Exodus 28:29
in Exodus 28Whenever 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before Jehovah continually.
KJV
And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.
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This verse in Exodus 28
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Gregory the DialogistThe Book of Pastoral Rule, Part 2, Chapter 2 · Written before 604.
On this breastplate it is further carefully prescribed that the names of the twelve patriarchs should be engraved. For to carry always the fathers registered on the breast is to think without intermission on the lives of the ancients. For the priest then walks blamelessly when he pores continually on the examples of the fathers that went before him, when he considers without cease the footsteps of the Saints, and keeps down unlawful thoughts, lest he advance the foot of his conduct beyond the limit of order.
This site's exposition
Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place
on Exodus 28:29-30
Aaron carries the names on his shoulders at verse 12 and “over his heart” here, and the verb both times is bear. Into the pouch go “the Urim and Thummim,” and the text never says what they were.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
How near should Christ's name be to our hearts, since he is pleased to lay our names so near his! and what a comfort it is to us, in all our addresses to God, that the great high priest of our profession has the names of all his Israel upon his breast before the Lord for a memorial, presenting them to God as the people of his choice, who were to be made accepted in the beloved!
And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work--a very splendid and richly embroidered piece of brocade, a span square, and doubled, to enable it the better to bear the weight of the precious stones in it.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנָשָׂ֣א | venasa' | and he will bear | H5375 → | 656 times |
| אַ֠הֲרֹן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁמ֨וֹת | shemot | [the] names of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| בְּחֹ֧שֶׁן | bechoshen | on [the] breastpiece of | H2833 → | 25 times |
| הַמִּשְׁפָּ֛ט | hamishpat | <the> judgment | H4941 → | 422 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לִבּ֖וֹ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| בְּבֹא֣וֹ | bevoo | when goes he | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ | hakodesh | the holy place | H6944 → | 469 times |
| לְזִכָּרֹ֥ן | lezikaron | to a memorial | H2146 → | 24 times |
| לִפְנֵֽי־ | lifnei- | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| תָּמִֽיד׃ | tamid | continually | H8548 → | 104 times |
וְנָשָׂ֣אand he will bear
venasa'H5375 →656 times
אַ֠הֲרֹןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שְׁמ֨וֹת[the] names of
shemotH8034 →864 times
בְּנֵֽי־[the] sons of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
בְּחֹ֧שֶׁןon [the] breastpiece of
bechoshenH2833 →25 times
הַמִּשְׁפָּ֛ט<the> judgment
hamishpatH4941 →422 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
לִבּ֖וֹheart his
liboH3820 →595 times
בְּבֹא֣וֹwhen goes he
bevooH935 →2568 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁthe holy place
hakodeshH6944 →469 times
לְזִכָּרֹ֥ןto a memorial
lezikaronH2146 →24 times
לִפְנֵֽי־<to> before
lifnei-H6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
תָּמִֽיד׃continually
tamidH8548 →104 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
Jeremiah 30:21Their leader will be one of their own, and their ruler will arise from their midst. And I will bring him near, and he will approach Me, for who would dare on his own…
it leads to
- Numbers 16:5
Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will bring that person near to Himself. The one…
- Ezekiel 34:23–24
I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
- Ezekiel 37:24
My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes.
- Numbers 16:5
Through
Exodus 28:30And 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…
it leads to
- Nehemiah 7:65
The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.
- Ezra 2:63
The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.
- Numbers 27:21
He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will…
- Nehemiah 7:65
Through
Romans 10:1Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 9:20–22
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win…
- John 5:34
Even though I do not accept human testimony, I say these things so that you may be saved.
- 1 Corinthians 9:20–22
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Alfred Edersheim, The Temple: Its Ministry and Services; Gregory the Dialogist, The Book of Pastoral Rule, Part 2, Chapter 2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.