Exodus 28 · Verse 38

Exodus 28:38

And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.
Exodus 28:38, King James Version

Exodus 28:38 in other translations

BSBAnd it will be worn on Aaron’s forehead, so that he may bear the iniquity of the holy things that the sons of Israel consecrate with regard to all their holy gifts. It shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be acceptable before the LORD.
WEBIt shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall make holy in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.
ASVAnd it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before Jehovah.
YLTand it hath been on the forehead of Aaron, and Aaron hath borne the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel do hallow, even all their holy gifts; and it hath been on his forehead continually for a pleasing thing for them before Jehovah.
DARBYAnd it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all gifts of their holy things; and it shall be continually on his forehead, that they may be accepted before Jehovah.
BBEAnd it will be over Aaron's brow, so that Aaron will be responsible for any error in all the holy offerings made by the children of Israel; it will be on his brow at all times, so that their offerings may be pleasing to the Lord.
WebsterAnd it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

What does Exodus 28:38 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 28:36-38

36-38. plate--literally, a petal of a flower, which seems to have been the figure of this golden plate, which was tied with a ribbon of blue on the front of the mitre, so that every one facing him could read the inscription.

Read the full comment on Exodus 28:36-38 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 38 May bear the iniquity of the holy things - ונשא אהרן את עון הקדשים venasa Aharon eth avon hakkodashim. And Aaron shall bear (in a vicarious and typical manner) the sin of the holy or separated things - offerings or sacrifices. Aaron was, as the high priest of the Jews, the type or representative of our blessed Redeemer; and as he offered the sacrifices prescribed by the law to make an atonement for sin, and was thereby represented as bearing their sins because he was bound to make an atonement for them; so Christ is represented as bearing their sins, i.e., the punishment due to the sins of the world, in his becoming a sacrifice for the human race. See Isa 53:4, Isa 53:12, where the same verb, נשא nasa, is used; and see 1Pet 2:24. By the inscription on the plate on his forehead Aaron was acknowledged as the holy minister of the holy God. To the people's services and their offerings much imperfection was attached, and therefore Aaron was represented, not only as making an atonement in general for the sins of the people by the sacrifices they brought, but also as making an atonement for the imperfection of the atonement itself, and the manner in which it was brought. It shall be always upon his forehead - The plate inscribed with Holiness to the Lord should be always on his forehead, to teach that the law required holiness; that this was its aim, design, and end: and the same is required by the Gospel; for under this dispensation it is expressly said, Without holiness no man shall see the Lord; Heb 12:14.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 28:31-39

The robe of the ephod was under the ephod, and reached down to the knees, without sleeves. Aaron must minister in the garments appointed. We must serve the Lord with holy fear, as those who know they deserve to die. A golden plate was fixed on Aaron's forehead, engraven with "Holiness to the Lord." Aaron was hereby reminded that God is holy, and that his priests must be holy, devoted to the Lord. This must appear in…

Read the full comment on Exodus 28:31-39 →

Exodus 28:38 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.

וְהָיָה֮ve.ha.Yahand it will beH1961
עַל\־'al-onH5921
מֵ֣צַחMe.tzach[the] forehead ofH4696
אַהֲרֹן֒'a.ha.RonAaronH175
וְנָשָׂ֨אve.na.Sa'and he will bearH5375
אַהֲרֹ֜ן'a.ha.RonAaronH175
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
עֲוֹ֣ן'a.Von[the] guilt ofH5771
הַקֳּדָשִׁ֗יםha.ko.da.Shimthe holy thingsH6944
אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.SherwhichH834
יַקְדִּ֙ישׁוּ֙yak.Di.shuthey will consecrateH6942
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
לְכָֽל\־le.kholto allH3605
מַתְּנֹ֖תma.te.Not[the] gifts ofH4979
קָדְשֵׁיהֶ֑םka.de.shei.Hemholiness<es> theirH6944
וְהָיָ֤הve.ha.Yahand it will beH1961
עַל\־'al-onH5921
מִצְחוֹ֙mitz.Choforehead hisH4696
תָּמִ֔ידta.MidcontinuallyH8548
לְרָצ֥וֹןle.ra.Tzonfor acceptanceH7522
לָהֶ֖םla.Hemto <the> them
לִפְנֵ֥יlif.Nei<to> beforeH6440
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehYahwehH3068

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

Cross references for Exodus 28:38

  • 1 Peter 2:24

    Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

  • Numbers 18:1

    And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

  • Leviticus 10:17

    Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord?

  • John 1:29

    The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

  • Hebrews 9:28

    So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

  • Leviticus 22:9

    They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the Lord do sanctify them.

  • Leviticus 22:27

    When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

  • Ezekiel 4:4-6

    Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.

  • Leviticus 1:4

    And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

  • Isaiah 56:7

    Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

  • Exodus 28:43

    And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

  • 2 Corinthians 5:21

    For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
bear the iniquity.
43; Le 10:17; 22:9; Nu 18:1; Isa 53:6,11,12; Eze 4:4-6; Joh 1:29
2Co 5:21; Heb 9:28; 1Pe 2:24; 3:18
accepted.
Le 1:4; 22:27; 23:11; Isa 56:7; 60:7; Eph 1:6; 1Pe 2:5

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

Context

  • Exodus 28:37

    And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

  • Exodus 28:38

    And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

  • Exodus 28:39

    And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.

Read all of Exodus 28

Exodus 28:38 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y estará sobre la frente de Aarón: y llevará Aarón el pecado de las cosas santas, que los hijos de Israel hubieren consagrado en todas sus santas ofrendas; y sobre su frente estará continuamente para que hayan gracia delante de Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
et elle sera sur le front d’Aaron; et Aaron portera l’iniquité des choses saintes que les fils d’Israël auront sanctifiées, dans tous les dons de leurs choses saintes; et elle sera sur son front continuellement, pour être agréée pour eux devant l’ Éternel.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und es soll auf der Stirn Aarons sein, und Aaron soll die Ungerechtigkeit der heiligen Dinge tragen, welche die Kinder Israel heiligen werden, bei allen Gaben ihrer heiligen Dinge; und es soll beständig an seiner Stirn sein, zum Wohlgefallen für sie vor Jehova.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
imminens fronti pontificis. Portabitque Aaron iniquitates eorum, quæ obtulerunt et sanctificaverunt filii Israël, in cunctis muneribus et donariis suis. Erit autem lamina semper in fronte ejus, ut placatus sit eis Dominus.