Exodus 28:12
in Exodus 28Fasten both stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear their names on his two shoulders as a memorial before the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Exodus 28
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAaron shall bear their names before the Lord - He was to consider that he was the representative of the children of Israel; and the stones on the ephod and the stones on the breastplate were for a memorial to put Aaron in remembrance that he was the priest and mediator of the twelve tribes; and, speaking after the manner of men, God was to be put in mind of the children of Israel, their wants, etc., as frequently as the high priest appeared before him with the breastplate and the ephod. See Exo 28:29.
This site's exposition
take two onyx stones, and grave on them
on Exodus 28:9-12
Two onyx stones carry the twelve names, six to a stone, ordered according to their birth. Aaron wears them on his shoulders, which is where a load is carried, and the text calls them stones of memorial. Matthew Henry and Sir Robert Anderson read the shoulders here and the heart at verse 29 together as a figure of Christ carrying his people, and Hebrews 9:11-12 speaks of the high priest entering the holy place once for all.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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 L ORD : and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the L ORD continually.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:92%@v30
And thou shall put the stones upon the shoulders of the ephod,....
Righteousness is the girdle of his loins ( Isa. xi. 6 ), and should be of ours, Eph. vi. He is girt with strength for the work of our salvation, and is ready for it.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The ephod was fastened by a girdle of the same costly materials, that is, dyed, embroidered, and wrought with threads of gold. It was about a handbreadth wide and wound twice round the upper part of the waist; it fastened in front, the ends hanging down at great length (Re 1:13).
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשַׂמְתָּ֞ | vesamta | and you will put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁתֵּ֣י | shetei | [the] two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| הָאֲבָנִ֗ים | haavanim | the stones | H68 → | 273 times |
| עַ֚ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כִּתְפֹ֣ת | kitfot | [the] shoulder-pieces of | H3802 → | 67 times |
| הָֽאֵפֹ֔ד | haefod | the ephod | H646 → | 49 times |
| אַבְנֵ֥י | ʾavnei | stones of | H68 → | 273 times |
| זִכָּרֹ֖ן | zikaron | reminder | H2146 → | 24 times |
| לִבְנֵ֣י | livnei | for [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְנָשָׂא֩ | venasa' | and he will bear | H5375 → | 656 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֨ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁמוֹתָ֜ם | shemotam | names their | H8034 → | 864 times |
| לִפְנֵ֧י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֛ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שְׁתֵּ֥י | shetei | [the] two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| כְתֵפָ֖יו | khetefav | shoulder-pieces his | H3802 → | 67 times |
| לְזִכָּרֹֽן׃ ס | lezikaron | to a reminder | H2146 → | 24 times |
וְשַׂמְתָּ֞and you will put
vesamtaH7760 →584 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שְׁתֵּ֣י[the] two
sheteiH8147 →768 times
הָאֲבָנִ֗יםthe stones
haavanimH68 →273 times
עַ֚לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
כִּתְפֹ֣ת[the] shoulder-pieces of
kitfotH3802 →67 times
הָֽאֵפֹ֔דthe ephod
haefodH646 →49 times
אַבְנֵ֥יstones of
ʾavneiH68 →273 times
זִכָּרֹ֖ןreminder
zikaronH2146 →24 times
לִבְנֵ֣יfor [the] sons of
livneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְנָשָׂא֩and he will bear
venasa'H5375 →656 times
אַהֲרֹ֨ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שְׁמוֹתָ֜םnames their
shemotamH8034 →864 times
לִפְנֵ֧י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֛הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שְׁתֵּ֥י[the] two
sheteiH8147 →768 times
כְתֵפָ֖יוshoulder-pieces his
khetefavH3802 →67 times
לְזִכָּרֹֽן׃ סto a reminder
lezikaronH2146 →24 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joshua 4:7you are to tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters were cut off.’ Therefore these…
it leads to
- Exodus 12:14
And this day will be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD, as a permanent statute for the generations to come.
- Numbers 16:40
just as the LORD commanded him through Moses. This was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the…
- Psalms 111:4
He has caused His wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
- Exodus 12:14
Through
Leviticus 24:7And you are to place pure frankincense near each row, so that it may serve as a memorial portion for the bread, an offering made by fire to the LORD.
it leads to
- Leviticus 2:2
and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar,…
- Leviticus 2:2
Through
Exodus 28:29Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he shall bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of judgment, as a continual reminder before the LORD.
it leads to
- Exodus 28:30
And place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the LORD. Aaron will continually carry the judgment of the…
- Romans 10:1
Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation.
- Isaiah 49:15–16
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!
- Exodus 28:30
Through
Numbers 16:40just as the LORD commanded him through Moses. This was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the…
it leads to
- Numbers 3:10
So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; but any outsider who approaches the tabernacle must be put to death.”
- Numbers 3:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
On this verse
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Sir Robert Anderson, Types in Hebrews.