Exodus Chapter 39

Old Testament Law (Torah) 43 Verses

What is Exodus 39 about?

Israel's deliverance from Egypt, the Ten Commandments given at Sinai, and the construction of the Tabernacle. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
1And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made finely wrought garments, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
2And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
3And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, the work of the skilful workman.
4They made shoulder-pieces for it, joined together; at the two ends was it joined together.
5And the skilfully woven band, that was upon it, wherewith to gird it on, was of the same piece [and] like the work thereof; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
6And they wrought the onyx stones, inclosed in settings of gold, graven with the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the children of Israel.
7And he put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
8And he made the breastplate, the work of the skilful workman, like the work of the ephod; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being double.
10And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row;
11and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;
12and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
13and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jaspar: they were inclosed in inclosings of gold in their settings.
14And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, every one according to his name, for the twelve tribes.
15And they made upon the breastplate chains like cords, of wreathen work of pure gold.
16And they made two settings of gold, and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
17And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.
18And the [other] two ends of the two wreathen chains they put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, in the forepart thereof.
19And they made two rings of gold, and put them upon the two ends of the breastplate, upon the edge thereof, which was toward the side of the ephod inward.
20And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod underneath, in the forepart thereof, close by the coupling thereof, above the skilfully woven band of the ephod.
21And they did bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be upon the skilfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
22And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
23And the hole of the robe in the midst thereof, as the hole of a coat of mail, with a binding round about the hole of it, that it should not be rent.
24And they made upon the skirts of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, [and] twined [linen].
25And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the skirts of the robe round about, between the pomegranates;
26a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about, to minister in; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
27And they made the coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,
28and the mitre of fine linen, and the goodly head-tires of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twined linen,
29and the girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, the work of the embroiderer; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
30And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like the engravings of a signet, HOLY TO JEHOVAH.
31And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it upon the mitre above; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
32Thus was finished all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting: and the children of Israel did according to all that Jehovah commanded Moses; so did they.
33And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the Tent, and all its furniture, its clasps, its boards, it bars, and its pillars, and it sockets;
34and the covering of rams` skins dyed red, and the covering of sealskins, and the veil of the screen;
35the ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy-seat;
36the table, all the vessels thereof, and the showbread;
37the pure candlestick, the lamps thereof, even the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for the light;
38and the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the screen for the door of the Tent;
39the brazen altar, and its grating of brass, its staves, and all its vessels, the laver and its base;
40the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court, the cords thereof, and the pins thereof, and all the instruments of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting;
41the finely wrought garments for ministering in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest`s office.
42According to all that Jehovah commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work.
43And Moses saw all the work, and, behold, they had done it; as Jehovah had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.

What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
“And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, etc.] Jarchi observes that there is no mention made of linen, because these were not the priestly garments in which there was linen; but these were they with which they covered the vessels of the sanctuary when they journeyed; and so says Aben Ezra; and those were covered with cloths of blue, purple, and scarlet, (<040405>Numbers 4:5-15) though some think these were clothes wore by the priests: to do service in the holy place: and which they only wore when in it, and employed in the service of it; and therefore what follows must be by way of…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“GARMENTS OF THE PRIESTS. (Exo. 39:1-43) cloths of service--official robes. The ephod of the high priest, the robe of the ephod, the girdle of needlework, and the embroidered coat were all of fine linen; for on no material less delicate could such elaborate symbolical figures have been portrayed in embroidery, and all beautified with the same brilliant colors. (See on Exo. 28:1-43).”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“See the notes to Exodus 28:0. return to 'Top of Page' Footnotes: Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliographical Information Barnes, Albert. "Commentary on Exodus 39". "Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/exodus-39.html. 1870. StudyLight.org &copy;&#160;2001-2026 Powered by Lightspeed Technology”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 1
“The priests garments are called here clothes of service - Those that wear robes of honour must look upon them as clothes of service; for those upon whom honour is put, from them service is expected. Holy garments were not made for men to sleep in, but to do service in, and then they are indeed for glory and beauty. These also were shadows of good things to come, but the substance is Christ. He is our great high priest; he put upon him the clothes of service when he undertook the work of our redemption; arrayed himself with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, which he received not by measure; charged himself with…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“39:1-31 See 28:1-43.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
“the blue: Exo 25:4, Exo 26:1, Exo 35:23 cloths: Exo 31:10, Exo 35:19 holy place: Psa 93:5; Eze 43:12; Heb 9:12, Heb 9:25 the holy: Exo 28:2-4, Exo 31:10; Eze 42:14 Exodus 39:2”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · on verse 1
“Preparation of the priests' clothes. - Previous to the description of the dress itself, we have a statement in Exo 39:1 of the materials employed, and the purpose to which they were devoted ("cloths of service," see at Exo 31:10). The robes consisted of the ephod ( Exo 39:2-7, as in Exo 28:6-12), the choshen or breastplate ( Exo 39:8-21, as in Exo 28:15-29), the mel or over-coat ( Exo 39:22-26, as in Exo 28:31-34); the body-coats, turbans, drawers, and girdles, for Aaron and his sons ( Exo 39:27-29, as in Exo 28:39-40, and Exo 28:42). The Urim and Thummim are not mentioned (cf. Exo 28:30). The head-dresses of the…”
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