Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Exodus 39:1
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
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 explanation: and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord commanded Moses; the particulars of which are given in the following verses. Ver. 2-31. And he made the ephod of gold, etc.] From hence to the end of verse thirty one we have a very particular account of the making of the priest’s garments exactly according to the directions given to Moses, ((see Gill on “<022801>Exodus 28:1”)) etc. to end of chapter twenty eight; only it may be observed, that here in (<023903>Exodus 39:3) an account is given of the manner in which they made the gold fit to be worked along with the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; they beat the gold into thin plates, and then cut them into wires, and then twisted them together with the yarn: the gold that was used in the weaving of the ephod and the breastplate, spoken of in the law, was wrought after this manner; the workman took one thread of pure gold, and put it with six threads of blue, and twisted the seven threads as one, and so he wrought a thread of gold with six of purple, and another thread with six of scarlet, and another with six of linen or flax, so that there were four threads of gold, and all the threads were twenty eight, as it is said; “they did beat” or spread out “the gold”, etc. “to work in the midst of blue”, etc. from whence is learnt that the thread of gold was twisted in the midst of them f1010: and it may be further observed, that after the enumeration of the stones in the breastplate, (<023910>Exodus 39:10-13) no mention is made of the Urim and Thummim, which seems to confirm the opinion of many, and which is my own, that they are the same with the stones: moreover, in (<023928>Exodus 39:28), it may be observed, that what the coats for the common priests were made of is expressed, which is not before, which was linen; expressive of their purity and holiness, and in which they ought always to appear before God and man, and in which apparel they have been imitated among the Heathens: the priests of Hercules are said to be clothed with linen f1011, and the Egyptian priests wore only a linen garment f1012; hence the priests of Isis, with whom she is represented as surrounded by Juvenal f1013, are called by him “grex liniger”, and by Martial, “linigeri” f1014.
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