Exodus 28 5

Exodus 28:5 kjv

And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.

Exodus 28:5 nkjv

"They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen,

Exodus 28:5 niv

Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.

Exodus 28:5 esv

They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.

Exodus 28:5 nlt

So give them fine linen cloth, gold thread, and blue, purple, and scarlet thread.

Exodus 28 verses

Exodus 28 5 Meaning

This verse precisely enumerates the primary materials—gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen—required by God for the crafting of the holy garments designated for Aaron and his sons as priests. These specified elements were essential not only for the outward beauty and glory of the garments but also for their profound symbolic significance, pointing to the divine nature, majesty, redemptive work, and purity inherent in God's presence and the sacred priestly office.

Exodus 28 5 Context

Exodus chapter 28 details God's precise instructions to Moses for the creation of sacred garments for Aaron and his priestly descendants. These garments were not mere attire but divinely appointed vestments designed "for glory and for beauty" (Exo 28:2), setting the priests apart for their unique role in ministering before the Lord. Verse 5 lays the foundation by listing the specific, precious materials to be used, ensuring uniformity and adherence to God's exact requirements. This chapter immediately follows the detailed specifications for the Tabernacle itself, highlighting the establishment of an ordered system of worship and priesthood as Israel stands at the threshold of becoming God's covenant nation, having just received the Ten Commandments. The materials were to be consecrated to the Lord's service, signifying the holiness required to approach Him.

Exodus 28 5 Word analysis

• וְהֵם (v'hem) - "And they": This refers to the skilled craftsmen whom God would gift with wisdom for this work, primarily Bezalel and Oholiab, along with their appointed helpers (Exo 31:6, 36:1-2). It signifies God's call and empowering of specific individuals for divine tasks, underscoring human participation in carrying out divine mandates.
• יִקְחוּ (yikhu) - "shall take" / "shall obtain": This verb is a command, indicating that these specific materials are to be acquired or gathered for the purpose. It points to the necessary procurement of the designated resources before construction can begin.
• אֶת הַזָּהָב (et ha-zahav) - "the gold": Hebrew 'zahav' (זָהָב). As a precious, untarnished metal, gold universally symbolizes divinity, glory, purity, holiness, and supreme value. Its presence in the garments elevates the priesthood's representation of a holy God and foreshadows the incorruptible nature of the ultimate High Priest, Jesus Christ.
• וְאֶת הַתְּכֵלֶת (v'et ha-tekhelet) - "and the blue": Hebrew 'tekhelet' (תְּכֵלֶת). This highly valued blue dye, derived from a sea creature, signifies heavenly origin, the divine realm, and God's commandments. It connects the earthly Tabernacle and priestly service to heavenly realities and God's holiness (Num 15:38-39).
• וְאֶת הָאַרְגָּמָן (v'et ha-argaman) - "and the purple": Hebrew 'argaman' (אַרְגָּמָן). Another costly dye, purple consistently represented royalty, majesty, sovereignty, and wealth in the ancient world. Its inclusion in the priestly garments highlights that the priests served the King of Kings, and prophetically, points to Christ's royal authority (Jdg 8:26; Mar 15:17).
• וְאֶת שְׁנִי הַתּוֹלָעַת (v'et sh'ni ha-tola'at) - "and the scarlet (of wool/thread of worm)": Hebrew 'shani tola'at' (שְׁנִי תּוֹלָעַת), literally "scarlet of worm," indicating the crimson dye extracted from the kermes insect. This color deeply symbolizes blood, sacrifice, atonement, and the cleansing from sin. Its connection to blood points to the essential sacrificial aspect of the priesthood's role (Lev 14; Isa 1:18).
• וְאֶת הַשֵּׁשׁ (v'et ha-shesh) - "and the fine linen": Hebrew 'shesh' (שֵׁשׁ). This refers to high-quality, pure white linen, likely sourced from Egypt. It represents purity, righteousness, holiness, and a separation from sin. The clean, unblemished quality of fine linen points to the spiritual purity required to minister before a holy God (Rev 19:8).
• Words-group: "the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen": This precise and ordered listing of five distinct, precious materials highlights God's exacting standards for worship. It underscores the profound symbolic richness intended for every part of the holy garments. The combined value and symbolism convey the immense honor due to God, the seriousness of His service, and foreshadow the complete nature of salvation through the perfectly adorned High Priest, Christ, who embodies all these qualities.

Exodus 28 5 Bonus section

• God's Design for Beauty and Glory: The use of such exquisite materials and colors (gold for glory, blue/purple/scarlet/linen for beauty, as per Exo 28:2) underscores that God delights in beauty and orders His worship with excellence. This principle extends to how believers should honor Him with their very best.
• Offerings of the People: These materials were primarily given by the willing hearts of the Israelites as freewill offerings (Exo 35:5-9). This highlights that the holy service required the consecrated gifts and resources of the people, mirroring the principle of believers offering their "spiritual sacrifices" (1 Pet 2:5).
• Polemics against Idolatry: In a world rife with pagan rituals involving man-made gods and arbitrarily chosen attire, God's specific instructions for the priestly garments, using precisely defined materials and craftsmanship, asserted His unique authority and order in worship. It directly countered the arbitrary and often depraved practices of surrounding cultures, affirming Yahweh as the true and living God whose worship is structured by divine revelation, not human imagination.
• Forecasting Heavenly Realities: Beyond the immediate symbolic meaning for the Tabernacle priesthood, the enduring symbolic value of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen continues throughout the biblical narrative, particularly in visions of heaven in Revelation, pointing to an eternal reality where divine glory, kingship, and righteousness prevail. The earthly patterns were but shadows of heavenly things (Heb 8:5).

Exodus 28 5 Commentary

Exodus 28:5 serves as the blueprint for the very fabric of the priestly ministry under the Old Covenant. By divinely specifying gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen, God communicated that every aspect of the priest's service—from their very clothing—was to embody divine glory, purity, heavenly truth, royal authority, and the redemptive power of sacrifice. These materials, being the best and most costly of the Israelite possessions, conveyed the honor due to God and the immense value He placed on the priesthood as a mediating instrument between Himself and His people. This directive ensured that the visual splendor of the garments served not merely as aesthetics, but as profound symbols pointing to the attributes of a holy God and, ultimately, foreshadowing the supreme holiness, heavenly origin, kingship, atoning sacrifice, and perfect righteousness of the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, in whom all these ancient types find their fulfillment. The priest's apparel, originating from these precise materials, became a visual sermon on the character of the God they served and the spiritual realities they enacted.