Exoduschapter 28

43 verses · Moses, by tradition · 15th or 13th century BC · The Law

In Jewish life

The reading

Weekly portion 20 of 54

תְּצַוֶּה Tetzaveh, Exodus 27:20 to 30:10

Read with it: Ezekiel 43:10 to 43:27.

The verse numbers here are the ones a Hebrew Bible carries, which differ from an English Bible by a verse or two in several places. The Sephardi reading is named only where this site records a difference; communities vary beyond what is listed. What these books are, and how a Christian reader meets them →

How it is read

The chapter clothes the priest, and Rashi reads the garments as the thing that makes him one. They sanctify Aaron and install him in the priesthood, and the word for priesthood he glosses as service (Rashi on Exodus 28:3:1). The breastplate is "an ornament borne in front of the heart" (Rashi on Exodus 28:4:1). Before he takes the ephod verse by verse he stops to describe the whole garment first, so that a reader can hold it together (Rashi on Exodus 28:6:1). He compares its shape to the riding apron of a woman on horseback, with two wide straps joined to the belt at the back and carried over the shoulders (Rashi on Exodus 28:7:1). On the two onyx stones he gives the order of the names and their count. They stand in the order the sons were born, and the spelling of Benjamin in full makes twenty five letters on each stone (Rashi on Exodus 28:10:1, citing Sotah 36a). The purpose of that engraving is memory before God. God "will see the names of the tribes written before Him and He will remember their righteousness" (Rashi on Exodus 28:12:1, citing Exodus Rabbah 38:8). The twelve stones of the breastplate keep the same order, a sardius for Reuben and a topaz for Simeon and so through the list (Rashi on Exodus 28:21:1). The name breastplate of judgment he explains twice over. It atoned for error in judgment, and it made its statements clear and its promise true (Rashi on Exodus 28:15:1, citing Zevachim 88b and Jerusalem Talmud Yoma 7:5). Rashi is quoted from the Rosenbaum and Silbermann edition of 1929 to 1934, public domain. Ibn Ezra comments at Exodus 28:2:1 and 28:9:1 under a licence that keeps his text off this page.

What the rabbis say

The corpus records forty places where the Midrash and the Talmud draw on this chapter, cited here by reference. The garments and the stones are read in Arakhin at 3b:14, 16a:13, 16a:14 and 16a:15. They stand in Chullin at 7a:3, 63a:3 and 138a:6, and in Menachot at 11a:5. Bamidbar Rabbah carries the chapter at 1:3, 4:13, 10:9, 12:13 and 18:4. The Ein Yaakov collections read it at Shabbat 2:13, Sotah 7:19, Sotah 9:17 and Megillah 1:28. Midrash Aggadah reads the stones at Exodus 28:3:1, 28:18:1 and 28:19:1, and at Leviticus 16:1:3. Midrash Lekach Tov reads the garments at Exodus 28:3:1, 28:7:1, 28:33:1 and 28:39:1, and at Leviticus 16:4:1. The Jerusalem Talmud takes up the priesthood at Yoma 7:3:8, Maasrot 5:2:2 and Moed Katan 3:8:3. It reads the robe and the anointing at Chagigah 1:1:6, Sheviit 1:1:4 and Pesachim 7:7:8. Sifra reads the memorial at Acharei Mot, Chapter 1 7, and Midrash Tanchuma Buber at Achrei Mot 7:3.

The text, verse by verse

Each word shows the Hebrew, the English under it, how it sounds and its Strong’s number. A rule between verses marks where the Hebrew manuscripts end a paragraph.

Garments for Glory and Beauty

28:1

וְאַתָּ֡הand youveatahH859 הַקְרֵ֣בbring nearhakrevH7126 אֵלֶיךָ֩to yourselfʾeleikhaH413 אֶת־<obj.>ʾet-H853 אַהֲרֹ֨ןAaronʾaharonH175 אָחִ֜יךָbrother yourʾachikhaH251 וְאֶת־and <obj.>veetH853 בָּנָ֣יוsons hisbanavH1121 אִתּ֔וֹwith himʾitoH854 מִתּ֛וֹךְfrom amongmitokhH8432 בְּנֵ֥י[the] people ofbeneiH1121 יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsraelyisraelH3478 לְכַהֲנוֹ־to serve as priest helekhahanov-H3547לִ֑יto <the> meliאַהֲרֹ֕ןAaronʾaharonH175 נָדָ֧בNadabnadavH5070 וַאֲבִיה֛וּאand Abihuvaavihu'H30 אֶלְעָזָ֥רEleazarʾelazarH499 וְאִיתָמָ֖רand IthamarveitamarH385 בְּנֵ֥י[the] sons ofbeneiH1121 אַהֲרֹֽן׃AaronʾaharonH175

28:2

וְעָשִׂ֥יתָand you will makeveasitaH6213 בִגְדֵי־garments ofvigdei-H899 קֹ֖דֶשׁholinesskodeshH6944 לְאַהֲרֹ֣ןfor AaronleaharonH175 אָחִ֑יךָbrother yourʾachikhaH251 לְכָב֖וֹדfor glorylekhavodH3519 וּלְתִפְאָֽרֶת׃and for beautyuletifaretH8597

28:3

וְאַתָּ֗הand youveatahH859 תְּדַבֵּר֙you will speaktedaberH1696 אֶל־toʾel-H413 כָּל־allkol-H3605 חַכְמֵי־[people] skillful ofchakhmei-H2450 לֵ֔בheartlevH3820 אֲשֶׁ֥רwhichʾasherH834 מִלֵּאתִ֖יוI have filled itmiletivH4390 ר֣וּחַa spirit ofruachH7307 חָכְמָ֑הwisdomchokhmahH2451 וְעָשׂ֞וּand they will makeveasuH6213 אֶת־<obj.>ʾet-H853 בִּגְדֵ֧י[the] garments ofbigdeiH899 אַהֲרֹ֛ןAaronʾaharonH175 לְקַדְּשׁ֖וֹto consecrate himlekadeshoH6942 לְכַהֲנוֹ־to serve as priest helekhahanov-H3547לִֽי׃to <the> meli

28:4

וְאֵ֨לֶּהand theseveelehH428 הַבְּגָדִ֜ים[are] the garmentshabegadimH899 אֲשֶׁ֣רwhichʾasherH834 יַעֲשׂ֗וּthey will makeyaasuH6213 חֹ֤שֶׁןa breastpiecechoshenH2833 וְאֵפוֹד֙and an ephodveefodH646 וּמְעִ֔ילand a robeumeilH4598 וּכְתֹ֥נֶתand a tunic ofukhetonetH3801 תַּשְׁבֵּ֖ץcheckered worktashbetzH8665 מִצְנֶ֣פֶתa turbanmitznefetH4701 וְאַבְנֵ֑טand a sashveavnetH73 וְעָשׂ֨וּand they will makeveasuH6213 בִגְדֵי־garments ofvigdei-H899 קֹ֜דֶשׁholinesskodeshH6944 לְאַהֲרֹ֥ןfor AaronleaharonH175 אָחִ֛יךָbrother yourʾachikhaH251 וּלְבָנָ֖יוand for sons hisulevanavH1121 לְכַהֲנוֹ־to serve as priest helekhahanov-H3547לִֽי׃to <the> meli

28:5

וְהֵם֙and theyvehemH1992 יִקְח֣וּthey will takeyikchuH3947 אֶת־<obj.>ʾet-H853 הַזָּהָ֔בthe goldhazahavH2091 וְאֶת־and <obj.>veetH853 הַתְּכֵ֖לֶתthe violet stuffhatekheletH8504 וְאֶת־and <obj.>veetH853 הָֽאַרְגָּמָ֑ןthe purplehaargamanH713 וְאֶת־and <obj.>veetH853 תּוֹלַ֥עַת[the] scarlet stuff oftolaatH8438 הַשָּׁנִ֖יthe scarlethashaniH8144 וְאֶת־and <obj.>veetH853 הַשֵּֽׁשׁ׃the fine linenhasheshH8336

The Ephod and Its Shoulder Stones

28:6

וְעָשׂ֖וּand they will makeveasuH6213 אֶת־<obj.>ʾet-H853 הָאֵפֹ֑דthe ephodhaefodH646 זָ֠הָבgoldzahoH2091 תְּכֵ֨לֶתviolet stufftekheletH8504 וְאַרְגָּמָ֜ןand purpleveargamanH713 תּוֹלַ֧עַתscarlet stuff oftolaatH8438 שָׁנִ֛יscarletshaniH8144 וְשֵׁ֥שׁand fine linenvesheshH8336 מָשְׁזָ֖רtwistedmashezarH7806 מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה[the] work ofmaasehH4639 חֹשֵֽׁב׃a skillful workerchoshevH2803

28:7

שְׁתֵּ֧יtwosheteiH8147 כְתֵפֹ֣תshoulder-pieceskhetefotH3802 חֹֽבְרֹ֗תjoinedchoerotH2266 יִֽהְיֶה־it will be[long]yihyeh-H1961לּ֛וֹto <the> itloאֶל־toʾel-H413 שְׁנֵ֥י[the] twosheneiH8147 קְצוֹתָ֖יוends itsketzotavH7098 וְחֻבָּֽר׃and it will be joined togethervechubarH2266

28:8

וְחֵ֤שֶׁבand [the] girdle ofvecheshevH2805 אֲפֻדָּתוֹ֙ephod itsʾafudatoH642 אֲשֶׁ֣רwhichʾasherH834 עָלָ֔יו[will be] on itʾalavH5921 כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֖הוּ[will be] like workmanship itskemaasehuH4639 מִמֶּ֣נּוּfrom itmimenuH4480 יִהְיֶ֑הit will beyihyehH1961 זָהָ֗בgoldzahavH2091 תְּכֵ֧לֶתviolet stufftekheletH8504 וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ןand purpleveargamanH713 וְתוֹלַ֥עַתand scarlet stuff ofvetolaatH8438 שָׁנִ֖יscarletshaniH8144 וְשֵׁ֥שׁand fine linenvesheshH8336 מָשְׁזָֽר׃twistedmashezarH7806

28:9

וְלָ֣קַחְתָּ֔and you will takevelakachtaH3947 אֶת־<obj.>ʾet-H853 שְׁתֵּ֖יtwosheteiH8147 אַבְנֵי־stones ofʾavnei-H68 שֹׁ֑הַםonyxshohamH7718 וּפִתַּחְתָּ֣and you will engraveufitachtaH6605 עֲלֵיהֶ֔םon themʾaleihemH5921 שְׁמ֖וֹת[the] names ofshemotH8034 בְּנֵ֥י[the] sons ofbeneiH1121 יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃IsraelyisraelH3478