1Und von dem blauen und dem roten Purpur und dem doppelt gefärbten Scharlach machten sie die Dienstkleider für das Diensttun im Heiligtum, und machten die heiligen Kleider für Aharon, wie Jehovah dem Mose geboten hatte. 2Und er machte das Ephod von Gold, blauem und rotem Purpur und doppelt gefärbtem Scharlach und gezwirntem Byssus. 3Und die Goldplatten schlugen sie breit, und er schnitt sie ab in Fäden, um sie inmitten des blauen und inmitten des roten Purpurs und inmitten des doppelt gefärbten Scharlach und inmitten des Byssus zu tun, mit dem Werke des Denkers. 4Schulterstücke machten sie daran, die sich zusammenfügten, an ihren beiden Enden fügte man sie zusammen. 5Und der Gurt zum Anlegen, der daran war, war aus ihm und wie sein Werk, von Gold, blauem und rotem Purpur und Scharlach, doppelt gefärbt und gezwirntem Byssus, wie Jehovah dem Mose geboten hatte. 6Und sie machten die Onychsteine, ringsum in Gold gefaßt, und sie gruben darauf, wie im Siegelstich, nach den Namen der Söhne Israels ein. 7Und er setzte sie auf die Schulterstücke des Ephod als Gedenksteine für die Söhne Israels, wie Jehovah dem Mose geboten hatte. 8Und das Brustschildlein machte er mit dem Werke des Kunstwirkers, wie das Werk des Ephods gemacht war, aus Gold, blauem und rotem Purpur, und doppelt gefärbtem Scharlach und gezwirntem Byssus. 9Geviert war es, gedoppelt machten sie das Brustschildlein, eine Spanne seine Länge und eine Spanne seine Breite, gedoppelt. 10Und sie füllten es mit vier Reihen von Steinen; eine Reihe war Rubin, Topas und Karfunkel, die erste Reihe. 11Und die zweite Reihe: Chrysopras, Saphir und Diamant. 12Und die dritte Reihe: Lasurstein, Achat und Amethyst. 13Und die vierte Reihe: Tharschisch, Onych und Jaspis, ringsum mit Goldeinfassungen in ihren Füllungen. 14Und die Steine waren nach den Namen der Söhne Israels, zwölf nach ihren Namen; wie Siegel eingegraben mit eines jeden Namen für die zwölf Stämme. 15Und an das Brustschildlein machten sie Kettchen am Rande, Flechtwerk von reinem Gold. 16Und sie machten zwei Einfassungen von Gold und zwei Ringe von Gold und setzten die zwei Ringe an die zwei Enden des Brustschildleins. 17Und die zwei Geflechte von Gold taten sie in die zwei Ringe an den Enden des Brustschildleins. 18Und die zwei Enden der zwei Geflechte taten sie in die zwei Einfassungen, und setzten sie an die Schulterstücke des Ephod auf dessen Vorderseite; 19Und machten zwei Ringe von Gold, und setzten sie an die zwei Enden des Brustschildleins an seinen Saum, welcher gegen das Ephod zu einwärts ist. 20Und sie machten zwei goldene Ringe, und setzten sie an die zwei Schulterstücke des Ephod von unten an seiner Vorderseite nächst der Zusammenfügung über dem Gurt des Ephod. 21Und sie schnürten das Brustschildlein mit seinen Ringen an die Ringe des Ephod mit einer purpurblauen Schnur, so daß es über dem Gurt des Ephod war und das Brustschildlein sich nicht vom Ephod verrückte, wie Jehovah dem Mose geboten hatte. 22Und das Oberkleid des Ephods machte er mit dem Werke des Webers, gänzlich von Purpurblau. 23Und in der Mitte des Oberkleides eine Öffnung, gleich der Öffnung am Panzer, und eine Borte rings um die Öffnung, auf daß es nicht reiße. 24Und an die Säume des Oberkleides machten sie Granatäpfel von blauem und rotem Purpur, und von doppelt gefärbtem Scharlach hineingewirkt. 25Und sie machten Glöcklein von reinem Gold, und setzten die Glöcklein inmitten der Granatäpfel an die Säume des Oberkleides, ringsum inmitten der Granatäpfel. 26Ein Glöckchen und ein Granatapfel, ein Glöckchen und ein Granatapfel ringsum an den Säumen des Oberkleides für das Diensttun, wie es Jehovah dem Mose geboten hatte; 27Und sie machten die Leibröcke von Byssus, mit dem Werke des Webers; für Aharon und seine Söhne; 28Und die Tiara von Byssus und den Schmuck der Kopfbünde von Byssus, und die leinenen Beinkleider von gezwirntem Byssus; 29Und den Gürtel von gezwirntem Byssus und von blauem und rotem Purpur und doppelt gefärbtem Scharlach in des Buntwirkers Werke, wie Jehovah dem Mose geboten hatte. 30Und sie machten das Blatt des heiligen Diadems von reinem Gold, und schrieben darauf mit der Schrift des Siegelstichs: Heiligkeit dem Jehovah! 31Und taten daran eine Schnur von blauem Purpur, um es oben an die Tiara zu setzen, wie Jehovah dem Mose geboten hatte. 32Und es ward der ganze Dienst an der Wohnung des Versammlungszeltes vollendet; und die Söhne Israels taten nach allem, was Jehovah dem Mose geboten hatte; also taten sie. 33Und sie brachten die Wohnung zu Mose: das Zelt und all seine Geräte, seine Haken, seine Bretter, seine Riegel, seine Säulen und seine Untersätze; 34Und die Decke von roten Widderfellen, und die Decke von Dachsfellen, und den Vorhang der Decke; 35Die Lade des Zeugnisses und ihre Stangen und den Gnadenstuhl; 36Den Tisch, alle seine Gefäße und das Schaubrot, 37Den reinen Leuchter, seine Lampen, die Lampen zum Anordnen, und alle seine Gefäße, und das Öl der Beleuchtung; 38Und den goldenen Altar, und das Salböl, und das Räucherwerk der Spezereien und die Decke zum Eingang des Zeltes. 39Den ehernen Altar und sein Gitter daran von Erz, seine Stangen, und all seine Geräte, das Becken und sein Gestell. 40Die Umhänge des Vorhofs, seine Säulen und seine Untersätze, und die Decke für das Tor des Vorhofs, seine Seile und seine Pflökke, und alle Geräte zum Dienst in der Wohnung für das Versammlungszelt. 41Dienstkleider für das Diensttun im Heiligtum, die heiligen Kleider für Aharon, den Priester, und die Kleider für seine Söhne zum Priesterdienst. 42Nach allem, was Jehovah dem Mose geboten hatte, also taten die Söhne Israels allen Dienst. 43Und Mose sah all das Werk, und siehe, sie hatten es gemacht, wie Jehovah geboten hatte, also hatten sie es gemacht, und Mose segnete sie.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 In this account of the making of the priests' garments, according to the instructions given (ch. 28), we may observe, 1. That the priests' garments are called here
clothes of service, Exod 39:1. Note, Those that wear robes of honour must look upon them as clothes of service; for from those upon whom honour is put service is expected. It 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, Revel 7:13,
Revel 7:15. 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. The Son of man himself
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. 2. That all the six paragraphs here, which give a distinct account of the making of these holy garments, conclude with those words,
as the Lord commanded Moses, Exod 39:5,
Exod 39:7,
Exod 39:21,
Exod 39:26,
Exod 39:29,
Exod 39:31. The like is not in any of the foregoing accounts, as if in these, more than any other of the appurtenances of the tabernacle, they had a particular regard to the divine appointment, both for warrant and for direction. It is an intimation to all the Lord's ministers to make the word of God their rule in all their ministrations, and to act in observance of and obedience to the command of God. 3. That these garments, in conformity to the rest of the furniture of the tabernacle, were very rich and splendid; the church in its infancy was thus taught, thus pleased, with the rudiments of this world; but now under the gospel, which is the ministration of the Spirit, to affect and impose such pompous habits as the church of Rome does, under pretence of decency and instruction, is to betray
the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and to entangle the church again in the bondage of those carnal ordinances which were imposed only till the time of reformation. 4. That they were all shadows of good things to come, but the substance is Christ, and the grace of the gospel; when therefore the substance has come, it is a jest to be fond of the shadow. (1.) Christ is our great high-priest; when he undertook the work of our redemption, he put on the clothes of service - he arrayed himself with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, which he received not by measure - girded himself with the curious girdle of resolution, to go through with his undertaking - charged himself with the curious girdle of resolution, to go through with his undertaking - charged himself with all God's spiritual Israel, bore them on his shoulders, carried them in his bosom, laid them near his heart, engraved them on the palms of his hands, and presented them in the breast-plate of judgment unto his Father. 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 (
Revel 19:8), and
Holiness to the Lord must be so written upon their foreheads that all who converse with them may see, and say, that they bear the image of God's holiness, and are devoted to the praise of it.
32 Observe here, I. The builders of the tabernacle made very good despatch. It was not much more than five months from the beginning to the finishing of it. Though there was a great deal of fine work about it, such as is usually the work of time, embroidering and engraving, not only in gold, but in precious stones, yet they went through with it in a little time. Church-work is usually slow work, but they made quick work of this, and yet did it with the greatest exactness imaginable. For, 1. Many hands were employed, all unanimous, and not striving with each other. This expedited the business, and made it easy. 2. The workmen were taught of God, and so were kept from making blunders, which would have retarded them. 3. The people were hearty and zealous in the work, and impatient till it was finished. God had prepared their hearts, and then
the thing was done suddenly, 2Chr 29:36. Resolution and industry, and a cheerful application of mind, will, by the grace of God, bring a great deal of good work to pass in a little time, in less than one would expect.
II. They punctually observed their orders, and did not in the least vary from them. They did it
according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, Exod 39:32,
Exod 39:42. Note, God's work must be done, in every thing, according to his own will. His institutions neither need nor admit men's inventions to make them either more beautiful or more likely to answer the intention of them.
Add thou not unto his words. God is pleased with willing worship, but not with will-worship.
III. They brought all their work to Moses, and submitted it to his inspection and censure,
Exod 39:33. He knew what he had ordered them to make; and now the particulars were called over, and all produced, that Moses might see both that they had made all, omitting nothing, and that they had made all according to the instructions given them, and that, if they had made a mistake in any thing, it might be forthwith rectified. Thus they showed respect to Moses, who was set over them in the Lord; not objecting that Moses did not understand such work, and therefore that there was no reason for submitting it to his judgment. No, that God who gave them so much knowledge as to do the work gave them also so much humility as to be willing to have it examined and compared with the model. Moses was in authority, and they would pay a deference to his place.
The spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets. And besides, though they knew how to do the work better than Moses, Moses had a better and more exact idea of the model than they had, and therefore they could not be well pleased with their own work, unless they had his approbation. Thus in all the services of religion we should
labour to be accepted of the Lord. IV. Moses, upon search, found all done according to the rule,
Exod 39:43. Moses, both for their satisfaction and for his own, did look upon all the work, piece by piece, and behold they had done it according to the pattern shown him, for the same Being that showed him the pattern guided their hand in the work. All the copies of God's grace exactly agree with the original of his counsels: what God works in us, and by us, is the fulfilling of the good pleasure of his own goodness; and when the mystery of God shall be finished, and all his performances come to be compared with his purposes, it will appear that behold all is done according to the counsel of his own will, not one iota or tittle of which shall fall to the ground, or be varied from.
V. Moses blessed them. 1. He commended them, and signified his approbation of all they had done. He did not find fault where there was none, as some do, who think they disparage their own judgment if they do not find something amiss in the best and most accomplished performance. In all this work it is probable there might have been found here and there a stitch amiss, and a stroke awry, which would have served for an over-curious and censorious critic to animadvert upon; but Moses was too candid to notice small faults where there were no great ones. Note, All governors must be a praise to those that do well, as well as a terror to evil-doers. Why should any take a pride in being hard to be pleased? 2. He not only praised them, but prayed for them. He blessed them as one having authority, for the less is blessed of the better. We read not of any wages that Moses paid them for their work, but this blessing he gave them. For, though ordinarily the labourer be worthy of his hire, yet in this case, 1. They wrought for themselves. The honour and comfort of God's tabernacle among them would be recompence enough.
If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself. 2. They had their meat from heaven on free-cost, for themselves and their families, and their raiment waxed not old upon them; so that they neither needed wages nor had reason to expect any.
Freely you have received, freely give. The obligations we lie under, both in duty and interest, to serve God, should be sufficient to quicken us to our work, though we had not a reward in prospect. But, 3. This blessing, in the name of the Lord, was wages enough for all their work. Those whom God employs he will bless, and those whom he blesses are blessed indeed. The blessing he commands is
life for evermore.