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Exodus 28:37

in Exodus 28

Fasten to it a blue cord to mount it on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

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.

KJV

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.

This verse in Exodus 28

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

The Scripture has not described its form, but from JOSEPHUS we may gather that it was conical in shape, as he distinguishes the mitres of the common priests by saying that they were not conical--that it was encircled with swathes of blue embroidered, and that it was covered by one piece of fine linen to hide the seams.

This site's exposition

make a plate of pure gold

on Exodus 28:36-38

A plate of pure gold on the front of the mitre carries an engraving cut like a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. It rides on the forehead so that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which grants that even Israel's gifts need covering before they are accepted. Zechariah 14:20 puts that same inscription on the bells of the horses in the day it describes, so what was written on one man's forehead ends up on common harness.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Holiness becomes his house and household. The high priest must be sequestered from all pollution, and consecrated to God and to his service and honour, and so must all his ministrations be. All that attend in God's house must have Holiness to the Lord engraven upon their foreheads, that is, they must be holy, devoted to the Lord, and designing his glory in all they do.
And thou shalt put it on a blue lace,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

plate--literally, a petal of a flower, which seems to have been the figure of this golden plate, which was tied with a ribbon of blue on the front of the mitre, so that every one facing him could read the inscription.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

DEAR Friends, I must begin by reminding you that we are not in this place dealing with unconverted men in their sins but with God's people Israel in their holy things. I say this because we must never forget that "without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin." And when we are dealing with certain types it must be understood that the blood has done its essential work. Even a high priest, with all his "glory and beauty," could not put away sin as before God without reference to the shedding of blood. The atonement is supposed to have been offered—these people have been purified and brought near by the appointed offerings. But now, here comes the point with which this type concerns itself. They are God's people and therefore they come to Him with their gifts and thank-offerings—these alone can draw near to Him or will even care to do so. But how shall they draw near, for even after being reconciled by the blood they continue to sin? There is iniquity even in their holy things! How shall they come to God without someone to stand between them who shall continually bear for them the iniquity of the "holy things which they shall hallow in all their holy gifts"? There is need of One who is "able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them." That sacred Person is provided by God in Christ Jesus our Lord and thus the way to present acceptable sacrifice has been made clear for all the blood-washed people of God! Aaron in his glorious attire was the type of the living Christ who presented unto God the sacrifices of His people. Their faults in worship and fellowship he is made to bear and so their gifts and prayers are accepted before a holy God.

The words behind it

13 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְשַׂמְתָּ֤and you will put

    vesamtaH7760584 times

  • אֹתוֹ֙<obj.> it

    ʾotoH85310935 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H59215755 times

  • פְּתִ֣ילa cord of

    petilH661611 times

  • תְּכֵ֔לֶתviolet stuff

    tekheletH850449 times

  • וְהָיָ֖הand it will be

    vehayahH19613559 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H59215755 times

  • הַמִּצְנָ֑פֶתthe turban

    hamitznafetH470112 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H4135510 times

  • מ֥וּל[the] front of

    mulH413636 times

  • פְּנֵֽי־[the] face of

    penei-H64402123 times

  • הַמִּצְנֶ֖פֶתthe turban

    hamitznefetH470112 times

  • יִהְיֶֽה׃it will be

    yihyehH19613559 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Zechariah 3:5

    Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So a clean turban was placed on his head, and they clothed him, as the angel of the LORD stood by.

    it leads to

    • Exodus 29:6

      Put the turban on his head and attach the holy diadem to the turban.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Zechariah 6:11

      Take silver and gold, make an ornate crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak.

    • Job 29:14

      I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.

  • Through

    Exodus 28:4

    These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these holy garments for your brother Aaron and…

    it leads to

    • Ephesians 6:14

      Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed,

    • Revelation 9:17

      Now the horses and riders in my vision looked like this: The riders had breastplates the colors of fire, sapphire, and sulfur. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and…

    • Isaiah 59:17

      He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance and wrapped Himself in a cloak of zeal.

    • 1 Thessalonians 5:8

      But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation.

  • Through

    Exodus 28:28

    The rings of the breastpiece shall be tied to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece is above the waistband of the ephod and does not…

    it leads to

    • Numbers 15:38

      “Speak to the Israelites and tell them that throughout the generations to come they are to make for themselves tassels for the corners of their garments, with a blue cord on each tassel.

Where this verse is studied

About Exodus

The Giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.

This page draws on Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2153: “The Iniquity of Our Holy Things” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.