Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Exodus
Chapter 39: The Priestly Garments
The workers turn from the tabernacle to the man who would serve in it, making the holy garments for Aaron the high priest. They weave the ephod and set upon its shoulders two onyx stones engraved with the names of the twelve tribes, "stones for a memorial." They make the breastplate of judgment, set with twelve precious stones, each engraved with a tribe's name, and bind it over the priest's heart so it cannot be loosed. They make the blue robe with its bells and pomegranates, the linen coats and mitre, and at last the plate of pure gold for the holy crown, engraved with the words HOLINESS TO THE LORD. Then the whole work is finished, done in every part "as the LORD commanded Moses," and Moses looks upon it, sees the obedience of the people, and blesses them. Exodus 39 is a chapter about the high priest who carries his people on his shoulders and over his heart, the call to holiness, and worship offered exactly as God commanded.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Exodus chapter 39. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Chapter 39 records the making of the priestly garments, the names of the tribes on the shoulders and over the heart, the golden crown engraved HOLINESS TO THE LORD, and the finished work that Moses inspects and blesses. It teaches how Christ our High Priest carries His people in strength and love, our call to holiness, and worship offered on God's terms. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Carried in Strength
The tribes' names, engraved on onyx, were borne on the high priest's shoulders as a memorial before God.
Carried in Love
Twelve stones on the breastplate held the tribes over the priest's heart, bound so they could not be loosed.
Holiness to the LORD
A golden plate on the mitre bore the engraved words that summed up the whole priesthood: holiness to the LORD.
As the LORD Commanded
The work was finished exactly as God commanded, and Moses looked upon it and blessed the people.
Stones for a Memorial (Exodus 39:1-7)
The ephod is made, and two onyx stones engraved with the names of the twelve tribes are set on its shoulders, so the high priest carries all Israel upon his shoulders before God.
Upon the Shoulders of the Ephod
"And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses. And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. And 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, with cunning work. They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together. And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses. And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel. And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses. And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled. And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row. And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings."
Hebrew Study
The ephod is made exactly as commanded: gold is beaten into thin plates and cut into threads to be worked "in the blue, and in the purple" — glory woven through the whole fabric. On its shoulderpieces the two onyx stones carry the twelve tribes' names "for a memorial." And the chapter's steady refrain begins here — "as the LORD commanded Moses" — sounded again and again as each piece is finished in perfect obedience.
Explanation
The ephod was the chief garment of the high priest, woven of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen. On its two shoulder pieces the workers set two onyx stones, "inclosed in ouches of gold," and on them they engraved, "as signets are graven, the names of the children of Israel." Six tribal names were on one shoulder and six on the other, so that when Aaron ministered before the LORD he carried the names of all Israel on his shoulders, "stones for a memorial." The shoulder is the place of strength and burden-bearing. Whenever the high priest went in before God, he did not go for himself alone; he bore the whole people with him, resting the weight of them upon his own shoulders, presenting them all before the LORD.
Gospel Focus
The high priest carrying Israel's names on his shoulders is a picture of Jesus, our great High Priest, who bears His people upon Himself. The shoulder is the place of strength, and it is on His shoulder that our salvation rests: "the government shall be upon his shoulder" (Isaiah 9:6). When the shepherd finds the lost sheep, he "layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing" (Luke 15:5); he does not drive it home but carries it. So Christ carries us, not by our strength but by His. Every believer's name is borne upon the shoulders of the One who stands before God for us. We are not holding on to Him by our own power; He is holding us up by His. When you feel too weak to go on, remember that you are being carried, resting on shoulders strong enough to bear the weight of the whole people of God. The Priest who intercedes for you also carries you, and He will not set His burden down.
The Breastplate over the Heart (Exodus 39:8-21)
The breastplate of judgment is made with twelve engraved stones and bound over the high priest's heart, fastened so that it can never be loosed from the ephod.
Every One with His Name
"And 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 with his name, according to the twelve tribes. And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold. And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate. And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate. And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it. And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward. And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses. And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue. And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend. And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen. And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates; A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses. And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses."
Hebrew Study
The breastplate bears twelve engraved stones for the twelve tribes, set over the high priest's heart. So he carries his people in two places at once — on his shoulders (the seat of strength) and on his heart (the seat of love) — as he goes in before God. Bound by golden chains and blue lace to the ephod "that it be not loosed," the breastplate holds the tribes securely — a picture of how our High Priest keeps His own, never to be let go.
Explanation
On the breast of the high priest hung the breastplate of judgment, set with twelve precious stones in four rows, "every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes." As the two onyx stones bore the tribes on the shoulders, so these twelve stones bore them, one by one, over the heart. Each tribe had its own stone, its own name, its own place; none was lumped together or left out. And the breastplate was carefully bound: "they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue," fastened above the girdle so "that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod." Over the priest's heart, held fast and never to come loose, the names of God's people were carried into His presence, each one known and named.
Gospel Focus
If the shoulders speak of strength, the heart speaks of love. The high priest carried his people not only on his shoulders but over his heart, each name engraved on its own stone, and so does the Lord Jesus. He does not carry us as a faceless crowd; He knows us by name and holds each of us over His heart. "The Lord knoweth them that are his" (2 Timothy 2:19). And notice with what care the breastplate was bound, laced fast so that it "might not be loosed from the ephod." Our place over the heart of Christ is not loosely held; it is bound securely, never to come loose. Nothing "shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39). Between the shoulders that carry us in strength and the heart that holds us in love, the believer is perfectly secure. You are not a nameless number to God. Your name is engraved on the heart of your High Priest, bound there so it cannot be loosed, carried into the very presence of God every moment He appears for you.
Holiness to the LORD (Exodus 39:22-31)
The robe, the coats, and the mitre are made, and upon the mitre is fastened the golden plate of the holy crown, engraved with the words that sum up the whole priesthood.
The Plate of the Holy Crown
"And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses. Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they. And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets, And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering, The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat, The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread, The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light, And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door, The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot, The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation, The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments, to minister in the priest's office. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work."
Explanation
The workers made the robe of the ephod, all of blue, and around its hem alternating "bells of pure gold" and pomegranates, so the priest's ministry could be heard as he moved. They made the coats, the mitre, and the bonnets of fine linen, and the breeches, and the girdle of needlework. Then, as the crowning piece, they made "the plate of the holy crown of pure gold," and engraved upon it, like a signet, the words HOLINESS TO THE LORD. This golden plate was tied to the front of the mitre, worn upon the high priest's forehead, so that the very first thing seen of him, and the summary of his whole calling, was these three words. Above all his service, over his mind and his face, the priest bore the declaration that he, and the people he represented, belonged wholly to God.
Hebrew Study
"Holiness to the LORD" is the Hebrew qodesh la-YHWH. The word qodesh means holiness, set-apartness, that which is consecrated wholly to God and separated from common use. The plate did not say "service to the LORD" or "strength to the LORD," but holiness, for holiness is the sum of what God requires and the heart of true worship. To be qodesh is to be marked off as belonging to God alone, reserved for Him, set apart from all that is common and unclean.
Gospel Focus
"HOLINESS TO THE LORD," worn on the forehead of the high priest, is the crown and summary of all true worship. Of everything that could have been engraved on the golden crown, God chose holiness, for that is what He is and what He calls His people to be: "Be ye holy; for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16). Under the new covenant every believer is made a priest, "a royal priesthood, an holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9), and this inscription belongs on us. Our lives are to bear the writing HOLINESS TO THE LORD, marked off as belonging wholly to God. Yet we could never earn that crown ourselves; it is given to us in Christ, "who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification" (1 Corinthians 1:30). He is our holiness, and He sets His holiness upon us. And notice where the plate was worn, on the forehead, the place of the mind and of what is openly seen. Holiness is not to be hidden but to crown the thoughts and to be visible to all. Let the world read upon your life what was written on the high priest's crown: that you belong to the LORD, and are set apart for Him alone.
As the LORD Commanded Moses (Exodus 39:32-43)
The whole work is finished, done in every part exactly as God commanded, and Moses inspects it, sees their obedience, and blesses the people.
Moses Blessed Them
"And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them."
Explanation
"Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they." The people brought every piece to Moses, the tent and its furniture, the ark and the mercy seat, the table, the candlestick, the altars, the laver, the hangings, and the priestly garments. Through this closing chapter one phrase sounds again and again like a refrain: "as the LORD commanded Moses." Nothing was invented, nothing was left out, nothing was done according to human preference. Then Moses "did look upon all the work," inspected it piece by piece, and "behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it." Seeing their careful obedience, "Moses blessed them." The great work was complete, and it ended not in exhaustion but in blessing.
Hebrew Study
"Finished" is the Hebrew kalah, meaning to complete, to bring wholly to an end. It is the same word used when "the heavens and the earth were finished" at creation (Genesis 2:1), and Moses looking upon all the work and blessing it echoes God looking upon creation and pronouncing it good. The building of the tabernacle is told as a kind of new creation: a work commanded by God, carried out in obedience, brought to completion, inspected, and blessed. Where God dwells, He makes a finished and blessed order out of a willing people.
Gospel Focus
The repeated refrain, "as the LORD commanded Moses," is the heartbeat of this chapter, and it teaches a lesson we dare not miss. Only a few chapters earlier, Israel had worshipped a golden calf, an act of religious zeal done according to their own ideas, and it brought judgment. Here they build the tabernacle exactly as God commanded, and it brings blessing. The difference between the calf and the tabernacle was not sincerity or effort, for both had plenty of both; the difference was obedience. True worship is not what we invent for God but what He has appointed. God is not honored by our creativity in worship but by our obedience in it. And notice how the story ends: when the work was done as God commanded, "Moses blessed them." As God looked upon creation and saw that it was good, so Moses looked upon this finished work and blessed the people. Obedience is the pathway to blessing. When we do the work of God in the way of God, we may be sure of this: He who commanded it will also bless it. Build your life and your worship on His word, not your own imagination, and finish the work with the blessing of God upon it.
Chapter 39 in Review
Exodus 39 records the making of the holy garments and the finishing of the whole work. The ephod is woven and two onyx stones engraved with the tribes' names are set on its shoulders as a memorial, so the high priest carries all Israel upon his shoulders. The breastplate of judgment is made with twelve stones, "every one with his name," and bound over the priest's heart so it cannot be loosed. The robe with its bells and pomegranates, the linen coats and mitre, and at last the golden plate of the holy crown, engraved HOLINESS TO THE LORD, are all made. Then the entire work of the tabernacle is finished, done in every part "as the LORD commanded Moses," and Moses inspects it, sees their obedience, and blesses the people.
For the Apostolic reader, this chapter is full of Christ and our calling. The names on the shoulders and over the heart show our great High Priest carrying His people in both strength and love, holding each of us by name, bound to Him so we can never be loosed. The golden crown, HOLINESS TO THE LORD, is the summary of our calling and the gift of Christ, who is made unto us our sanctification, so that our lives may openly bear the mark of belonging wholly to God. And the finished work, done exactly as God commanded and ending in blessing, teaches that true worship is obedience, not invention, and that the way of obedience is the way of blessing. The tabernacle stands complete, a new creation among the people of God, and every part of it points to Jesus.
- The high priest bore the tribes' names on his shoulders; Christ carries His people in strength (39:7; Luke 15:5).
- He bore them over his heart, bound so they could not be loosed; Christ holds us by name in love, never to be separated (39:14; Romans 8:39).
- The golden crown read HOLINESS TO THE LORD; we are called to holiness, which Christ is made unto us (39:30; 1 Peter 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:30).
- The work was finished exactly "as the LORD commanded Moses"; true worship is obedience, not invention (39:32).
- When the work was done as commanded, Moses blessed them; obedience is the pathway to blessing (39:43).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you rest in the truth that Christ carries you on His shoulders and holds your name over His heart?
- Would the words HOLINESS TO THE LORD be a fitting crown over your thoughts and your life?
- Is your worship built on what God has commanded, or on what you prefer?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). "Holiness to the LORD" is the Hebrew qodesh la-YHWH, marking what is set apart wholly to God, and "finished" (Hebrew kalah) is the same word used of creation being completed in Genesis 2:1, as any Bible reference confirms. Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- The names on the shoulders and Christ our burden-bearer: Exodus 39:1-7; Isaiah 9:6; Luke 15:5.
- The names over the heart and the love that will not loose us: Exodus 39:8-21; Romans 8:39; 2 Timothy 2:19.
- The crown of holiness and our call to be holy: Exodus 39:22-31; 1 Peter 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:30.
- The finished work, obedience, and blessing: Exodus 39:32-43; Genesis 2:1.