Exodus 28 · Verse 2

Exodus 28:2

And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
Exodus 28:2, King James Version

Exodus 28:2 in other translations

BSBMake holy garments for your brother Aaron, to give him glory and splendor.
WEBYou shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
ASVAnd thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty.
YLTand thou hast made holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for honour and for beauty;
DARBYAnd thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for ornament.
BBEAnd make holy robes for Aaron your brother, so that he may be clothed with glory and honour.
WebsterAnd thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty.

What does Exodus 28:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 28:2-5
2-5. holy garments--No inherent holiness belonged either to the material or the workmanship. But they are called "holy" simply because they were not worn on ordinary occasions, but assumed in the discharge of the sacred functions (Eze 44:19). for glory and for beauty--It was a grand and sumptuous attire. In material, elaborate embroidery, and color, it had an imposing splendor. The tabernacle being adapted to the infantine aid of the church, it was right and necessary that the priests' garments should be of such superb and dazzling appearance, that the people might be inspired with a due respect for the ministers as well as the rites of religion. But they had also a further meaning; for being all made of linen, they were symbolical of the truth, purity, and other qualities in Christ that rendered Him such a high priest as became us.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 For glory and for beauty - Four articles of dress were prescribed for the priests in ordinary, and four more for the high-priest. Those for the priests in general were a coat, drawers, a girdle, and a bonnet. Besides these the high-priest had a robe, an ephod, a breastplate, and a plate or diadem of gold on his forehead. The garments, says the sacred historian, were for honor and for beauty. They were emblematical of the office in which they ministered. 1. It was honorable. They were the ministers of the Most High, and employed by him in transacting the most important concerns between God and his people, concerns in which all the attributes of the Divine Being were interested, as well as those which referred to the present and eternal happiness of his creatures. 2. They were for beauty. They were emblematical of that holiness and purity which ever characterize the Divine nature and the worship which is worthy of him, and which are essentially necessary to all those who wish to serve him in the beauty of holiness here below, and without which none can ever see his face in the realms of glory. Should not the garments of all those who minister in holy things still be emblematical of the things in which they minister? Should they not be for glory and beauty, expressive of the dignity of the Gospel ministry, and that beauty of holiness without which none can see the Lord? As the high-priest's vestments, under the law, were emblematical of what was to come, should not the vestments of the ministers of the Gospel bear some resemblance of what is come? Is then the dismal black, now worn by almost all kinds of priests and ministers, for glory and for beauty? Is it emblematical of any thing that is good, glorious, or excellent? How unbecoming the glad tidings announced by Christian ministers is a color emblematical of nothing but mourning and wo, sin, desolation, and death! How inconsistent the habit and office of these men! Should it be said, "These are only shadows, and are useless because the substance is come." I ask, Why then is black almost universally worn? why is a particular color preferred, if there be no signification in any? Is there not a danger that in our zeal against shadows, we shall destroy or essentially change the substance itself? Would not the same sort of argumentation exclude water in baptism, and bread and wine in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper? The white surplice in the service of the Church is almost the only thing that remains of those ancient and becoming vestments, which God commanded to be made for glory and beauty. Clothing, emblematical of office, is of more consequence than is generally imagined. Were the great officers of the crown, and the great officers of justice, to clothe themselves like the common people when they appear in their public capacity, both their persons and their decisions would be soon held in little estimation.

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…

Read the full comment on Exodus 28:1-5 →

Exodus 28:2 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.

וְעָשִׂ֥יתָve.'a.Si.taand you will makeH6213
בִגְדֵי\־vig.dei-garments ofH899
קֹ֖דֶשׁKo.deshholinessH6944
לְאַהֲרֹ֣ןle.'a.ha.Ronfor AaronH175
אָחִ֑יךָ'a.Chi.khabrother yourH251
לְכָב֖וֹדle.kha.Vodfor gloryH3519
וּלְתִפְאָֽרֶת\׃u.le.tif.'A.retand for beautyH8597

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

Cross references for Exodus 28:2

  • Leviticus 8:30

    And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons’ garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.

  • 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,

  • Revelation 19:8

    And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

  • Job 40:10

    Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.

  • Hebrews 7:26

    For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

  • Leviticus 8:7-9

    And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith. And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim. And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the Lord commanded Moses.

  • Exodus 39:1-2

    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.

  • Revelation 5:10

    And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

  • Exodus 28:40

    And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.

  • Psalms 90:16-17

    Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

  • Isaiah 61:10

    I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

  • Psalms 132:16

    I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
holy garments.
29:5-9,29,30; 31:10; 39:1,2; 40:13; Le 8:7-9,30; Nu 20:26-28
Ps 132:9,16; Isa 61:3,10; 64:6; Zec 3:3,4; Ro 3:22; 13:14; Ga 3:27
Heb 7:26; Re 19:8
glory.
40; 19:5,6; Nu 27:20,21; Job 40:10; Ps 90:16,17; 96:6; 149:4
Isa 4:2; Jer 9:23,24; Joh 1:14; 1Co 1:30,31; Heb 2:9; 2Pe 1:17
1Jo 3:2; Re 5:10; 19:8

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.

  • Exodus 28:3

    And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

Read all of Exodus 28

Exodus 28:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y harás vestidos sagrados á Aarón tu hermano, para honra y hermosura.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et tu feras de saints vêtements à Aaron, ton frère, pour gloire et pour ornement.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und du sollst heilige Kleider für deinen Bruder Aaron machen zur Herrlichkeit und zum Schmuck.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Faciesque vestem sanctam Aaron fratri tuo in gloriam et decorem.