Exodus 26:31

26:31 “You are to make a special curtain ¹  of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen; it is to be made ²  with cherubim, the work of an artistic designer.

Exodus 27:16

27:16 For the gate of the courtyard there is to be a curtain of thirty feet, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twined linen, the work of an embroiderer, with four posts and their four bases.

Exodus 28:8

28:8 The artistically woven waistband ³  of the ephod that is on it is to be like it, of one piece with the ephod, ⁴  of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twisted linen.

Exodus 28:15

28:15 “You are to make a breastpiece for use in making decisions, ⁵  the work of an artistic designer; you are to make it in the same fashion as the ephod; you are to make it of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twisted linen.

Exodus 35:23

35:23 Everyone who had ⁶  blue, purple, or ⁷  scarlet yarn, fine linen, goats’ hair, ram skins dyed red, or fine leather ⁸  brought them. ⁹ 

Exodus 36:35

36:35 He made the special curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen; he made ¹⁰  it with cherubim, the work of an artistic designer.

Exodus 39:8

The Breastpiece of Decision

39:8 He made the breastpiece, the work of an artistic designer, in the same fashion as the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine twisted linen.

[26:31]  ¹ tn Although translated “curtain” (traditionally “veil,” so ASV, NAB, NASB) this is a different word from the one used earlier of the tent curtains, so “special curtain” is used. The word פָרֹכֶת (farokhet) seems to be connected with a verb that means “to shut off” and was used with a shrine. This curtain would form a barrier in the approach to God (see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 289).

[26:31]  ² tn The verb is the third masculine singular form, but no subject is expressed. It could be translated “one will make” or as a passive. The verb means “to make,” but probably has the sense of embroidering both here and in v. 1.

[28:8]  ³ tn This is the rendering of the word חֵשֶׁב (kheshev), cognate to the word translated “designer” in v. 6. Since the entire ephod was of the same material, and this was of the same piece, it is unclear why this is singled out as “artistically woven.” Perhaps the word is from another root that just describes the item as a “band.” Whatever the connection, this band was to be of the same material, and the same piece, as the ephod, but perhaps a different pattern (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 301). It is this sash that attaches the ephod to the priest’s body, that is, at the upper border of the ephod and clasped together at the back.

[28:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “from it” but meaning “of one [the same] piece”; the phrase “the ephod” has been supplied.

[28:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “a breastpiece of decision” (חֹשֶׁן מִשְׁפָּט, khoshen mishpat; so NAB). The first word, rendered “breastpiece,” is of uncertain etymology. This item was made of material similar to the ephod. It had four rows of three gems on it, bearing the names of the tribes. In it were the urim and thummim. J. P. Hyatt refers to a similar object found in the Egyptian reliefs, including even the twisted gold chains used to hang it from the priest (Exodus [NCBC], 282).

[35:23]  ⁷ tn The text uses a relative clause with a resumptive pronoun for this: “who was found with him,” meaning “with whom was found.”

[35:23]  ⁸ tn The conjunction in this verse is translated “or” because the sentence does not intend to say that each person had all these things. They brought what they had.

[35:23]  ⁹ tn See the note on this phrase in Exod 25:5.

[35:23]  ¹⁰ tn Here “them” has been supplied.

[36:35]  ⁹ tn The verb is simply “he made” but as in Exod 26:31 it probably means that the cherubim were worked into the curtain with the yarn, and so embroidered on the curtain.