Exodus - A Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation , Sarah Barry
THE PRIESTLY GARMENTS
Passage: Exodus 39:1~31  
Key verse: 30
The Priestly Garments
39 From the blue, purple and scarlet yarn(A) they made woven garments for ministering in the sanctuary.(B) They also made sacred garments(C) for Aaron, as the Lord commanded Moses.
The Ephod(D)
2 They[a] made the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 3 They hammered out thin sheets of gold and cut strands to be worked into the blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen—the work of skilled hands. 4 They made shoulder pieces for the ephod, which were attached to two of its corners, so it could be fastened. 5 Its skillfully woven waistband was like it—of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen, as the Lord commanded Moses.
6 They mounted the onyx stones in gold filigree settings and engraved them like a seal with the names of the sons of Israel. 7 Then they fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial(E) stones for the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.
The Breastpiece(F)
8 They fashioned the breastpiece(G)—the work of a skilled craftsman. They made it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 9 It was square—a span[b] long and a span wide—and folded double. 10 Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. The first row was carnelian, chrysolite and beryl; 11 the second row was turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; 12 the third row was jacinth, agate and amethyst; 13 the fourth row was topaz, onyx and jasper.[c] They were mounted in gold filigree settings. 14 There were twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.(H)
15 For the breastpiece they made braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. 16 They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and fastened the rings to two of the corners of the breastpiece. 17 They fastened the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, 18 and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 19 They made two gold rings and attached them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. 20 Then they made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. 21 They tied the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband so that the breastpiece would not swing out from the ephod—as the Lord commanded Moses.
Other Priestly Garments(I)
22 They made the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth—the work of a weaver— 23 with an opening in the center of the robe like the opening of a collar,[d] and a band around this opening, so that it would not tear. 24 They made pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen around the hem of the robe. 25 And they made bells of pure gold and attached them around the hem between the pomegranates. 26 The bells and pomegranates alternated around the hem of the robe to be worn for ministering, as the Lord commanded Moses.
27 For Aaron and his sons, they made tunics of fine linen(J)—the work of a weaver— 28 and the turban(K) of fine linen, the linen caps and the undergarments of finely twisted linen. 29 The sash was made of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn—the work of an embroiderer—as the Lord commanded Moses.
30 They made the plate, the sacred emblem, out of pure gold and engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: holy to the Lord.(L) 31 Then they fastened a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban,(M) as the Lord commanded Moses.
Footnotes
- Exodus 39:2 Or He; also in verses 7, 8 and 22
- Exodus 39:9 That is, about 9 inches or about 23 centimeters
- Exodus 39:13 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
- Exodus 39:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Cross references
- Exodus 39:1 : Ex 35:23
- Exodus 39:1 : Ex 35:19
- Exodus 39:1 : ver 41; Ex 28:2
- Exodus 39:2 : 39:2-7pp — Ex 28:6-14
- Exodus 39:7 : Lev 24:7; Jos 4:7
- Exodus 39:8 : 39:8-21pp — Ex 28:15-28
- Exodus 39:8 : Lev 8:8
- Exodus 39:14 : Rev 21:12
- Exodus 39:22 : 39:22-31pp — Ex 28:31-43
- Exodus 39:27 : Lev 6:10; 8:2
- Exodus 39:28 : ver 31; S Ex 28:4; Lev 8:9; Isa 61:10
- Exodus 39:30 : Isa 23:18; Zec 14:20
- Exodus 39:31 : S ver 28
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Source:  BibleGateway
1. The Ephod and Breastpiece (1-21)
The sacred garments made for Aaron and his sons--the priests--were beautiful and full of symbolic meaning. Affixed to the shoulder straps of the ephod were two onyx stones engraved with the names of the 12 tribes. The breastpiece was attached to the ephod. On it were affixed 12 precious stones, each with the name of a tribe engraved on it. The high priest bore the people on his heart and on his shoulders every time he offered sacrifices or went to God in prayer. He was a mediator who spoke to God for the people, and to the people for God.
2. Holy to the Lord (22-31)
The bells and pomegranates which alternated around the hem announced the high priest's coming. He must not go carelessly into the Lord's presence. The sacred diadem, made of pure gold and fastened to the turban, had engraved on it, 'HOLY TO THE LORD.' He was declared holy by God.
Prayer: Lord, you have called us to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Help us to bring the world to you, and you to the world.
One Word: A holy life; a holy mission