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The Breastpiece
The chestpiece was a beautiful piece of work, just like the ephod, made from the finest gold, blue, purple, and scarlet linen. It was a piece nine inches square, doubled over to form a pouch; there were four rows of stones across it. In the first row were a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle; in the second row were an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. In the third row were a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. In the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper--all set in gold filigree. The stones were engraved like a seal, with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
To attach the chestpiece to the ephod, a gold ring was placed at the top of each shoulder strap of the ephod, and from these gold rings, two strands of twined gold attached to gold clasps on the top corners of the chestpiece. Two gold rings were also set at the lower edge of the chestpiece, on the under side, next to the ephod. Two other gold rings were placed low on the shoulder straps of the ephod, close to where the ephod joined its beautifully woven sash. The chestpiece was held securely above the beautifully woven sash of the ephod by tying the rings of the chestpiece to the rings of the ephod, with a blue ribbon.
All this was commanded to Moses by the Lord.
TEXT SOURCE:
(Exodus 39:8-21) The Children's Living Bible, ©1970 Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton Illinois 60187
TITLE SOURCE: The New Student Bible, ©1992 Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids Michigan
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