The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 264

willingly 08 in nil others. (See Lov. viii. structing a set of priestly gurmcnts; bnt f-80.) l'rom among the ohildren of llrael. wh_ere "glory aud beauty" are required, high The LXX. ree.d "An,l from among the chilrl- nrt1st1c power 1s needed; and this power i• ron of Israel," os if others besides the family regarded by the sacred writers, 08 indeed it is of Aaron bad been admitted to the priesthood. by most of those who have written on the Bot thill 1e contrary to the entire tenor of tho humRn undernto.nding - notably Plato urn I later narrative. The existing Hebrew text Aristotle-118 a very important part of t ho is correct. Nadab and Abiho, and again, intellect. TechM, says Aristotle, involve,; Eleuar and Ithamar, are always coupled to- IIW"hria, 118 well 118 re•lheBio and r,en,,,,u, re- gether in the Pentateucb (eh. vi. 23; xxiv. quires, i.e., a knowledge of high abstract 1; Lev. x. 1, 12; otc.), while a marked divi- truths, as well as the perceptive fac:tlty sion is mnde between the two pairs of bro- which we commonly call ·u taste," and the tbern. It is probably the sin and enrly death constructive one known 118 "power of execu- of the two elder (Lov. x. 1-2) that causes tion." (See Eth. Nie. vi. 4, § 4.) It is, the separation. Of Itbamo.r after the death with him, one of the five chief intellectual of his bPotbern, nothing is known. Eleazar excellences. To aonaeorate him. Investi- became high priest (Num. xxxiv. 17; Josh. ture in the holy g&rn1ents was me.de a part or xiv. 1; xvi. 4; etc.). the ceremony of consecration ( eh. xx.ix. 5--ll ; Ver. 2.-llol:, garments have provoked an Lev. viii. 7-9, 13), as it is in the English extreme aversion and o.n extreme o.ffection at Ordinal in the consecration of a bishop. different periods of the world's history. In Ver. 4.-Thue are the garment,. The Moses' time probably no one thought of rais- enumeration does not follow the same ing any objection to them. Priestly dresses order exactly as the description. The two of many different kinds were worn in Egypt, agree, however, in giving the precedence to and some costume other than that of ordinary the same three articles of apparel out of life, wos probably affected by the priest cl.ass the six-viz., the breast-plate, the ephod, anll. of every notion. Without enterin§ into any the robe. Kil IOlll-i.e., his sueeessorn in elaborate "philosophy of clothes,' we may the office of high priest. say that the rationale of the matter would The material.a of ths priutJy garment.- seem to be that expressed with great modera- tion by Richard Hooker-" To solemn actions Ver. 5.-The materials for the priestly of royalty and justice their suitable ornaments garments were to be limited to six - are a beauty. Are they in religion only a -precious stones, which are not here men- stain ? " (See Eccl. Pol. v. 29, § I.) The tioned, as being ornamental, rather than l'S· garments ordered to be rue.de for Aaron and sential, parts of the apparel ; a blue threall., his sons (ver. 41), are said to have been for known os "blue" (compare eh. xxv. -1); u glory and for beaut:,. I. "For glory." To purple or crimson one, known as " f urple :., exalt the priestly office in the eyes of the a scarlet one, known as " scarlet;' and a people-to make them look with greater white one, which is called "fine linen.·• reverence on the priests themselves and the These were the same materials as those used priestly functions-to place the priests in a for the veil ( eh. x.xvi. 31 ), and curtains ( w. class by themselves, in a certain sense, above 1, 36) of the sanctuary; but probably the the rest of the nation. 2. "For beauty." fabric was of a more delicate quality. They As fit and comely in themselves-suitable to ah&ll take--i.e.," They," the wise-hearted men the £unetions which the priests exercised-in to whom the work was to be entrusted-'· shall harmony with the richness and beauty of the take," or receive from Moses-" the (necessary) sanctuary wherein they were to minister. gold, blue, purple," etc. In the original all God, himself, it would seem, is not indifferent these words have the definite article prefixeti to beauty. He hos spread beauty over the The Jjjphod earth. He will have beauty in his earthly Ver. 6.-The:, ah&ll make the ephod dwelling-place. He requires men to worship The word epluxl. signifies etymologicully him "in the beauty of holiness" (Ps. xxix. any " vestment" or "garment;" but in its 2; xcvi. 9; 1 Cbron. xvi. 29). Be ordains use it is confined to the special vestment tor his priests rich and splendid dresses " for here described, the great object of which was glory and for beauty." to be a receptacle for the "breast-plate.'' Ver. 3.-Wise-hearted, In modern par- The ephod was a sort of jerkin or waistcoat, lance the heart is made the seat of the affec- consisting of two pieces, one to cover the tions and emotions, the brain of the intellect. chest and the other the back, joined together But the Hebrew idiom was different. There probably by a seam, above the shoulders, anll. the heart was constantly spoken of as the seat united at the waist by a band cul.lell. "the of wisdom. (See below, eh. xxxi. 6; xxxv. curious girdle of the ephod.'' This bil.llll. was 10, 25; xxxvi. 1, 2; Job ix. 4; Prov. xi. 29, of one piece with the epholl., beiug wovc'U on otc.) The spirit of wisdom might seem to either to the front or the back part; it helll. be scarcely necessary for the work of con- the other t>lld; in place, 11.11<1. wos pussctl rouni.l 280 THE BOOK OF EXODUa [ae. xxvm. 7-12. I 1he hody a.nd fastened either "'ith e cllll!p, or nld," as tbe Greek equive.lent in the pre!!ent wilh hu11on•. or string,;. Of gold, of blue, of )'Mse.go, while ma.ny argue for the beryl pnl']lle, clr.--t'.e., "ol the same mat.!'rinls 1t.s ( Winer, Rosenmiiller, Bollormann), and others 1h,, r11rtnins and ,·eil of 1he sanctuary, wi1 h for 1he aardonyx. This IRBt rendering hu tho 1hl' nddition of gold." The gold was probably support of Josephus a.nd Aquila. The sard- i11 1Ji,, •ha.pc of gold thread. or "'ire of cx- onyx is, in fact, nothing but the best kind of 1r"""' t.enu.itv, and was introduced by t.he onyx, differing from the onyx by having three 111....tlc a.fter 't.hc f1thric ha.d been wo,·cn. as laycre-black, white, and red-instca.d of two WIil' rommonly done in Egypt (Ilerod. iii. 47 ; -black and "·hite---0nly. When la.rge, it Wilkinson'6 .Aneient Egyptianii, vol. iii. p. fetches a bigh price, as much as a thousand 128: compare below, eh. xxxix. 8). The pounds having been asked for one by a dealer white, blue, purple, a.nd sea.riot thread6 were recently. The probability is, that it is the douhtles,; wo,·cn into " pa.tt.ern of some kind; stone here intonded. It is an excellent tna- but it is impossible to say wha.t the p&tt,em terie.l for engraving. With respect to tho we,;. In Egypt patterns were not mnch possibility of MGBes having in the congrego.- affected, the dress worn being commonly tion persons who could engrave the aardonyx, white, "·ith e stripe 50metimes at the edge; we may rem.ark that the Egyptians cut stones hut the Semitic tribes, who bordered Egypt quite as hard, from a da.tc long anterior to 011 the Eest, affected g..y colours and va.ried the exodos. Grave on them the oamea of d,•sij!'lls, if we may trust the Egyptian we.ll- the ohildren of Iarael. Egyptian names p,untings. With ollDDiag work. Litcre.lly, are frequently found engra.ved on rings o.nd .. work ol the skilled (work.illll,ll)." Some of amnlets in ha.rd stone ; th1110 rings and the Hcbrewti ha.d evidently e&rried on the amulets da.te from the time of the twelfth t r:1.te of weaving in Egypt, and ha.d brought dynasty. The names here intended a.re evi- th,·ir looms with them. The Egyptian looms dently the ISJaelite tribe names, which a.re were ha.nd-looms, and of no grca.t size; they reckoned as twelve, the double tribe of Joseph ..Jrnitted of easy transport. counting as one only. (Campa.re Num. i. 10; Ver. 7.-The two llhoulder-pi-. thereof. Deut. xxxiii. 13-17.) Literal!~-, "Two shoulder-pieces." There is Ver. 10.-The other m names of the rest. uo article, and no p06889Sive pronoun. At Litere.lly, "The remaining six names." Ao- the two edtf8B thereof. Literally, "at its oordillg to their birth-i.e., in the order of two ends.'' A union of the hack and front seniority---0r perhaps, in the order observed flaps of the dress by a seam at the top ol in eh. i. 2-4, where the children of the two 1hc shoulder aeems to be intended. Female legitimate wives are given the precedence. dresses were made in this way among the Ver. 11.-With the work of an engraver. Greeks, but fastened with a brooch or buckle. Bather, "an artificer." The engravings of a Ver. 8.-The aurious girdle. Josephus says signet. Signets in Egypt were ordinnrily of the ephod, (w•·r, r•purq,i-y-yeriu 1»µ.,,_, rings, ou the bezel of which the nllille of 5-..-ou,,>.µ<vr,. xputrov tru11uq,r,rr/J-EIIOU, "it is the owner was inscribed Some were of soliJ iastened with a girdle dyed of many hues, gold ; others with cylindrica.l bezels of glass with gold interwoven in it." Hence its name, or ha.rd stone. On the ea.rly use of such k},ulub, which wean,; properly "device " or signet rings in Egypt see Gen. xli. 42. Cylin- •• cunning work." Of the ephod. Bather ders, strung round the wrist and engraved "of its girding "--i.e. "wherewith it (the with a name and titles, were common in ephod) was to he girded." &hall be of the Mesopotamia from B.o. 2000. Ouohes of -.me. C.Ompare above, eh. x.xv. 19. The gold. Settings in open-work or filagree girdle was to be " of one piece " with the seem to be intended-a kind of setting which ephud, woven on to it as pa.rt of it, not a. is very common in Egyptian ornaments. separate pi<= attached by sewing. A.ooord- Ver. 12.--Stonea of memorial unto the io.g to the work thereof. Bather, "of like ohildren of Iara.eL Bather "for the child- workn.ulnship with it." ren of Israel "-stones, i.e. which should serve Ver. 9. -Two ODJ'll lltcllUIB. The correct- to remind God that the high priest repre- U.e&> of this rc,ndering has been mnch dis- sented the twelve tribes, officiated in their puted. The LXX. give "l'l'pa:y6os, "eme- name, and pleaded on their behalf.