded about the loins. (See Leviticus 6:10, and Exodus 28:39.) The robe.—Called in Exodus 28:31-35, “the robe of the ephod,” which was woven without seam, and was wholly blue. (See Leviticus 6:10.) And put the ephod upon him.—The ephod, which was the distinctive vestment of the high priest, was a sleeveless garment, and was worn over the shoulders. It was made of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine-twined linen, interwoven with golden threads. (See Exodus 28:6-7.) And he girded him with the curious girdle.—Better, and girded him with the band. This band was not only made of the same costly materials as the ephod, but was woven out of the same piece on either side of the garment, so that the ephod had as it were two hands, which constituted the band. (See Exodus 28:8.) It will be seen that this is entirely different from the girdle which was tied around the tunic, mentioned in the former part of this verse.