Exodus 28 · Verse 1

Exodus 28:1

And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
Exodus 28:1, King James Version

Exodus 28:1 in other translations

BSB“Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.
WEB“Bring Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, near to you from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office: Aaron, with Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
ASVAnd bring thou near unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
YLT‘And thou, bring thou near unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from the midst of the sons of Israel, for his being priest to Me, even Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, sons of Aaron;
DARBYAnd thou shalt take thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may serve me as priest — Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
BBENow let Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, come near from among the children of Israel, so that they may be my priests, even Aaron, and Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, his sons.
WebsterAnd take thou to thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.

What does Exodus 28:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Ex 28:1-43. Appointment to the Priesthood.

1. take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him--Moses had hitherto discharged the priestly functions (Psa 99:6), and he evinced the piety as well as humility of his character, in readily complying with the command to invest his brother with the sacred office, though it involved the perpetual exclusion of his own family. The appointment was a special act of God's sovereignty, so that there could be no ground for popular umbrage by the selection of Aaron's family, with whom the office was inalienably established and continued in unbroken succession till the introduction of the Christian era.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Aaron and his sons are set apart for the priest's office, Exo 28:1. Garments to be provided for them, Exo 28:2, Exo 28:3. What these garments were, Exo 28:4, and of what made, Exo 28:5. The ephod, its shoulder-pieces, and girdle, Exo 28:6-8. The two onyx stones, on which the names of the twelve tribes were to be engraven, Exo 28:9-14. The breastplate of judgment; its twelve precious stones, engraving, rings, chains, and its use, Exo 28:15-29. The Urim and Thummim, Exo 28:30. The robe of the ephod, its border, bells, pomegranates, etc., and their use, Exo 28:31-35. The plate of pure gold and its motto, Exo 28:36, to be placed on Aaron's mitre, Exo 28:37, Exo 28:38. The embroidered coat for Aaron, Exo 28:39. Coats, girdles, and bonnets, Exo 28:40. Aaron and his sons to be anointed for the priest's office, Exo 28:41. Other articles of clothing and their use, Exo 28:42, Exo 28:43. Verse 1 Aaron - and his sons - The priesthood was to be restrained to this family because the public worship was to be confined to one place; and previously to this the eldest in every family officiated as priest, there being no settled place of worship. It has been very properly observed that, if Moses had not acted by the Divine appointment, he would not have passed by his own family, which continued in the condition of ordinary Levites, and established the priesthood, the only dignity in the nation, in the family of his brother Aaron. "The priests, however, had no power of a secular nature, nor does it appear from history that they ever arrived at any till the time of the Asmoneans or Maccabees." See Clarke's note on Exo 19:22.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 28:1-5
Hitherto the heads of families were the priests, and offered sacrifices; but now this office was confined to the family of Aaron only; and so continued till the gospel dispensation. The holy garments not only distinguished the priests from the people, but were emblems of that holy conduct which should ever be the glory and beauty, the mark of the ministers of religion, without which their persons and ministrations will be had in contempt. They also typified the glory of the Divine majesty, and the beauty of complete holiness, which rendered Jesus Christ the great High Priest. But our adorning under the gospel, is not to be of gold and costly array, but the garments of salvation, the robe of righteousness.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Exodus 28:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאַתָּ֡הve.'a.Tahand youH859
הַקְרֵ֣בhak.Revbring nearH7126
אֵלֶיךָ֩'e.lei.Khato yourselfH413
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אַהֲרֹ֨ן'a.ha.RonAaronH175
אָחִ֜יךָ'a.Chi.khabrother yourH251
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
בָּנָ֣יוba.Navsons hisH1121
אִתּ֔וֹ'i.Towith himH854
מִתּ֛וֹךְmi.Tokhfrom amongH8432
בְּנֵ֥יbe.Nei[the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
לְכַהֲנוֹ\־le.kha.ha.nov-to serve as priest heH3547
לִ֑יLito <the> me
אַהֲרֹ֕ן'a.ha.RonAaronH175
נָדָ֧בna.DavNadabH5070
וַאֲבִיה֛וּאva.'a.vi.Hu'and AbihuH30
אֶלְעָזָ֥ר'el.'a.ZarEleazarH499
וְאִיתָמָ֖רve.'i.ta.Marand IthamarH385
בְּנֵ֥יbe.Nei[the] sons ofH1121
אַהֲרֹֽן\׃'a.ha.RonAaronH175

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 28:1

  • Numbers 18:7

    Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest’s office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

  • Hebrews 5:1-5

    For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. …

  • Numbers 16:9-11

    Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them? And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also? For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?

  • Numbers 17:2-9

    Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod. And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you. …

  • Numbers 26:61

    And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the Lord.

  • 1 Chronicles 6:10

    And Johanan begat Azariah, (he it is that executed the priest’s office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem:)

  • Deuteronomy 10:6

    And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera: there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest’s office in his stead.

  • 2 Chronicles 26:18-21

    And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God. Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him. And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.

  • Leviticus 10:1

    And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.

  • Exodus 31:10

    And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office,

  • Exodus 29:44

    And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office.

  • Exodus 28:41

    And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 Aaron and his sons are set apart for the priest's office.
2 Holy garments are appointed.
6 The ephod and girdle.
15 The breast-plate with twelve precious stones.
30 The Urim and Thummim.
31 The robe of the ephod, with pomegranates and bells.
36 The plate of the mitre.
39 The embroidered coat.
40 The garments for Aaron's sons.

take.
Le 8:2; Nu 16:9-11; 17:2-9; 2Ch 26:18-21; Heb 5:1-5
among.
41; 29:1,9,44; 30:30; 31:10; 35:19; Nu 18:7; De 10:6; 1Ch 6:10
2Ch 11:14; Lu 1:8
Nadab.
6:23; 24:1,9; Le 10:1,12; Nu 2:4; 26:61; 1Ch 24:1-4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 28:1

    And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.

  • Exodus 28:2

    And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.

Read all of Exodus 28

Exodus 28:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y TÚ allega á ti á Aarón tu hermano, y á sus hijos consigo, de entre los hijos de Israel, para que sean mis sacerdotes; á Aarón, Nadab y Abiú, Eleazar é Ithamar, hijos de Aarón.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
*Et toi, fais approcher de toi Aaron, ton frère, et ses fils avec lui, du milieu des fils d’Israël, pour exercer la sacrificature devant moi: Aaron, Nadab et Abihu, Éléazar et Ithamar, fils d’Aaron.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und du, du sollst zu dir nahen lassen deinen Bruder Aaron und seine Söhne mit ihm, aus der Mitte der Kinder Israel, um mir den Priesterdienst auszuüben: Aaron, Nadab und Abihu, Eleasar und Ithamar, die Söhne Aarons.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Applica quoque ad te Aaron fratrem tuum cum filiis suis de medio filiorum Israël, ut sacerdotio fungantur mihi: Aaron, Nadab, et Abiu, Eleazar, et Ithamar.