a brocade · definite article + noun, common feminine plural absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Exodus 28:22-25 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.
Exodus 39:15 And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold.
Exodus 39:17-18 And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
1 Kings 7:17 And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapiter, a…
2 Kings 25:17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the w…
2 Chronicles 4:12-13 To wit, the two pillars, and the pommels, and the chapiters which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two wreaths to cover the two p…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Exodus 28:6-14
Directions are here given concerning the ephod, which was the outmost garment of the high priest. Linen ephods were worn by the inferior priests, Sa1 22:18. Samuel wore one when he was a child (Sa1 2:18), and David when he danced before the ark (Sa2 6:14); but this which the high priest only wore was called a golden ephod, because there was a great deal of gold woven into it. It was a short coat without sleeves, buttoned closely to him, with a curious girdle of the same stuff (Exo 28:6-8); the shoulder-pieces were buttoned together with two precious stones set in gold, one on each shoulder, on which were engraven the names of the children of Israel, Exo 28:9-12. In allusion to this, 1. Chris…
ephod--It was a very gorgeous robe made of byssus, curiously embroidered, and dyed with variegated colors, and further enriched with golden tissue, the threads of gold being either originally interwoven or afterwards inserted by the embroiderer. It was short--reaching from the breast to a little below the loins--and though destitute of sleeves, retained its position by the support of straps thrown over each shoulder. These straps or braces, connecting the one with the back, the other with the front piece of which the tunic was composed, were united on the shoulder by two onyx stones, serving as buttons, and on which the names of the twelve tribes were engraved, and set in golden encasements.…
Ouches of gold - משבצת mishbetsoth, strait places, sockets to insert the stones in, from שבץ shabats, to close, enclose, straiten.
Socket, in this place, would be a more proper translation, as ouch cannot be traced up to any legitimate authority. It appears sometimes to signify a hook, or some mode of attaching things together.
John Gill on Exodus 28:14
And two chains of pure gold at the ends,.... The use of which was to hang the breast plate on, after described; one end of them was fastened to rings on the ouches in the shoulder pieces, and the other end to rings on the breastplate, and thus it hung:
of wreathen work shall thou make them; these chains were not made after the manner of circles or ringlets coupled together, as chains usually are, but of golden wires twisted together as a rope is twisted
and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches; to the ouches on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, in which the onyx stones were set, very probably to rings that were in these ouches.
The Church Fathers
What is called aspidiscas (linkers) in the priestly garment? Is it perhaps a kind of bowl, which in Latin is derived from scutum (shield), because the Greeks call the scutum aspida (shield)? Or call aspidiscas (engarces) to those objects that are carefully set, as are the chains, deriving the word of asp (asp, snake)? The length will be one spithama (span) and the width of one spithama (span) (Cf Ex 28,16). Some Latin translators have thus explained this word: ‘Measure of the palm of the hand extended from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger.’ And the stones correspond to the names of the children of Israel according to their births (Ex 28,21), that is, according to the order of their birth. 116 (Ex 28.22). And you will make on the rational intertwined borders, braided of pure gold. The poverty of the Latin language has caused the word rationale to be invented (rational, pectoral), since the Greek text has a logic, not a logikon. Now, we usually call rationale (rational) to what the Greeks call logikón. But as it is doubtful whether in the Greek language logos; means verbum (word) or rationem (reason), since it is a term that can mean both, where our translators believed that logion meant verbum (word) translated it by eloquium (elocution, word), as they did in the psalm: The words (eloquia) of the Lord are sincere words (eloquia), in which eloquia (words) (Ps. 11,7) corresponds to logic. But here, in the priestly dress, which was to be made of gold, and hyacinth, and purple, and scarlet twine and fine twisted linen, of square and double shape, and which the priest should wear on his chest and which was called logical, is doubtful yes that word must be translated by rationem (reason) or by verbum (word). Our translators have thought that it comes rather from rationem (reason) and that is why they have translated it by rationale (rational). 117 (Ex 28.26). On the Urim and the Thummim. - "You will place on the rational judgment: Doctrine and Truth. What does this passage mean? Were Doctrine and Truth placed above rational on a strip of cloth or on a metal plate? because, according to the text, they were really attached to the garment of the priest. It is a difficult question to solve. Many interpreters imagine that it was a stone, the color of which changed according to good or bad fortune, when the priest entered the sanctuary; from there,…
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Carve — The arts of engraving and carving were much practised among the Jews. They were practised in connection with the construction of the tabernacle and the temple (Ex. 31:2, 5; 35:33; 1 Kings 6:18, 35;…
Carving — The arts of carving and engraving were much in request in the construction of both the tabernacle and the temple. (Exodus 31:5; 35:33; 1 Kings 6:18,35; Psalms 74:6) as well as in the ornamentation of…
Embroider — The art of embroidery was known to the Jews (Ex. 26:36; 35:35; 38:23; Judg. 5:30; Ps. 45:14). The skill of the women in this art was seen in the preparation of the sacerdotal robes of the high priest…
High priest — Aaron was the first who was solemnly set apart to this office (Ex. 29:7; 30:23; Lev. 8:12). He wore a peculiar dress, which on his death passed to his successor in office (Ex. 29:29, 30). Besides…
Teraphim — Givers of prosperity, idols in human shape, large or small, analogous to the images of ancestors which were revered by the Romans. In order to deceive the guards sent by Saul to seize David, Michal…
Chains · Worn on the breastplate of high priest — Worn on the breastplate of high priest
Ephod · . — .
Priest · .Vestments of — .Vestments of
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
John Calvin on Exodus 28:9-29
And thou shalt take two onyx-stones. That the connection between the priest and the people might be made more plain, God not only placed on his breast the memorials of the twelve tribes, but also engraved their names on his shoulders. Thus all occasion of envy was removed, since the people would understand that this one man was not separated from the others for the sake of private advantage, but that in his one person they were all a kingdom of priests, which Peter teaches to have been at length really fulfilled in Christ, (1 Peter 2:5;) as Isaiah had foretold that there should be priests of God, and Levites brought from the Gentiles, (Isaiah 66:21;) to which John makes allusion in the Apoca…
The first part mentioned of Aaron's holy dress, i.e., of the official dress of the high priest, is the ephod. The etymology of this word is uncertain; the Sept. rendering is ἐπωμίς (Vulg. superhumerale, shoulder-dress; Luther, "body-coat"). It was to be made of gold, hyacinth, etc., artistically woven, - of the same material, therefore, as the inner drapery and curtain of the tabernacle; but instead of having the figures of cherubim woven into it, it was to be worked throughout with gold, i.e., with gold thread. According to Exo 39:3, the gold plates used for the purpose were beaten out, and then threads were cut (from them), to be worked into the hyacinth, purple, scarlet, and byssus. It…
names on his shoulders (cp. Isa 9:6): The badge of office on the shoulder indicated what the person was really carrying. Thus, the high priest represented the people before God, and with his royal garments he represented the glory of God before the people.
Rashi on Exodus 28:14
שרשרת זהב means CHAINS OF GOLD — the word being the same as שלשלאות (the letters ל and ר being interchangeable, as in ארמנות for אלמנות; cf. the Aramaic ארמלתא)
מגבלות means AT THE END OF THE BORDER (גבול) of the breast-plate תעשה אותם SHALT THOU MAKE THEM.
מעשה עבת OF CORD-LIKE WORK — made of plaited threads and not made of rings and hooks (somewhat like links) like those chains which are made for cisterns (to which the bucket is attached), but like those which are made for censers which are called encensiers in old French (cf. Rashi on Beitzah 22b).
ונתת את שרשרת — This means, AND THOU WILT PLACE THE CHAINS OF CORD-WORK — i. e. the chains made of cord-work — upon these settings. This is…
