Exodus 28:38
in Exodus 28And it will be worn on Aaron’s forehead, so that he may bear the iniquity of the holy things that the sons of Israel consecrate with regard to all their holy gifts. It shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be acceptable before the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before Jehovah.
KJV
And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.
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This verse in Exodus 28
Commentary
8 notes on this verseMay bear the iniquity of the holy things - ונשא אהרן את עון הקדשים venasa Aharon eth avon hakkodashim. And Aaron shall bear (in a vicarious and typical manner) the sin of the holy or separated things - offerings or sacrifices.
This site's exposition
make a plate of pure gold
on Exodus 28:36-38
A gold plate on the front of the turban is engraved like a seal, “HOLY TO THE LORD”. Aaron wears it “so that he may bear the iniquity of the holy things,” so even Israel's gifts need covering before they are accepted.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Thro' him what is amiss in our services is pardoned: even this would be our ruin, if God should enter into judgment with us: but Christ our high priest bears this iniquity; bears it for us, so as to bear it from us. Thro' him likewise what is good is accepted; our persons, our performances are pleasing to God upon the account of Christ's intercession, and not otherwise.
His being holiness to the Lord recommends all those to the divine favour that are interested in his righteousness, and clothed with his Spirit; and therefore he has said it was for our sakes that he sanctified himself, John xvii. Having such a high priest, we come boldly to the throne of grace, Heb. iv. The rest of the garments are but named (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead,.... That is, the plate of gold, with the inscription on it, holiness to the Lord, and so was very visible and legible.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
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
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָה֮ | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מֵ֣צַח | metzach | [the] forehead of | H4696 → | |
| אַהֲרֹן֒ | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| וְנָשָׂ֨א | venasa' | and he will bear | H5375 → | 656 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֜ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֲוֹ֣ן | ʾavon | [the] guilt of | H5771 → | 233 times |
| הַקֳּדָשִׁ֗ים | hakodashim | the holy things | H6944 → | 469 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יַקְדִּ֙ישׁוּ֙ | yakdishu | they will consecrate | H6942 → | 171 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לְכָֽל־ | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מַתְּנֹ֖ת | matenot | [the] gifts of | H4979 → | |
| קָדְשֵׁיהֶ֑ם | kadesheihem | holiness<es> their | H6944 → | 469 times |
| וְהָיָ֤ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מִצְחוֹ֙ | mitzcho | forehead his | H4696 → | |
| תָּמִ֔יד | tamid | continually | H8548 → | 104 times |
| לְרָצ֥וֹן | leratzon | for acceptance | H7522 → | |
| לָהֶ֖ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| לִפְנֵ֥י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְהָיָה֮and it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מֵ֣צַח[the] forehead of
metzachH4696 →
אַהֲרֹן֒Aaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
וְנָשָׂ֨אand he will bear
venasa'H5375 →656 times
אַהֲרֹ֜ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֲוֹ֣ן[the] guilt of
ʾavonH5771 →233 times
הַקֳּדָשִׁ֗יםthe holy things
hakodashimH6944 →469 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יַקְדִּ֙ישׁוּ֙they will consecrate
yakdishuH6942 →171 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לְכָֽל־to all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
מַתְּנֹ֖ת[the] gifts of
matenotH4979 →
קָדְשֵׁיהֶ֑םholiness<es> their
kadesheihemH6944 →469 times
וְהָיָ֤הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מִצְחוֹ֙forehead his
mitzchoH4696 →
תָּמִ֔ידcontinually
tamidH8548 →104 times
לְרָצ֥וֹןfor acceptance
leratzonH7522 →
לָהֶ֖םto <the> them
lahem
לִפְנֵ֥י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
1 Peter 2:24He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 53:4–6
Surely He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken by God, struck down and afflicted.
- Matthew 8:17
This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took on our infirmities and carried our diseases.”
- Romans 6:11
So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
- Revelation 22:2
down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month.…
- Isaiah 53:4–6
Through
John 1:29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
it leads to
- Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not…
- 1 John 2:2
He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
- 1 John 3:5
But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.
- 1 Peter 1:19
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
- Isaiah 53:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
On this verse
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.