Exodus 28:22

And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(22) Chains at the ends.—Rather, chains of equal length; or, chains of wreathen work. (See Note on Exodus 28:14.)

Of wreathen work.—Heb., after the manner of ropes.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

28:15-30 The chief ornament of the high priest, was the breastplate, a rich piece of cloth, curiously worked. The name of each tribe was graven in a precious stone, fixed in the breastplate, to signify how precious, in God's sight, believers are, and how honourable. How small and poor soever the tribe was, it was as a precious stone in the breastplate of the high priest; thus are all the saints dear to Christ, however men esteem them. The high priest had the names of the tribes, both on his shoulders and on his breast, which reminds us of the power and the love with which our Lord Jesus pleads for those that are his. He not only bears them up in his arms with almighty strength, but he carries them in his bosom with tender affection. What comfort is this to us in all our addresses to God! The Urim and Thummim, by which the will of God was made known in doubtful cases, were put in this breastplate. Urim and Thummim signify light and integrity. There are many conjectures what these were; the most probable opinion seems to be, that they were the twelve precious stones in the high priest's breastplate. Now, Christ is our Oracle. By him God, in these last days, makes known himself and his mind to us, Heb 1:1,2; Joh 1:18. He is the true Light, the faithful Witness, the Truth itself, and from him we receive the Spirit of Truth, who leads into all truth.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Chains ... - See Exodus 28:14.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15-29. thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work—a very splendid and richly embroidered piece of brocade, a span square, and doubled, to enable it the better to bear the weight of the precious stones in it. There were twelve different stones, containing each the name of a tribe, and arranged in four rows, three in each. The Israelites had acquired a knowledge of the lapidary's art in Egypt, and the amount of their skill in cutting, polishing, and setting precious stones, may be judged of by the diamond forming one of the engraved ornaments on this breastplate. A ring was attached to each corner, through which the golden chains were passed to fasten this brilliant piece of jewelry at the top and bottom tightly on the breast of the ephod.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Some think these are the same with those mentioned Exodus 28:14. But it seems improbable and without example that God should in this short description, and that within a few verses, give a new and second command concerning the same thing. It may rather seem that these are other chains fastened to the breastplate, as it follows, whereas those chains, Exodus 28:14, seem to have been fastened to the ephod, to those ouches made in it for that purpose, Exodus 28:13. And whereas these chains also are fastened in the said ouches, Exodus 28:25, two several chains may well enough be fastened in divers parts of each of the ouches; and there seems to be this difference between the chains, those chains mentioned Exodus 28:14 are said to be fastened only at one end, even to the ouches of the ephod, whence they might hang down loosely, whereas these are manifestly fastened at both ends, Exodus 28:24,25.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And thou shall make upon the breastplate chains at the ends,.... One end of them to be put to the breastplate, and the other end to the ouches on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, by which the breastplate hung from thence: the Targum of Jonathan renders it, chains of a certain determined size, of length and thickness exactly alike; or terminable ones, as it may be rendered, not circular like a locket, or chain of gold worn about the neck, but that had ends to it: some interpret it chains, made like ropes, in the same manner as cables are, twisted together; and such it is certain they were, by what follows:

of wreathen work of pure gold; not of circles and ringlets of gold coupled together, but of golden wires twisted together, as ropes are.

Geneva Study Bible

And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathed work of pure gold.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

22. The ‘chains like cords’ are those mentioned in v. 14, so that the verse is really superfluous.

22–25. Two golden chains of wreathen work to be made, and attached at one end, by rings of gold, to the two upper corners of the pouch, and at the other, to the two rosettes (v. 13 f.), in the two shoulder-straps, so that the pouch might hang down from them.

22–28. How the pouch is to be kept in position on the front of the ephod.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 22. - Chains at the ends. Compare the comment on ver. 14. Kalisch translates, "chains of wreathen work, twisted in the manner of ropes." Exodus 28:22

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

To bind the choshen to the ephod there were to be two close, corded chains of pure gold, which are described here in precisely the same manner as in Exodus 28:14; so that Exodus 28:22 is to be regarded as a simple repetition of Exodus 28:14, not merely because these chains are only mentioned once in the account of the execution of the work (Exodus 39:15), but because, according to Exodus 28:25, these chains were to be fastened upon the rosettes notice in Exodus 28:14, exactly like those described in Exodus 28:13. These chains, which are called cords or strings at Exodus 28:24, were to be attached to two golden rings at the two (upper) ends of the choshen, and the two ends of the chains were to be put, i.e., bound firmly to the golden settings of the shoulder-pieces of the ephod (Exodus 28:13), upon the front of it (see at Exodus 26:9 and Exodus 25:37).