Éxodo 28

VBL · Chapter 28/40

1Haz que tu hermano Aarón venga a ti, junto con sus hijos Nadab, Abiú, Eleazar e Itamar. Ellos, de todos los israelitas, me servirán como sacerdotes.

2Harás que se hagan ropas sagradas para tu hermano Aarón para que se vea espléndido y digno.

3Debes dar instrucciones a todos los obreros hábiles, a los que han recibido de mí sus habilidades, sobre cómo hacer la ropa para la dedicación de Aarón, para que pueda servirme como sacerdote.

4Estas son las ropas que deben hacer: un pectoral, un efod, una túnica, una túnica plisada, un turbante y una faja. Estos son los vestidos sagrados que harán para tu hermano Aarón y sus hijos para que puedan servirme como sacerdote.

5Los trabajadores usarán hilo de oro, junto con hilo azul, púrpura y carmesí, y lino finamente hilado.

6Harán el efod de lino finamente tejido y bordado con oro, y con hilos azules, púrpura y carmesí, hábilmente trabajado.

7Dos piezas de hombro deben ser unidas a las piezas delanteras y traseras.

8La cintura del efod será una pieza hecha de la misma manera, usando hilo de oro, con hilo azul, púrpura y carmesí, y con lino finamente tejido.

9Escribe en dos piedras de ónice los nombres de las tribus de Israel,

10seis nombres en una piedra, y seis en la otra, en orden de nacimiento.

11Escribe los nombres en las dos piedras de la misma manera que un joyero graba un sello personal. Luego coloque las piedras en un adorno de oro.

12Ata ambas piedras a las piezas del hombro del efod como recordatorio para las tribus israelitas. Aarón debe llevar sus nombres en sus dos hombros para recordar a los israelitas que los representa cuando va a la presencia del Señor.

13Hagan adornos de oro

14y dos cadenas trenzadas de oro puro, y sujetar estas cadenas a los adornos.

15También debe hacer un pectoral para las decisiones de la misma manera hábil que el efod, para ser usado en la determinación de la voluntad del Señor. Háganlo usando hilo de oro, con hilo azul, púrpura y carmesí, y con lino finamente tejido.

16Tiene que ser cuadrado cuando se pliega, midiendo alrededor de nueve pulgadas de largo y ancho.

17Adjunta un arreglo de piedras preciosas en cuatro filas como sigue: En la primera fila cornalina, peridoto y esmeralda.

18En la segunda fila turquesa, lapislázuli y sardónice.

19En la tercera fila jacinto, ágata y amatista.

20En la cuarta fila topacio, berilo y jaspe. Coloca estas piedras en los adornos de oro.

21Cada una de las doce piedras se grabará como un sello personal con el nombre de una de las doce tribus israelitas y las representará.

22Haz cordones de cadenas trenzadas de oro puro para sujetar el pectoral.

23Harás dos anillos de oro y sujételos a las dos esquinas superiores del pectoral.

24Ata las dos cadenas de oro a los dos anillos de oro de las esquinas del pectoral,

25y luego ata los extremos opuestos de las dos cadenas a los adornos de oro de los hombros de la parte delantera del efod.

26Haz dos anillos de oro más y fíjelos a las dos esquinas inferiores del pectoral, en el borde interior junto al efod.

27Haz dos anillos de oro más y póngalos en la parte inferior de las dos hombreras de la parte delantera del efod, cerca de donde se une a su cintura tejida.

28Ata los anillos del pectoral a los anillos del efod con un cordón de hilo azul, para que el pectoral no se suelte del efod.

29Así, cada vez que Aarón entre en el Lugar Santo, llevará los nombres de las tribus israelitas sobre su corazón en el pectoral, como un recordatorio constante ante el Señor.

30Coloca el Urim y Tumim en el pectoral de la decisión, para que ellos también estén sobre el corazón de Aarón siempre que venga a la presencia del Señor. Aarón llevará continuamente los medios de decisión sobre su corazón ante el Señor.

31Haz la túnica que va con el efod exclusivamente de tela azul,

32con una abertura en el medio en la parte superior. Cose un cuello tejido alrededor de la abertura para fortalecerla y que no se rompa.

33Haz las granadas con los hilos azul, púrpura y carmesí y pégalas alrededor de su dobladillo, con campanas de oro entre ellas,

34teniendo las campanas de oro y las granadas alternadas.

35Aarón debe llevar la túnica siempre que sirva, y el sonido que haga se oirá cuando entre o salga del santuario al entrar en la presencia del Señor, para que no muera.

36Haz una placa de oro puro y grabad en ella como un sello, “Consagradoal Señor”.

37Pónganlo en la parte delantera del turbante con un cordón azul.

38Aarón lo llevará en la frente, para que se responsabilice de la culpa de las ofrendas que hagan los israelitas, y esto se aplica a todas sus santas ofrendas. Debe permanecer siempre en su frente para que el pueblo sea aceptado en la presencia del Señor.

39Teje la túnica con lino finamente hilado y haz el turbante del mismo material, y también haz la faja y con bordado.

40Haz túnicas, fajas y tocados para los hijos de Aarón, para que tengan un aspecto espléndido y digno.

41Haz que tu hermano Aarón y sus hijos vistan esta ropa y luego úngelos y ordénalos. Dedícalos para que puedan servirme como sacerdotes.

42Elabora calzoncillos de lino para cubrir sus cuerpos desnudos, desde la cintura hasta el muslo.

43Aarón y sus hijos deben usarlos cuando entren a el Tabernáculo de Reunión o cuando se acerquen al altar para servir en el Lugar Santo, para que no seanhallados culpables y mueran. Esta es una ley para Aarón y sus descendientes para siempre.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The sacred garments that Aaron and his sons would wear as priests are described in detail, including the ephod, the breastplate with twelve precious stones representing the tribes of Israel, and the gold plate inscribed 'Holiness to the Lord.'

Explanation

This chapter sets out the high priest's garments in rich detail, each element carrying profound symbolic meaning. The breastplate, engraved with twelve precious stones bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, meant that Aaron literally carried the whole people 'upon his heart' whenever he entered God's presence, a powerful image of priestly representation and intercession. The gold plate on his forehead, engraved with the words 'Holiness to the Lord,' allowed the priest himself to 'bear the iniquity of the holy things' offered by the people, ensuring their acceptance before God despite the inevitable imperfections of human rites. The Urim and Thummim, briefly mentioned (v. 30), were objects used to discern God's will in important decisions, though their exact form remains uncertain to this day. This entire set of garments shows that mediating between God and the people demanded careful preparation, visible dignity, and deep spiritual responsibility.

Fun facts

  • The twelve precious stones of the breastplate, each representing a tribe of Israel, are taken up symbolically again in the book of Revelation (21:19-20), where twelve similar precious stones form the foundations of the New Jerusalem, linking this ancient priestly symbol to a prophetic vision of the end of the age.
  • The exact meaning of the Urim and Thummim (v. 30), used to seek divine guidance in important decisions, is still debated by scholars today, with no consensus on their exact physical form, though their use is mentioned in other texts such as Numbers 27:21 and 1 Samuel 28:6, showing their continued importance in Israel's religious life.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Éxodo 28:1Here begins the appointment of Aaron, Moses’s brother, and his sons to the office of priests, the only ones authorized to carry out the rituals inside the tabernacle. From this point on, the priesthood in Israel would be restricted to this family, Aaron’s descendants.
  2. Éxodo 28:2The high priest’s garments were not ordinary clothes: they had to convey dignity and beauty, visually marking the difference between Aaron and the rest of the people.
  3. Éxodo 28:3Making these garments was the task of especially skilled craftsmen, described as having received that talent directly from God.
  4. Éxodo 28:4Lists the six main pieces of the priestly garb: breastplate, ephod, robe, embroidered tunic, turban, and sash, each detailed in the following verses.
  5. Éxodo 28:5The same materials used in building the tabernacle, gold and the colored fabrics, also made up the priestly garments, linking the priest to the sanctuary itself.
  6. Éxodo 28:6The ephod, a kind of vest, was the most elaborate piece, woven with threads of gold interlaced with the colored fabrics and fine linen.
  7. Éxodo 28:7Two shoulder straps connected the front and back of the ephod, joining the piece into a single structure.
  8. Éxodo 28:8The ephod’s waistband, made with the same materials and technique as the main piece, held the vest firmly to the priest’s body.
  9. Éxodo 28:9Two precious stones were to be engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, a piece that symbolically carried the whole people.
  10. Éxodo 28:10The twelve names were divided equally between the two stones, six on each side, probably following the birth order of Jacob’s sons.
  11. Éxodo 28:11The engraving on the stones followed the technique used for personal identification seals, common in the ancient world, and each stone was framed in gold.
  12. Éxodo 28:12Two precious stones, one on each shoulder of the priestly vest (the ephod), bore the engraved names of the twelve tribes of Israel, six on each stone. The idea was that, on entering the sanctuary to serve, Aaron would literally carry the whole people on his shoulders before God.
  13. Éxodo 28:13Gold settings were to be prepared specifically to fix these engraved stones on the shoulders of the ephod.
  14. Éxodo 28:14Chains of pure gold, braided like interwoven threads, fastened the stones to the settings on the shoulders of the piece.
  15. Éxodo 28:15The “breastplate of judgment” was a square piece of embroidered fabric, fastened over the high priest’s chest, with twelve precious stones, one for each tribe. It was called “of judgment” because it also held the Urim and the Thummim, used to seek decisions in God’s name.
  16. Éxodo 28:16The breastplate was square and folded in half, forming a kind of pouch, about 9 inches on each side.
  17. Éxodo 28:17The breastplate’s first row of precious stones included sardius, topaz, and carbuncle, each representing one of the twelve tribes.
  18. Éxodo 28:18The second row carried emerald, sapphire, and diamond, continuing the sequence of twelve different stones.
  19. Éxodo 28:19The third row included ligure, agate, and amethyst, keeping the pattern of three stones per row.
  20. Éxodo 28:20The fourth and final row carried beryl, onyx, and jasper, completing the twelve precious stones set in gold.
  21. Éxodo 28:21Each of the twelve stones bore the engraved name of a tribe of Israel, like a personal seal, reinforcing the same symbolic idea as the shoulder stones.
  22. Éxodo 28:22The breastplate also received chains of braided gold, following the same technique used for the chains on the ephod’s shoulders.
  23. Éxodo 28:23Two gold rings at the breastplate’s upper corners served as attachment points to fasten the piece to the rest of the garb.
  24. Éxodo 28:24The braided gold chains passed through these two rings, connecting the breastplate to the ephod’s structure.
  25. Éxodo 28:25The other ends of these chains were fastened to the shoulder-stone settings, on the front of the ephod.
  26. Éxodo 28:26Two more gold rings, placed at the bottom of the breastplate, held the piece more firmly against the body, on the inner side of the ephod.
  27. Éxodo 28:27Two more rings, placed at the bottom of the ephod’s shoulder straps, near the waistband, completed the breastplate’s fastening system.
  28. Éxodo 28:28A blue cord tied the breastplate’s rings to the ephod’s rings, ensuring the piece would never come loose or swing during the priestly service.
  29. Éxodo 28:29Whenever he entered the sanctuary, Aaron would symbolically carry the names of the whole people of Israel close to his heart, through the breastplate.
  30. Éxodo 28:30The Urim and the Thummim were two objects, with no exact description in the Bible of their shape, kept inside the high priest’s breastplate and used as a kind of sacred lot to seek answers from God on important decisions. The text does not explain how they worked in practice, only that they stayed with the breastplate, near Aaron’s heart.
  31. Éxodo 28:31The robe worn underneath the ephod was made entirely of a single blue fabric, without the mix of colors seen in the other pieces.
  32. Éxodo 28:32The robe’s head opening had a reinforced, woven border, similar to the collar of a coat of mail, to keep the fabric from tearing with use.
  33. Éxodo 28:33Along the hem of the high priest’s robe, small pomegranate-shaped ornaments (the fruit) alternated with little gold bells. It was a decorative detail, but it also had a practical function, explained in the next verse.
  34. Éxodo 28:34All around the hem of the robe, embroidered pomegranates and gold bells alternated continuously, a decorative pattern whose function is explained in verse 35.
  35. Éxodo 28:35The sound of the bells signaled that the priest was moving through the sacred space while carrying out the ritual correctly. The rule treated entering the sanctuary without following the procedures as something risky; the constant sound was, in a way, a guarantee that everything was being done as it should.
  36. Éxodo 28:36A small plate of pure gold, engraved like a seal, bore the inscription ‘HOLINESS TO THE LORD,’ the most visible piece identifying the priestly office.
  37. Éxodo 28:37This plate was tied with a blue cord to the front of the high priest’s turban, staying clearly visible on his forehead.
  38. Éxodo 28:38This plate’s function was spiritual: it represented Aaron’s intercession, covering any imperfection in the holy offerings brought by the people.
  39. Éxodo 28:39The inner tunic and the turban were made of plain fine linen, while the sash received a more elaborate embroidered finish.
  40. Éxodo 28:40Aaron’s sons, the ordinary priests, also received garments of their own, simpler than the high priest’s, but still dignified and ornamented.
  41. Éxodo 28:41The consecration ceremony included putting on these clothes, anointing with oil, and formally setting apart Aaron and his sons for priestly service.
  42. Éxodo 28:42This undergarment was required specifically to keep the priests from being physically exposed while climbing the altar’s steps during the rituals, as the next verse makes clear. It was a practical requirement of decency within the sacred service.
  43. Éxodo 28:43These garments, including the linen breeches already mentioned, were mandatory during any service in the sanctuary, on pain of severe punishment.

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