Exodus 39:7
in Exodus 39Then they fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
KJV
And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses.
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This verse in Exodus 39
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
They made shoulder pieces for the ephod
on Exodus 39:4-7
Two onyx stones on the ephod's shoulders are engraved like a seal with the names of the sons of Israel. The text gives the reason, as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron carries the whole nation on him wherever he goes in this garment.
This site's exposition
as memorial stones for the sons of Israel
The refrain as the LORD had commanded Moses closes this verse, as it closed verses 1 and 5. The engraved names of verse 6 keep Israel before the LORD. Matthew Henry reads the refrain as a rule for worship, which stands as the LORD gave it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And (lastly) he crowned himself with holiness to the Lord, consecrating his whole undertaking to the honour of his Father's holiness: now consider how great this man is. (2.) True believers are spiritual priests. The clean linen with which all their clothes of service must be made is the righteousness of saints ( Rev. xix.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֣שֶׂם | vaiyasem | and he put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| אֹתָ֗ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַ֚ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כִּתְפֹ֣ת | kitfot | [the] shoulder-pieces of | H3802 → | 67 times |
| הָאֵפֹ֔ד | haefod | the ephod | H646 → | 49 times |
| אַבְנֵ֥י | ʾavnei | stones of | H68 → | 273 times |
| זִכָּר֖וֹן | zikaron | remembrance | H2146 → | 24 times |
| לִבְנֵ֣י | livnei | for [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 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 |
וַיָּ֣שֶׂםand he put
vaiyasemH7760 →584 times
אֹתָ֗ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
עַ֚לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
כִּתְפֹ֣ת[the] shoulder-pieces of
kitfotH3802 →67 times
הָאֵפֹ֔דthe ephod
haefodH646 →49 times
אַבְנֵ֥יstones of
ʾavneiH68 →273 times
זִכָּר֖וֹןremembrance
zikaronH2146 →24 times
לִבְנֵ֣יfor [the] sons of
livneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 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
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 28:12
Fasten 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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 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…
- Exodus 28:12
Through
Nehemiah 2:20So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.”
it leads to
- Acts 8:21
You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
- Ezra 4:3
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of the families of Israel replied, “You have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for the…
- Nehemiah 2:4
“What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven
- Acts 10:31
and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been remembered before God.
- Isaiah 56:5
I will give them, in My house and within My walls, a memorial and a name better than that of sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will not be…
- Acts 8:21
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.
- Exodus 12:14
Where this verse is studied
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.