Exodus 39:1
in Exodus 39From the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn they made specially woven garments for ministry in the sanctuary, as well as the holy garments for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made finely wrought garments, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Exodus 39
Commentary
6 notes on this verseIt is said of those that are arrayed in white robes that they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple, Rev. vii. Holy garments were not made for men to sleep in, or to strut in, but to do service in; and then they are indeed for glory and beauty.
This site's exposition
they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place
The chapter opens on the phrase it repeats seven times, as the Lord commanded Moses, and the first thing named is cloths of service for the holy place. The Hebrew root behind service here is the one Exodus 1:14 used five times over for the bondage in Egypt, where the people served with rigour. Exodus begins with service to Pharaoh and closes with an order of service to God, and the book is the transfer between them.
The record, by era
The Reformation1 voice
We have elsewhere set forth how far it was from being an empty pomp, as when the Popish sacrificers now-a-days, in order to acquire dignity, dazzle the eyes of the simple by the splendor of their vestments, and their magnificent paraphernalia; but that rather it was for the purpose of placing before men's eyes all that faith ought to consider in Jesus Christ.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And all true believers are spiritual priests. The clean linen with which all their clothes of service must be made, is the righteousness of saints: and holiness to the Lord must be so written upon their foreheads, that all who converse with them may see they bear the image of God's holiness.
And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Blue and purple, and scarlet - See this subject largely explained in the notes on Exo 25:4 (note).
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Scripture describes. In verse. how they placed the gold amidst the blue.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּמִן־ | umin- | and from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַתְּכֵ֤לֶת | hatekhelet | the violet stuff | H8504 → | 49 times |
| וְהָֽאַרְגָּמָן֙ | vehaargaman | and the purple | H713 → | 38 times |
| וְתוֹלַ֣עַת | vetolaat | and [the] scarlet stuff of | H8438 → | 43 times |
| הַשָּׁנִ֔י | hashani | the scarlet | H8144 → | 42 times |
| עָשׂ֥וּ | ʾasu | they made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| בִגְדֵי־ | vigdei- | garments of | H899 → | 217 times |
| שְׂרָ֖ד | serad | woven material | H8278 → | 4 times |
| לְשָׁרֵ֣ת | lesharet | to serve | H8334 → | 97 times |
| בַּקֹּ֑דֶשׁ | bakodesh | in the holy place | H6944 → | 469 times |
| וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֞וּ | vaiyaasu | and they made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בִּגְדֵ֤י | bigdei | [the] garments of | H899 → | 217 times |
| הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ | hakodesh | the holiness | H6944 → | 469 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לְאַהֲרֹ֔ן | leaharon | [belong] to Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֥ה | tzivah | he had commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֹשֶֽׁה׃ פ | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
וּמִן־and from
umin-H4480 →1188 times
הַתְּכֵ֤לֶתthe violet stuff
hatekheletH8504 →49 times
וְהָֽאַרְגָּמָן֙and the purple
vehaargamanH713 →38 times
וְתוֹלַ֣עַתand [the] scarlet stuff of
vetolaatH8438 →43 times
הַשָּׁנִ֔יthe scarlet
hashaniH8144 →42 times
עָשׂ֥וּthey made
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
בִגְדֵי־garments of
vigdei-H899 →217 times
שְׂרָ֖דwoven material
seradH8278 →4 times
לְשָׁרֵ֣תto serve
lesharetH8334 →97 times
בַּקֹּ֑דֶשׁin the holy place
bakodeshH6944 →469 times
וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֞וּand they made
vaiyaasuH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בִּגְדֵ֤י[the] garments of
bigdeiH899 →217 times
הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙the holiness
hakodeshH6944 →469 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לְאַהֲרֹ֔ן[belong] to Aaron
leaharonH175 →347 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֛רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֥הhe had commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מֹשֶֽׁה׃ פMoses
moshehH4872 →765 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
Hebrews 9:12He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.
it leads to
- Hebrews 10:4
because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
- 1 Peter 1:18–19
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
- Hebrews 9:15
Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under…
- Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
- Hebrews 5:9
And having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him
- Hebrews 10:4
Through
Hebrews 9:25Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:12
He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.
- Hebrews 9:7
But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.
- Hebrews 9:12
Through
Exodus 35:19and the woven garments for ministering in the holy place—both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests.”
it leads to
- Exodus 28:1–43
“Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 28:1–43
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Exodus

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; 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.
