Exodus39

Exodus 39 details the meticulous construction of the holy garments for Aaron and his sons, including the ephod, breastplate, robe, and other priestly attire, all made according to the Lord's specific instructions. The chapter then concludes with the completion of all the work for the Tabernacle and its furnishings. Finally, Moses inspects the finished work, confirms its adherence to divine command, and blesses the children of Israel for their obedience.

The Priestly Garments Constructed

1
From the blue, purple and scarlet yarn they made the garments for officiating, for serving in the Holy Place; and they made the holy garments for Aharon, as ADONAI had ordered Moshe. ​
2
He made the ritual vest of gold, of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely woven linen.
3
They hammered the gold into thin plates and cut them into threads in order to work it into the blue, purple and scarlet yarn and the fine linen crafted by the skilled artisan. ​
4
They made shoulder-pieces for it, joined together; they were joined together at the two ends.
5
The decorated belt on the vest, used to fasten it, was of the same workmanship and materials -gold; blue, purple and scarlet yarn; and finely twined linen -as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.
6
They worked the onyx stones, mounted in gold settings, engraving them with the names of the sons of Isra'el as they would be engraved on a seal. ​
7
Then he put them on the shoulder-pieces of the vest to be stones calling to mind the sons of Isra'el, as ADONAI had ordered Moshe. ​
8
He made the breastplate; it was crafted by a skilled artisan and made like the work of the ritual vest -of gold; blue, purple and scarlet yarn; and finely woven linen. ​
9
When folded double, the breastplate was square -doubled, it was a hand-span by a hand-span.
10
They put on it four rows of stones: the first row was a carnelian, a topaz and an emerald;
11
the second row a green feldspar, a sapphire and a diamond;
12
the third row an orange zircon, an agate and an amethyst;
13
and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx and a jasper. They were mounted in settings of gold.
14
The stones corresponded to the names of the twelve sons of Isra'el; they were engraved with their names as a seal would be engraved, each name representing one of the twelve tribes. ​
15
On the breastplate they made two pure gold chains, twisted like cords.
16
Also for the breastplate they made two settings of gold and two gold rings, and they put the two rings at the two ends of the breastplate.
17
They put the two twisted gold chains in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate
18
and attached the other two ends of the twisted chains to the front of the shoulder-pieces of the ritual vest.
19
They also made two gold rings and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, at its edge, on the side facing in toward the vest.
20
Also they made two gold rings and attached them low on the front part of the vest's shoulder-pieces, near the join, above the vest's decorated belt.
21
Then they bound the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the vest with a blue cord, so that it could be on the vest's decorated belt, and so that the breastplate would not swing loose from the vest -as ADONAI had ordered Moshe. ​

The Robe of the Ephod

22
He made the robe for the ritual vest; it was woven entirely of blue, ​
23
with its opening in the middle, like that of a coat of mail, and with a border around the opening, so that it wouldn't tear.
24
On the bottom hem they made pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet, and woven linen;
25
and they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all the way around the hem of the robe - between the pomegranates,
26
that is, bell, pomegranate, bell, pomegranate, all the way around the hem of the robe for service - as ADONAI had ordered Moshe. ​

Tunics and Accessories

27
They made the tunics of finely woven linen for Aharon and his sons, ​
28
the turban of fine linen, the splendid headgear of fine linen, the linen shorts,
29
and the sash of finely woven linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, the work of a weaver in colors - as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.

The Golden Plate of the Crown

30
They made the ornament for the holy turban of pure gold; wrote on it the words, "Set apart for ADONAI," like the engraving on a seal; ​
31
and tied a blue cord on it to fasten it to the front of the turban - as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.

Completion of the Tabernacle Work

32
Thus all the work for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was finished, with the people of Isra'el doing everything exactly as ADONAI had ordered Moshe. ​
33
Then they brought the tabernacle to Moshe -the tent and all its furnishings, clasps, planks, crossbars, posts and sockets; ​
34
the covering of tanned ram skins, the covering of fine leather and the curtain for the screen;
35
the ark for the testimony, its poles and the ark-cover;
36
the table, all its utensils and the showbread;
37
the pure menorah, its lamps and their arrangement for display, its accessories and the oil for the light;
38
the gold altar; the anointing oil; the fragrant incense; the screen for the entrance to the tent;
39
the bronze altar with its bronze grate, poles and all its utensils; the basin with its base;
40
the tapestries for the courtyard, with their posts and sockets; the screen for the entrance to the courtyard, with its ropes and tent pegs; all the utensils for the service in the tabernacle, the tent of meeting;
41
the garments for officiating, for serving in the Holy Place; the holy garments for Aharon the cohen; and the garments for his sons to serve in the office of cohen.
42
The people of Isra'el did all the work just as ADONAI had ordered Moshe. ​

Moses Inspects and Blesses the People

43
Moshe saw all the work, and-there it was! - they had done it! Exactly as ADONAI had ordered, they had done it. And Moshe blessed them. ​

Study Notes for Exodus 39

Verse 1

This chapter documents the faithful completion of the holy garments previously described in detail in Exodus 28. The use of blue, purple, and scarlet signified royalty, deity, and life, appropriate for those ministering in God’s presence.

Verse 3

The process of beating gold into thin plates and cutting it into fine wires (or threads) demonstrates the highly specialized and 'cunning work' required for the Tabernacle textiles, reflecting the quality demanded in divine service.

Verse 6

The onyx stones, set in gold, bore the names of the tribes of Israel, symbolizing the high priest carrying the burden and identity of all God’s people on his shoulders (a place of strength) when he appeared before the Lord.

Verse 7

The stones served as a 'memorial' (Hebrew: *zikkaron*), a constant reminder before God of His covenant relationship with Israel, which the priest represented.

Verse 8

The breastplate was the most elaborate piece of clothing, designed to hold the Urim and Thummim (means of divine decision) and the twelve stones, linking the priest’s ministry directly to the tribes of Israel.

Verse 14

Each stone was engraved with the name of one of the twelve tribes, emphasizing that the high priest was not ministering for himself, but acting as the representative intercessor for the entire nation.

Verse 21

The careful instructions for securing the breastplate ensured that it remained firmly attached to the ephod, signifying the inseparable connection between the priest's office and the representation of Israel.

Verse 22

The robe was entirely blue, symbolizing the heavens and the purity of God’s dwelling. It was worn underneath the ephod and breastplate.

Verse 26

The sound of the bells alerted those outside the Holy Place that the high priest was moving within, signifying that he was alive and properly clothed; silence suggested he had died due to improper approach (Ex. 28:35).

Verse 27

These garments—the woven linen tunics, bonnets, and breeches—were the standard attire for both Aaron and his sons, necessary for maintaining ritual purity during their service.

Verse 30

The inscription 'HOLINESS TO THE LORD' (or 'Holy to Yahweh') declared that Aaron, and by extension, all Israel, was consecrated and set apart for God’s exclusive use. This plate was the culmination of the priestly attire.

Verse 32

This verse marks the pivot point, signifying the completion of the construction phase, including both the Tabernacle structure and all its associated furnishings and garments.

Verse 33

Verses 33–41 provide a comprehensive inventory list, confirming that every single item commanded by God in previous chapters was constructed, assembled, and presented to Moses.

Verse 42

The repetitive emphasis on obedience ('According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work') is the theological climax of the building narrative, stressing the faithfulness of the people to the divine blueprint.

Verse 43

Moses' inspection served as the official ratification of the work. His blessing confirmed divine approval upon the laborers and consecrated the completed structure before its dedication.

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