Exodus 28

“Apron” is more literally ephod. Scholars debate exactly what that looked like. Some describe it as a skirt or a shift-like garment that covered the body from about the waist to the mid-thigh. Priests used what was described as an ephod to store the sword of Goliath, after David killed this Philistine champion warrior (1 Samuel 23:9).

Onyx stones have colorful layered bands ranging in color from black to white and almost every color in between. Black is the most popular color to buy today. But most of those stones are artificially colored.

Genesis 49 says a dozen children and grandchildren of Jacob “became the founding fathers of Israel’s 12 tribes” (49:28).

More literally, “filigree settings.”

More literally, the “Decision Chestpiece.” The descriptive word in Hebrew is mispat. It can mean a wide variety of words, including: justice, judgment, law, court, rights, and decisions. We need context clues to pick the right word. The general idea, however, seems to suggest the vest, which the high priest wears over his heart, represents his authority to deliver God’s messages and judgments to the people.

Also known as chrysolite.

This is a guess. The Hebrew word is yahlom. What that means is unclear. Pick a gem. Different Bible translations offer different lists of stones. That’s because some of the Hebrew names remain a mystery. But the context of this list suggests that every stone is a gem, and a symbol of great value.

This is another guess. The Hebrew word is ahlama. What that means is unclear.

People used engraved stones to stamp a symbol onto a plug of moist clay or melted wax to seal closed a private letter or an official document.

These were two objects never described in the Bible. They might have been stones, marked or colored in different ways. The high priest used them to answer questions with a “yes” or “no” or “wait.” It might have worked a bit like tossing two coins in the air and seeing how they land. Two heads for “yes.” Two tails for “no.” One of each for “wait.” It might seem foolish to make an important decision that way, such as whether to go to war. But the people of Israel seemed to believe that God controlled the objects the priests used. That doesn’t mean the Bible endorses making decisions that way today. As in, two heads up for a four-wheeler or two tails up for retirement savings. The Hebrew names are Urim and Thummim, described as meaning “lights” and “perfection.”

The writer doesn’t say why the high priest has to wear a robe that rings. A ringing robe sounds irritating, whether you have to wear it or just hear it. But it apparently became one of the sounds of worship. And worshiping the LORD involved other senses as well. The touch of an animal offered in sacrifice. The smell of the meat burning on the altar. The taste of the meat in sacrifices that allowed worshipers to share some of the meat in a meal with family and friends.

The standard priests also got to wear a tunic as part of their uniform, but apparently not checkered ones like the High Priest got.

Pouring olive oil on people was an ancient Jewish tradition known as anointing. It was a way of showing people that they had a connection with God. A prophet named Samuel anointed young David as the future king of Israel. “Samuel poured the olive oil out of the horn and onto David’s head while his older brothers watched. The LORD’s Spirit poured into David and stayed with him for the rest of his life” (1 Samuel 16:13). Christians picked up that tradition and used it in a ritual that included praying for the sick and placing hands on them. “Do you have any sick people there? If so, ask the church leaders to pray over them and to anoint them with oil. Do this in the name of the Lord, invoking the Lord’s authority” (James 5:14).

Also translated “ordain,” as in “an ordained minister.”