Exodus 28: Garments for Glory and Beauty
God designs holy garments for Aaron and his sons, so that the high priest may bear Israel's names on his shoulders and over his heart before the Lord.
Exodus 28 (WEB)
1 “Bring Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, near to you from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
2 You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
3 You shall speak to all who are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to sanctify him, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office.
4 These are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, and his sons, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office.
5 They shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.
6 “They shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skillful workman.
7 It shall have two shoulder straps joined to the two ends of it, that it may be joined together.
8 The skillfully woven band, which is on it, that is on him, shall be like its work and of the same piece; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the children of Israel:
10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, in the order of their birth.
11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones, according to the names of the children of Israel: you shall make them to be enclosed in settings of gold.
12 You shall put the two stones on the shoulder straps of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before Yahweh on his two shoulders for a memorial.
13 You shall make settings of gold,
14 and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them like cords of braided work: and you shall put the braided chains on the settings.
15 “You shall make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, you shall make it.
16 It shall be square and folded double; a span shall be its length of it, and a span its breadth.
17 You shall set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a row of ruby, topaz, and beryl shall be the first row;
18 and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald;
19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
20 and the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be enclosed in gold in their settings.
21 The stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, everyone according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes.
22 You shall make on the breastplate chains like cords, of braided work of pure gold.
23 You shall make on the breastplate two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
24 You shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.
25 The other two ends of the two braided chains you shall put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in its forepart.
26 You shall make two rings of gold, and you shall put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on its edge, which is toward the side of the ephod inward.
27 You shall make two rings of gold, and shall put them on the two shoulder straps of the ephod underneath, in its forepart, close by its coupling, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.
28 They shall bind the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate may not swing out from the ephod.
29 Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart, when he goes in to the holy place, for a memorial before Yahweh continually.
30 You shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before Yahweh: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel on his heart before Yahweh continually.
31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
32 It shall have a hole for the head in its midst: it shall have a binding of woven work around its hole, as it were the hole of a coat of mail, that it not be torn.
33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, around its hem; and bells of gold between and around them:
34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe.
35 It shall be on Aaron to minister: and its sound shall be heard when he goes in to the holy place before Yahweh, and when he comes out, that he not die.
36 “You shall make a plate of pure gold, and engrave on it, like the engravings of a signet, ‘HOLY TO YAHWEH.’
37 You shall put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be on the sash; on the front of the sash it shall be.
38 It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall make holy in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always on his forehead, that they may be accepted before Yahweh.
39 You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash, the work of the embroiderer.
40 “You shall make coats for Aaron’s sons, and you shall make sashes for them and you shall make headbands for them, for glory and for beauty.
41 You shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office.
42 You shall make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the waist even to the thighs they shall reach:
43 They shall be on Aaron, and on his sons, when they go in to the Tent of Meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place; that they don’t bear iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him.
Exodus 28 (KJV)
1 And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
3 And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
4 And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.
7 It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.
8 And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
10 Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.
11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.
12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
13 And thou shalt make ouches of gold;
14 And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.
15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
16 Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.
17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.
18 And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.
21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.
23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.
25 And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.
26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.
27 And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
28 And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.
30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.
31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
32 And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.
33 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:
34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.
35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not.
36 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
38 And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.
39 And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.
40 And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.
Exodus 28 (ASV)
1 And bring thou near unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty.
3 And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to sanctify him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of checker work, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
5 And they shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.
6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skilful workman.
7 It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined to the two ends thereof, that it may be joined together.
8 And the skilfully woven band, which is upon it, wherewith to gird it on, shall be like the work thereof and of the same piece; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, according to their birth.
11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones, according to the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be inclosed in settings of gold.
12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before Jehovah upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
13 And thou shalt make settings of gold,
14 and two chains of pure gold; like cords shalt thou make them, of wreathen work: and thou shalt put the wreathen chains on the settings.
15 And thou shalt make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skilful workman; like the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
16 Foursquare it shall be and double; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof.
17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row;
18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;
19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
20 and the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be inclosed in gold in their settings.
21 And the stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, every one according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes.
22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains like cords, of wreathen work of pure gold.
23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.
25 And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod in the forepart thereof.
26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate, upon the edge thereof, which is toward the side of the ephod inward.
27 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and shalt put them on the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod underneath, in the forepart thereof, close by the coupling thereof, above the skilfully woven band of the ephod.
28 And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be upon the skilfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before Jehovah continually.
30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before Jehovah: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before Jehovah continually.
31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
32 And it shall have a hole for the head in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of a coat of mail, that it be not rent.
33 And upon the skirts of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the skirts thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about.
35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and the sound thereof shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before Jehovah, and when he cometh out, that he die not.
36 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLY TO JEHOVAH.
37 And thou shalt put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
38 And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before Jehovah.
39 And thou shalt weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and thou shalt make a mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make a girdle, the work of the embroiderer.
40 And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and head-tires shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and upon his sons with him, and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
43 and they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they go in unto the tent of meeting, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and unto his seed after him.
Summary
Having given the pattern for the dwelling place, God now turns to the men who will serve in it, calling Aaron and his sons to minister to him in the priest's office. He commands holy garments to be made for Aaron, for glory and for beauty, woven by skilled craftsmen whom God has filled with the spirit of wisdom. The chapter describes each piece in loving detail: the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet, with two onyx stones engraved with the names of the tribes set on its shoulder straps; the breastplate of judgment, square and folded double, set with twelve precious stones for the twelve tribes, holding the Urim and the Thummim; the blue robe with golden bells and pomegranates around its hem; and the plate of pure gold engraved "HOLY TO YAHWEH" worn on the forehead. Aaron is to bear the names of God's people on his shoulders and over his heart, as a memorial before Yahweh continually. The garments mark him as one set apart, that he may carry the iniquity of the holy things and that the people may be accepted before God. In every detail the high priest points forward to a greater Priest who would carry his people not on stones but in his pierced hands and heart.
Main Characters
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who speaks the design of the priestly garments to Moses, filling craftsmen with wisdom and clothing his priest for glory and beauty.
- Aaron — Moses' brother, appointed high priest, who is to wear the holy garments and bear the names of Israel before the Lord continually.
- Aaron's sons — Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, set apart with their father for the priest's office and given their own woven garments.
- The skilled craftsmen — The wise-hearted workers whom God has filled with the spirit of wisdom to make the sacred garments according to his command.
Key Verse
Exodus 28:29 (WEB)
Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart, when he goes in to the holy place, for a memorial before Yahweh continually.
Lessons Learned
- God draws near to his people through an appointed mediator, set apart and clothed for his service.
- The high priest carries the names of God's people on his shoulders and heart, never forgetting them before the Lord.
- Holiness is not drab but radiant; God clothes his priest "for glory and for beauty."
- The plate "HOLY TO YAHWEH" shows that what makes the people acceptable is holiness God provides, not their own.
- God provides a mediator to bring his people near. Aaron is set apart "that he may minister to me in the priest's office" (Exodus 28:1, WEB). We do not approach a holy God on our own terms but through one he appoints.
- We are carried on the heart of our Priest. Aaron bears Israel's names "on his heart… for a memorial before Yahweh continually" (Exodus 28:29, WEB). God's people are never forgotten before him.
- Holiness belongs to the Lord and is given, not earned. The golden plate reads "HOLY TO YAHWEH," and by it the people's gifts "may be accepted before Yahweh" (Exodus 28:36-38, WEB). Acceptance flows from the Priest's holiness.
- God beautifies what he sets apart for himself. The garments are made "for glory and for beauty" (Exodus 28:2, WEB). What God consecrates he adorns, reflecting his own splendor.
- Why does God give such careful attention to the high priest's garments, and what do the words "for glory and for beauty" suggest about holiness?
- What is the significance of Aaron bearing the names of the tribes on his shoulders and over his heart?
- What does the inscription "HOLY TO YAHWEH" on the golden plate teach about how the people become acceptable to God?
- How do these garments and this priesthood point forward to Jesus, our great High Priest?
- How does it comfort you to know that your name is carried on the heart of a faithful Priest before God?
- The garments are not merely functional; they are designed "for glory and for beauty" (28:2), signaling that the one who draws near to a holy God must be set apart and made fitting. Help the group see that holiness in Scripture is radiant and good, not gray or grim, and that it reflects God's own glory.
- Aaron carries the tribes' names on onyx stones on his shoulders and on the breastplate over his heart (28:12, 29), picturing strength to uphold and love to cherish. The whole nation is represented before God in one mediator—no one is left outside his remembrance.
- The plate declares that holiness is the Lord's, and by wearing it Aaron bears "the iniquity of the holy things," so the people's gifts "may be accepted before Yahweh" (28:38). Acceptance comes through the priest's God-given holiness, not the worshiper's performance.
- Hebrews presents Jesus as the High Priest these garments anticipated—holy and undefiled, bearing his people's names not on stones but in himself, and entering the true sanctuary on our behalf. Invite the group to read Aaron in light of Christ, who needs no plate to be "HOLY TO YAHWEH."
- This is a personal-application question. Encourage members to rest in the truth that Christ carries them on his heart before the Father continually. As leader, keep the tone warm and reassuring, especially for any who feel forgotten or unworthy.