Exodus 28:34 kjv
A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.
Exodus 28:34 nkjv
a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around.
Exodus 28:34 niv
The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe.
Exodus 28:34 esv
a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe.
Exodus 28:34 nlt
The gold bells and pomegranates are to alternate all around the hem.
Exodus 28 34 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 28:33 | "On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarn..." | Direct context for the ornaments on the robe. |
| Exod 28:35 | "It shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard... that he not die." | The crucial function of the bells for High Priest's safety. |
| Lev 16:2 | "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place within the veil..." | Emphasizes strict protocol for approaching God's presence. |
| Lev 21:10 | "The high priest... whose head has been anointed... shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes." | Special sanctity and preservation of high priestly garments. |
| Num 15:38 | "Speak to the people of Israel and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments..." | Command for Israelite fringes, conceptually linked to garments and holiness. |
| Num 17:8 | "Behold, the staff of Aaron... had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms..." | Symbolism of miraculous fruitfulness and divine appointment, echoed by pomegranates. |
| Deut 6:8 | "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes." | Commands concerning signs and symbols for divine remembrance, applicable to symbolic attire. |
| 1 Sam 2:18 | "Samuel was ministering before the LORD, a boy clothed with a linen ephod." | Linen ephod for non-high priests, showing graded holiness in priestly garments. |
| Sol 4:13 | "Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates..." | Pomegranates symbolizing fruitfulness, beauty, and delightful produce. |
| Eze 28:13 | "You were in Eden... every precious stone was your covering..." | Divine garments and their embellishment; symbolic of perfection before fall. |
| Heb 4:14 | "Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God..." | Jesus as the perfect fulfillment of the high priestly office. |
| Heb 7:27 | "He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, for he did this once for all..." | Contrast between earthly High Priest's continual need and Christ's singular sacrifice. |
| Heb 8:1-2 | "We have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven..." | Christ ministers in the true Tabernacle in heaven. |
| Heb 9:11-12 | "But when Christ appeared as a high priest... not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood..." | Christ's perfect sacrifice and entry into the true Holy Place. |
| Heb 10:19-20 | "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way..." | Access to God now opened through Christ, replacing the veil and its associated rituals. |
| Rev 1:13 | "and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe..." | Description of Christ in glorious, priestly attire in revelation. |
| Rev 21:11-21 | "Her radiance was like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal... the wall was built of jasper..." | Description of the New Jerusalem adorned with precious stones, echoing divine splendor and purity. |
| Psa 29:4 | "The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty." | Emphasizes the importance of sound/voice in the presence of the divine. |
| Exo 39:25-26 | "And they made bells of pure gold... around the hem of the robe, as the LORD had commanded Moses." | Fulfillment of the command given in Exod 28:34, emphasizing obedience to divine pattern. |
| Zech 14:20 | "On that day 'HOLINESS TO THE LORD' shall be inscribed even on the bells of the horses." | Eschatological vision where even ordinary items will be holy, showing a progression of sacredness. |
| John 15:5 | "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit..." | Christ as the source of fruitfulness, spiritual fulfillment of pomegranate symbolism. |
Exodus 28 verses
Exodus 28 34 Meaning
Exodus 28:34 details the specific arrangement of ornaments on the hem of the High Priest's robe. It prescribes an alternating pattern of a golden bell and a pomegranate, circling the entire lower edge of the garment. This meticulous instruction emphasizes the divine standard of order, beauty, and sanctity required for the High Priest as he served in the Tabernacle. The bells signified the High Priest's presence and purity, allowing him to minister before the Lord without dying, while the pomegranates symbolized fruitfulness, life, and the blessings flowing from divine service.
Exodus 28 34 Context
Exodus 28 begins the detailed instructions for crafting the sacred garments of the High Priest and the priests. These garments, alongside the Tabernacle itself, were essential for worship and mediate the interaction between a holy God and His people. Chapter 28 specifies each item: the ephod, breastplate with Urim and Thummim, robe, woven tunic, turban, and sash, along with the significance of various precious stones and materials. Exodus 28:31-35 specifically describes the "robe of the ephod," which was made of blue and was worn underneath the more elaborate ephod. Verse 34 focuses on the precise arrangement of bells and pomegranates on the hem of this robe, highlighting God's meticulous care for sacred order and His demand for the highest standards of holiness and service in the priesthood. This specific instruction also contrasts with the common idolatrous practices of surrounding nations, where human creativity, rather than divine revelation, dictated worship elements.
Exodus 28 34 Word analysis
- A golden bell (פַּעֲמֹן זָהָב, pa'amon zahav):
- pa'amon (bell): From a root related to striking or vibrating, thus producing sound. This sound was crucial for the High Priest's life (Exod 28:35), signaling his activity in the holy precincts and ensuring his presence was acknowledged by God. It likely symbolized a vibrant spiritual life and acceptance by God, contrasted with the silence of death or unworthiness.
- zahav (gold): Represents divine purity, preciousness, enduring quality, and kingship. Its use on the sacred garments consistently points to that which is holy, consecrated, and worthy of God's presence.
- and a pomegranate (וְרִמֹּן, ve-rimmon):
- ve-rimmon (and a pomegranate): The pomegranate ( rimmon ) in ancient Near Eastern and biblical cultures was a symbol of fertility, abundance, prosperity, life, and fruitfulness, often associated with blessing and covenant fidelity. Its numerous seeds within a single fruit often represented the unity and populous nature of Israel. Here, it also conveys the spiritual fruitfulness and life-giving blessings associated with the High Priest's service.
- a golden bell (פַּעֲמֹן זָהָב, pa'amon zahav): Repetition emphasizes the strict, unvarying alternating pattern.
- and a pomegranate (וְרִמֹּן, ve-rimmon): Repetition underscores the required balance and design.
- all around (סָבִיב, saviv):
- saviv (around): Signifies completeness, encircling the entire hem. It suggests wholeness, divine perfection in design, and constant application of the symbols.
- the hem (שׁוּל, shul):
- shul (hem): The bottom edge or border of a garment. It's the part that is most visible when the wearer walks and moves, ensuring that the prescribed pattern of bells and pomegranates would be constantly seen and heard, even in movement.
- of the robe (הַמְּעִיל, ha-me'il):
- ha-me'il (the robe): This is the specific blue robe worn beneath the ephod, designed entirely by divine command, symbolizing heavenly truth and the High Priest's righteous covering.
Exodus 28 34 Bonus section
The deliberate repetition in this verse ("A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate") serves to emphasize the precise, unchanging pattern God commanded. This literary device ensures that no variation is considered or allowed in the design, highlighting divine precision and order in all aspects of worship. The sequence also likely conveyed the inseparable connection between the active ministry (sound of bells) and its beneficial outcomes (fruitfulness of pomegranates), implying that an accepted worship always yields blessings. Some interpretations suggest the pomegranates also allude to the precious life (blood) that made the priest's service efficacious, given its rich, deep color.
Exodus 28 34 Commentary
Exodus 28:34 outlines a specific detail of the High Priest's vestments, yet it carries profound theological significance. The alternating sequence of golden bells and pomegranates around the robe's hem was not merely decorative but functional and symbolic. The sound of the bells, as the High Priest moved, affirmed his living presence and acceptance before God; without it, he risked death when entering the Most Holy Place. This taught both the priest and the people about the immense holiness required to approach God and the need for ongoing acceptance, symbolizing a vibrant, effective ministry. The pomegranates, on the other hand, represented the fruitfulness, abundance, and life that flowed from such consecrated service. Together, they underscored that true ministry before God must be both vibrant and fruitful, displaying purity (gold, bells' sound of life) and productive holiness (pomegranates). This divine prescription emphasized order, beauty, and strict adherence to God's pattern in worship, distinct from the arbitrary designs of pagan cults. Ultimately, these physical elements foreshadowed the perfect, life-giving, and eternally fruitful high priesthood of Jesus Christ, who entered the heavenly sanctuary without the need for warning bells, his perfect sacrifice providing everlasting life and fruitfulness for all who believe.