The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 271

eupp09ed tho thir1I stone in tho first row to LXX. -1, 3-/rAoum ""'I -1, iiA-/r9rni: still worse hy have heen the "heryl," end the third in the the Vulgllte, Doetrina rt Verit,1•. Whnt ex- 1ccond the "onyx." Perhaps we should trens- actly the two words represented is rlonhtlul in late, "o. tnrquoise, o. sardonyx, and a jasper." the extreme. It has been rmpposed hy some (Seet.hecommenton ver. 9.) Theirinololringa. that they were not material objecls, bat n Bather, "t.heir BettingB," as in ver. 17. method by which God communicated his will; Ver. 21.-The lltonea ahall be with the e.g., a miracalooe light, or a miracaloas voice. name1. Rather, " according to the names ; " Rut such things as these eoald not have been the number of the stones shall agree with that put by Moses either " in," or " on the breast- of tho names, viz., twelve. Everyone with hi• plate of judgment." Modern critics are gene- name ahall they be aooording to the twelve rally agreed that the Urim and Thurnmim tribe1. Rather, " every one according to it8 moet have been material objects of one kind or no.me, they shall be for the twelve tribes," i.e., another. The object.a suggested are-I. The each, according to the name that is on it, shall engraved stones of the breast-plate. 2. Two stand for one of the twelve tribes. small images, like the teraphim. 3. A gold Ver. 22.-(Jhaina at the enda. Compare plate, engraved with the name of Jehovah the comment on ver. 14. Kalisch translates, 4. Three plates or slips ; one blank, one en- ' chains of wreathen work, twisted in the graved with "yes," and one with "no." 5. manner of ropes." Diamonds, cut and uncut, with marks engraved Vers. 23-28. -These verses present no on them. Against the first of these views it difficulty. They describe very minutely, and is urged with very great force that the present with some uutology, the mode in which the passage shows the Urim and Thummim to be breast-plate was to be fastened to the ephod. something quite distinct from the hreast- It was to have four rings, two at its two upper plate-something which was to be added to corners (ver. 23), and two just behind its two the breast-plate after all the stones had been lower corners (ver. 26); a gold twist or cord set in it ; and which Aaron was to bear upon wBS to be passed through each of the two his breast in addition to the breast-plate and upper rings, and then attached to the " ouches " its jewels (compare ver. 29 with ver. 30). or settings of the shoulder stones ( ver. 25 ; Against the fourth and fifth, it is sufficient to compare vers. 11-14). A blue lace or ribbon observe that they are pure conjectures, without was to be passed through each of the two any basis of authority, either in Scripture or lower rings, and these laces were to be tied to tradition. The second and the third remain two rings, sewn for the purpose on to the The third has important Jewish names in it~ front of the ephod a little above the " curious favour, but is open to the objection that it girdle" (vers. 26, 27). By these four fasten- makes a single object correspond to both ings at its four comers, the breast-plate was words. The second alone seems to have anv securely attached to the ephod, and could not basis in Scripture, which certainly connects readily get loose from it. the use of teraphim with the use of an ephod Ver. 27.-0ver agai.Dst the other ooupling (Judg. xvii. 5; xviii. 14, 17, 20; Hosea iii thereof. Rather, "near its joining." The 4). On the whole, while admitting that there " joining " of the ephod is perhaps the place is no sufficient evidence to determine the where the " curious girdle" was woven on question, we incline to regard the Urim and to it. Thummim as small images, kept in the bag of Ver. 29.-And Aaron shall bear, etc. the "breast-plate" (ver. 16), by means of ' Aaron," i.e., "shall not only bear the names which the high priest gave a decision when he of the twelve tribes upon his shoulders (ver. was consulted. How the decision was arrived 12), but also upon his heart." He shall thus at, is an even more di.fficalt problem than the make a double presentation of them to God one which we have attempted to solve. Some continually. The explanation is somewhat suppose the two images to have been used as fanciful, that the names on the shoulder- lots, one giving an affirmative and the other a stones iwijcated that the people were a burthcn negative answer. Others imagine, that by to wm, while those on the stones of the gazing o.ttentively npon them, and fi.'ting his brell.!lt-plate, being upon his breast, indicated thoughts on the qualities which they sym- that he bore them affection. The breast and bolised - illwninaiion and periection - the the shoulder were probably chosen as being high priest was thrown into an ecstatic state conspicuous and honourable positions. which enabled him to prophesy aright. The Ver. 30.-Thou shalt put in the breaat-plate notion has even been started, that an angel of judgment the Urim and the Thummim. spoke by their lips, and answered any questfon The words Urim and Thummim mean respec- that was put to them. The truth seems to be tively "Lights "and" Perfections," or perhaps • that no theory on the subject c,m be mure than "Light" and "Perfection-the plural form a theory--{J_uite arbitrary and conjectural- being merely a plural of honour. They were neither Scripture nor traditiou furnishing any well translated by Aquila and Symmachus, hint on the matter. Ii we knew how mau 1f1111T1u,uol ,ccil T<>..E1JT11Tu : less well by the divined from ternphim (2 Kings xxiii. :H 2R8 THF. HOOK OF EXOnTT~. [nn. xxvm. 1:1-30.