Chapter Text
The Priestly Garments Made
And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet , they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.
2And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet , and fine twined linen.
3And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet , and in the fine linen, with cunning work.
4They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together.
5And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet , and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses.
6And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.
7And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses.
8And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet , and fine twined linen.
9It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.
10And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row.
11And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
12And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
13And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
14And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve , according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.
15And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold.
16And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate.
17And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
18And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it.
19And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward.
20And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
21And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
22And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
23And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend.
24And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet , and twined linen.
25And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
26A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.
27And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,
28And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen,
29And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet , of needlework ; as the LORD commanded Moses.
30And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
31And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Moses Inspects the Tabernacle
32Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.
33And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets,
34And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering,
35The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat,
36The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread ,
37The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,
38And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,
39The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
40The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
41The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments, to minister in the priest's office.
42According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
43And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.
Summary
The priestly garments are crafted exactly as God commanded. The ephod is woven of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen. Two onyx stones engraved with the twelve tribal names are set on the shoulder pieces. The breastplate of judgment is made with twelve precious stones, each bearing a tribal name. The robe of the ephod is made entirely of blue, with golden bells and pomegranates alternating on its hem. Coats, bonnets, breeches, and the golden plate inscribed HOLINESS TO THE LORD complete the priestly wardrobe. All the work of the Tabernacle is finished. Moses inspects everything, confirms it matches God's pattern exactly, and blesses the people.
Meaning
The inscription 'HOLINESS TO THE LORD' on the high priest's golden crown declares the central requirement for approaching God. Worn on the forehead, it consecrated the priest's thoughts and identity to divine service.
Moses' inspection and approval foreshadows Christ's examination of His church's faithfulness. The entire construction narrative answers the golden calf debacle: the same people who fell into idolatry now complete God's dwelling with meticulous obedience. The repeated phrase 'as the LORD commanded Moses' forms a literary refrain of restored covenant fidelity.
Background
The twelve stones of the breastplate have been variously identified, and exact identification of several Hebrew gem names remains uncertain. Their representative function is clear: the high priest bore the entire nation before God.
The phrase 'as the LORD commanded Moses' appears repeatedly in these chapters — a deliberate refrain emphasizing faithful adherence to the divine blueprint revealed on Sinai.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-7Crafting the Ephod
- vv. 8-21The Breastplate of Judgment
- vv. 22-26The Robe with Bells and Pomegranates
- vv. 27-31Remaining Priestly Garments and Holy Crown
- vv. 32-41Completed Work Presented to Moses
- vv. 42-43Moses Inspects and Blesses the Work
Key Verses
“And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.”— 39:30
The golden crown inscription encapsulates the entire purpose of the priestly garments and tabernacle worship — total consecration to God. This phrase becomes a defining motto for Israel's worship and holiness theology.
“Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.”— 39:32
This pivotal summary statement marks the completion of the tabernacle project, echoing the completion of creation in Genesis 2:1-2. The emphasis on obedience — doing 'all that the LORD commanded' — underscores faithful execution of divine instruction.
“And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.”— 39:43
Moses' inspection and blessing deliberately parallels God surveying creation and declaring it 'very good' (Genesis 1:31). The blessing confirms divine approval mediated through Moses, closing the construction narrative with covenantal satisfaction.
People & Places
People
- Aaron — Israel's first high priest, for whom the holy garments were crafted to serve in the priestly office.
- Moses — Leader of Israel who received God's instructions for the tabernacle and inspected the completed work.
Places
- The Tabernacle — The portable sanctuary constructed by Israel in the wilderness as God's dwelling place among His people.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
The priestly garments, particularly the breastplate bearing the twelve tribes' names (vv. 8-14) and the crown inscribed 'HOLINESS TO THE LORD' (v. 30), foreshadow Christ's high-priestly ministry. As the high priest carried Israel on his heart before God, so Christ bears His people in intercession (Hebrews 7:25). The completion language of verse 32 echoes Genesis 2:1-2, framing the tabernacle as a new-creation act — a theme fulfilled in Christ, in whom God fully tabernacles among humanity (John 1:14).
Devotional
Seven times in this chapter we read 'as the LORD commanded Moses.' The craftsmen of Israel did not innovate or improvise — they obeyed with precision and care. There is a quiet dignity in faithful work done exactly as God directs.
When Moses surveyed their labor, he blessed them. Faithfulness in the details — even details no one else may notice — draws God's approval. Whether our work is visible or hidden, sacred or seemingly mundane, it matters that we do it with wholehearted obedience. God honors the worker who takes His word seriously and labors not for applause, but out of reverence.
Literary Style
Detailed narrative catalogue recounting the construction of the priestly garments and tabernacle furnishings. The chapter employs extensive repetition — particularly the refrain 'as the LORD commanded Moses' — creating a liturgical rhythm that emphasizes obedience. The inventory style in verses 33-41 functions as a solemn accounting, and the closing inspection scene echoes the creation narrative of Genesis 1-2.