EXO 28

Exodus 28:33

WEB

On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, all around its hem; with bells of gold between and around them:

BSB

Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn all the way around the lower hem, with gold bells between them,

KJV

¶ And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:

Matthew Henry

Verses 31–39

Exodus 28:31–39

Here is, 1. Direction given concerning the robe of the ephod, Exo 28:31-35. This was next under the ephod, and reached down to the knees, was without sleeves, and was put on over their head, having holes on the sides to put the arms through, or, as Maimonides describes it, was not sewed together on the sides at all. The hole on the top, through which the head was put, was carefully bound about, that it might not tear in the putting on. In religious worship, care must be taken to prevent every thing that may distract the minds of the worshippers, or render the service despicable. Round the skirts of the robe were hung golden bells, and the representations of pomegranates made of yarn of divers colours. The pomegranates added to the beauty of the robe, and the sound of the bells gave notice to the people in the outer court when he went into the holy place to burn incense, that they might then apply themselves to their devotions at the same time (Luk 1:10), in token of their concurrence with him in his offering, and their hopes of the ascent of their prayers to God in virtue of the incense he offered. Aaron must come near to minister in the garments that were appointed him, that he die not. It is at his peril if he attend otherwise than according to the institution. This intimates that we must serve the Lord with fear and holy trembling, as those that know we deserve to die, and are in danger of making some fatal mistake. Some make the bells of the holy robe to typify the sound of the gospel of Christ in the world, giving notice of his entrance within the veil for us. Blessed are those that hear this joyful sound, Psa 89:15. The adding of the pomegranates, which are a fragrant fruit, denotes the sweet savour of the gospel, as well as the joyful sound of it, for it is a savour of life unto life. The church is called an orchard of pomegranates. 2. Concerning the golden plate fixed upon Aaron's forehead, on which must be engraven, Holiness to the Lord (Exo 28:36, Exo 28:37), or The holiness of Jehovah. Aaron must hereby be reminded that God is holy, and that his priests must be holy. Holiness becomes his house and household. The high priest must be sequestered from all pollution, and consecrated to God and to his service and honour, and so must all his ministrations be. All that attend in God's house must have Holiness to the Lord engraven upon their foreheads, that is, they must be holy, devoted to the Lord, and designing his glory in all they do. This must appear in their forehead, in an open profession of their relation to God, as those that are not ashamed to own it, and in a conversation in the world answerable to it. It must likewise be engraven like the engravings of a signet, so deep, so durable, not painted to be washed off, but sincere and lasting; such must our holiness to the Lord be. Aaron must have this upon his forehead, that he may bear the iniquity of the holy things (Exo 28:38), and that they may be accepted before the Lord. Herein he was a type of Christ, the great Mediator between God and man, through whom it is that we have to do with God. (1.) Through him what is amiss in our services is pardoned. The divine law is strict; in many things we come short of our duty, so that we cannot but be conscious to ourselves of much iniquity cleaving even to our holy things; when we would do good evil is present; even this would be our ruin if God should enter into judgment with us. But Christ, our high priest, bears this iniquity, bears it for us so as to bear it from us, and through him it is forgiven to us and not laid to our charge. (2.) Through him what is good is accepted; our persons, our performances, are pleasing to God upon the account of Christ's intercession, and not otherwise, Pe1 2:5. His being holiness to the Lord recommends all those to the divine favour that are interested in his righteousness, and clothed with his Spirit; and therefore he has said it was for our sakes that he sanctified himself, Joh 17:19. Having such a high priest, we come boldly to the throne of grace, Heb 4:14-16. 3. The rest of the garments are but named (Exo 28:39), because there was nothing extraordinary in them. The embroidered coat of fine linen was the innermost of the priestly garments; it reached to the feet, and the sleeves to the wrists, and was bound to the body with a girdle or sash of needle-work. The mitre, or diadem, was of linen, such as kings anciently wore in the east, typifying the kingly office of Christ. He is a priest upon a throne (Zac 6:13), a priest with a crown. These two God has joined, and we must not think to separate them.

Cross-references: Exod 28:31 · Luke 1:10 · Ps 89:15 · Exod 28:36 · Exod 28:37 · Exod 28:38 · 1Pet 2:5 · John 17:19 · Heb 4:14 · Exod 28:39 · Zech 6:13

Hebrew interlinear

H6213

עָשָׂהʻâsâh/aw-saw'/

v — do, make

Derivation: a primitive root;

to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application

KJV: accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, × certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, feast, (fight-) ing man, finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, hinder, hold (a feast), × indeed, be industrious, journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, × sacrifice, serve, set, shew, × sin, spend, × surely, take, × thoroughly, trim, × very, vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use.

עָשָׂה

vb — do

עָשָׂה 2622 vb. do, make

Qal 2524

I.

1. do (1560 t.)

2. deal with

3. oft. in phr. do kindness with

4. abs. act, act with effect

II.

1. make (670 t.)

2. produce, yield

3. prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food

4. make offering

5. attend to, put in order

6. observe, celebrate, religious festival

7. acquire property of various kinds

8. appoint priests

9. bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance

10. use

11. spend, pass, days of life

Niph. 97

1. be done

2.

a. be made, of concr. things

b. be produced from vine

c. be prepared, of food

d. be offered

e. be observed, passover

f. be used

Pu. I was made

עָשָׂה

vb — press

[עָשָׂה] vb. Pi. press, squeeze

H5921

עַלʻal/al/

prep — above, over, upon, against

Derivation: properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following);

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, × as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, × both and, by (reason of), × had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, × with.

כִּי עַל כֵּן

forasmuch as

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

עַל

subst — above

עַל, עָ֑ל

I. subst. height

II. As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1. Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

a.

(a). of clothing, etc., which any one wears

(b). With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

b. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

c. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

d. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

e. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

f. Of the ground or basis, on which a thing is done

2. It expresses excess

3. It denotes elevation or pre-eminence

4. It expresses addition

5. It expresses the idea of being extended, or suspended over anything, without however being in contact with it, above, over

6. From the sense of inclining or impending over, על comes to denote contiguity or proximity, Engl. by (or sts. on)

7. In connection with verbs of motion (actual or fig.)

8. By writers of the silver age, על is sts. used with the force of a dative

9. With other particles:

III. As conj.

a. עַל אֲשֶׁר because that

b. עַל כִּי similar in meaning, but less frequent

c. עַל alone:

(a). because

(b). notwithstanding that, although

IV. Compounds:

1. with כְּ (rare and late)

a. as concerning, as upon

b. the like of their deeds is the like of (that which) he will repay

2. מֵעַל from upon, from over, from by

H7757

שׁוּלshûwl/shool/

n-m — skirt, edge

Derivation: from an unused root meaning to hang down;

a skirt; by implication, a bottom edge

KJV: hem, skirt, train.

שׁוּל

n.m — skirt

[שׁוּל] n.m. skirt, of robe

H7416

רִמּוֹןrimmôwn/rim-mone'/

n-m — pomegranate

Derivation: or רִמֹּן; from 7426;

a pomegranate, the tree (from its upright growth) or the fruit (also an artificial ornament)

KJV: pomegranate.

רִמּוֹן

n.m — pomegranate

רִמּוֹן n.m. pomegranate (foreign word of doubtful origin)

H8504

תְּכֵלֶתtᵉkêleth/tek-ay'-leth/

n-f — mussel, violet

Derivation: probably for 7827;

the cerulean mussel, i.e. the color (violet) obtained therefrom or stuff dyed therewith

KJV: blue.

תְּכֵ֫לֶת

n.f — violet

תְּכֵ֫לֶת 48 n.f. violet, i.e. violet thread and stuff

H713

אַרְגָּמָןʼargâmân/ar-gaw-mawn'/

n-m — purple

Derivation: of foreign origin;

purple (the color or the dyed stuff)

KJV: purple.

אַרְגָּמָן

n.[m.] — purple

אַרְגָּמָן n.[m.] purple, red-purple, i.e. purple thread & cloth

H8438

תּוֹלָעtôwlâʻ/to-law'/

n-m n-f — maggot, voracious, grub

Derivation: and (feminine) תּוֹלֵעָה; or תּוֹלַעַת; or תֹּלַעַת; from 3216;

a maggot (as voracious); specifically (often with ellipsis of 8144) the crimson-grub, but used only (in this connection) of the color from it, and cloths dyed therewith

KJV: crimson, scarlet, worm.

תּוֹלָע

n.[m.] — worm

תּוֹלָע n.[m.] worm, scarlet stuff

תּוֹלֵעָה

n.f — worm

תּוֹלֵעָה, תּוֹלַ֫עַת 40 n.f. worm

H8144

שָׁנִיshânîy/shaw-nee'/

n-m — crimson

Derivation: of uncertain derivation;

crimson, properly, the insect or its color, also stuff dyed with it

KJV: crimson, scarlet (thread).

שָׁנִי

n.[m.] — scarlet

שָׁנִי 42 n.[m.] scarlet (prop. coccus ilicis, which attaches itself to leaves and twigs of quercus coccifera; the dried body of female yields colouring matter)

H5439

סָבִיבçâbîyb/saw-beeb'/

adv — circle, neighbour, environs, around

Derivation: or (feminine) סְבִיבָה; from 5437;

(as noun) a circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with or without preposition) around

KJV: (place, round) about, circuit, compass, on every side.

סָבִיב

subst — Magormissabib

סָבִיב 336 subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about

H6472

פַּעֲמֹןpaʻămôn/pah-am-one'/

n-m — bell, struck

Derivation: from 6471;

a bell (as struck)

KJV: bell.

פַּעֲמֹן

n.[m.] — bell

פַּעֲמֹן n.[m.] bell, on high-p.’s robe (from its stroke, beat)

H2091

זָהָבzâhâb/zaw-hawb'/

n-m — gold, something gold-colored, oil, clear sky

Derivation: from an unused root meaning to shimmer;

gold, figuratively, something gold-colored (i.e. yellow), as oil, a clear sky

KJV: gold(-en), fair weather.

זָהָב

n.m — gold

זָהָב 385 n.m. gold

1. = gold-ore, gold in raw state

2. gold as wealth

3. gold as spoil of war

4. gold as merchandise

5. gold as costly gift

6. gold as material

7. gold described by its source

8. gold defined by var. adj. and pts.

9. as measure of weight and value

10. = golden oil, from colour

11. often named with

12. the chief vbs. used

H8432

תָּוֶךְtâvek/taw'-vek/

n-m — bisection, centre

Derivation: from an unused root meaning to sever;

a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centre

KJV: among(-st), × between, half, × (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), × out (of), × through, × with(-in).

תָּ֫וֶךְ

subst — midst

תָּ֫וֶךְ 416 subst. midst

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