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Exodus 39

Exodus 39 records the completion of Israel’s sanctuary work, measuring its craftsmanship by obedience to YHWH’s commands.

The workers beat gold into thin plates and cut it into wires for Aaron’s priestly garments. They make the ephod and breastplate, engraving Israel’s tribal names on stones, and complete the clothing for Aaron and his sons. The account repeats that their work follows YHWH’s commands to Moses. With the tabernacle’s work finished, the Israelites bring its parts and furnishings to Moses. He inspects what they have made and blesses them.

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1Of the blue, purple, and scarlet, they made finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the LORD commanded Moses.
2He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen.
5The skillfully woven band that was on it, with which to fasten it on, was of the same piece, like its work: of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, as the LORD commanded Moses.
6They worked the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold, engraved with the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the children of Israel.
7He put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.
8He made the breastplate, the work of a skillful workman, like the work of the ephod: of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen.
10They set in it four rows of stones. A row of ruby, topaz, and beryl was the first row;
11and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald;
13and the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in gold settings.
15They made on the breastplate chains like cords, of braided work of pure gold.
18The other two ends of the two braided chains they put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod, in its front.
21They bound the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not come loose from the ephod, as the LORD commanded Moses.
24They made on the skirts of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, scarlet, and twined linen.
25They made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates around the skirts of the robe, between the pomegranates;
26a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, around the skirts of the robe, to minister in, as the LORD commanded Moses.
27They made the tunics of fine linen of woven work for Aaron and for his sons,
28the turban of fine linen, the linen headbands of fine linen, the linen trousers of fine twined linen,
29the sash of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet, the work of the embroiderer, as the LORD commanded Moses.
30They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engravings of a signet: “HOLY TO THE LORD”.
32Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished. The children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses; so they did.
33They brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent, with all its furniture, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets,
35the ark of the covenant with its poles, the mercy seat,
36the table, all its vessels, the show bread,
37the pure lamp stand, its lamps, even the lamps to be set in order, all its vessels, the oil for the light,
38the golden altar, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door of the Tent,
39the bronze altar, its grating of bronze, its poles, all of its vessels, the basin and its base,
40the hangings of the court, its pillars, its sockets, the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, its pins, and all the instruments of the service of the tabernacle, for the Tent of Meeting,
41the finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.
42According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work.
43Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded. They had done so; and Moses blessed them.
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Key verses
Exodus 39:1The opening verse establishes both the garments’ purpose in holy service and YHWH’s authority over their making.
Exodus 39:42This summary credits the children of Israel with completing the whole work according to YHWH’s commands.
Exodus 39:43Moses inspects the finished work, confirms its obedience to YHWH’s commands, and blesses the people who made it.
Where this chapter reaches

Leviticus shares Aaron’s priestly garments and their use in his consecration, while Numbers shares the tabernacle furnishings and arrangements for their care. Hebrews takes up this same sanctuary and priesthood when explaining Christ’s priestly service and the significance of the earthly holy place.

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After reading the whole chapter

How does the repeated phrase “as the LORD commanded Moses” shape your reading of the craft details?

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What stands out to you about Israel’s tribal names being engraved on the priest’s stones?

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Questions people ask about Exodus 39

What is the ephod in Exodus 39?

The ephod is a priestly garment made from gold wire, colored yarn, and fine linen. It has joined shoulder straps and a woven fastening band. Memorial stones bearing Israel’s names sit on its shoulders, and the breastplate is secured to it. The chapter describes its construction without giving a complete picture of its shape.

Why does Exodus 39 keep saying “as the LORD commanded Moses”?

The repeated phrase marks the workers’ obedience throughout the making of the priestly garments. The closing verses extend that judgment to all the tabernacle work. Moses examines the finished pieces, sees that they conform to YHWH’s commands, and blesses the people. Obedience is the account’s stated measure of completion.

What do the twelve stones on the breastplate represent?

Verse 14 identifies the twelve stones with the twelve tribes of Israel. Each stone bears an engraved name, like a signet. The shoulder stones bear Israel’s names as memorial stones. The chapter ties the stones to the people; it does not assign a separate spiritual meaning to each kind of gem.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).