The breastplate, also known as the "breastplate of judgment," was an integral part of the sacred vestments worn by the High Priest of Israel. This ornate piece of ceremonial attire is described in detail in the Book of Exodus and holds significant theological and symbolic importance within the context of the Old Testament priesthood.

Biblical Description and Construction

The instructions for the construction of the breastplate are found in Exodus 28:15-30. The breastplate was to be made by skilled craftsmen using materials of the highest quality. It was crafted from gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine twisted linen. The breastplate was square, measuring a span in length and a span in width when folded double (Exodus 28:16).

The breastplate featured four rows of precious stones, each stone representing one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The stones were set in gold filigree and arranged as follows: the first row contained a ruby, a topaz, and an emerald; the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper (Exodus 28:17-20). Each stone was engraved with the name of one of the tribes, symbolizing the High Priest's role as a representative before God for the entire nation of Israel.

Function and Symbolism

The breastplate was not merely decorative; it served a profound spiritual function. It was called the "breastplate of judgment" because it contained the Urim and Thummim, mysterious objects used to discern God's will in important matters (Exodus 28:30). The exact nature of the Urim and Thummim is not detailed in Scripture, but they were considered essential for making decisions in accordance with divine guidance.

The breastplate was attached to the ephod, another priestly garment, by gold chains and blue cords, ensuring it remained securely in place over the High Priest's heart (Exodus 28:22-28). This positioning symbolized the High Priest's duty to bear the names of the tribes of Israel over his heart as he entered the Holy Place, signifying his intercessory role and the intimate connection between God and His people.

Theological Significance

The breastplate's design and function underscore the themes of representation, intercession, and divine guidance. As the High Priest bore the names of the tribes before the Lord, he acted as a mediator, foreshadowing the ultimate High Priest, Jesus Christ, who intercedes on behalf of believers (Hebrews 4:14-16). The use of precious stones and the meticulous craftsmanship reflect the value and beauty of God's covenant relationship with Israel.

In the broader biblical narrative, the breastplate serves as a reminder of God's desire for order, beauty, and holiness in worship. It highlights the importance of approaching God with reverence and the necessity of a mediator in the relationship between a holy God and His people.Exodus 25:7
Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
Nave's Topical Index

224. Urim -- part of the high priest's breastplate
... 223b, 224. Urim. 225 . part of the high priest's breastplate. Transliteration:
Urim Phonetic Spelling: (oo-reem') Short Definition: Urim. Word Origin pl. ...
/hebrew/224.htm - 6k

8537. tom -- completeness, integrity, also part of the high ...
... tom. 8538 . completeness, integrity, also part of the high priest's breastplate.
Transliteration: tom Phonetic Spelling: (tome) Short Definition: integrity. ...
/hebrew/8537.htm - 6k

8550. Tummim -- Thummim
... Thummim. Plural of tom; perfections, ie (techn.) One of the epithets of the objects
in the high-priest's breastplate as an emblem of complete Truth -- Thummim. ...
/hebrew/8550.htm - 6k

The Names on Aaron's Breastplate
... For, with regard to the one of them, we read that the high priest's breastplate
was named 'the breastplate of judgment'; and what that means is explained by ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the names on aarons breastplate.htm

Concerning the Garments of the Priests, and of the High Priest.
... He also appointed the breastplate to be placed in the middle of the ephod ... And the
girdle which encompassed the high priest round, signified the ocean, for that ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 concerning the garments.htm

Our Compassionate High Priest
... Hence, the high priest was taken from among men that he might be their fellow, and ...
the white garments; no angel put on the ephod and the breastplate with the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 38 1892/our compassionate high priest.htm

Introduction.
... Furthermore, they are compared with the twelve stones in the High Priest's breastplate,
and their inseparability is shown by a new distribution of them. ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/introduction 4.htm

Book 3 Footnotes
... his people Israel: I say, these answers were not made by the shining of the precious
stones, after an awkward manner, in the high priest's breastplate, as the ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 3 footnotes.htm

Of the Priesthood of Aaron.
... this: for God declared beforehand, by those twelve stones which the high priest
bare on his breast, and which were inserted into his breastplate, when they ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 8 of the priesthood.htm

Passages from Moses, which the Heretics Pervert to the Support of ...
... of Jacob, [2896] from whom also sprung twelve tribes," the breastplate of the high
priest, which bore twelve precious stones and twelve little bells, [2897 ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xviii passages from moses which.htm

A Peal of Bells
... shall be Holiness to the Lord, and as the High Priest wore bells ... even as on the very
ornaments of the Priest, on his ephod and breastplate holiness was ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/a peal of bells.htm

The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture.
... Now the high priest's robe is the symbol of the world of sense ... and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ." [3031] Moreover, there was the breastplate, comprising the ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter vi the mystic meaning of.htm

The Only Atoning Priest
... has come forth in his holy and beautiful apparel, with the breastplate gleaming
in ... done with them and rest alone in Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 18 1872/the only atoning priest.htm

What was the significance of the ephod? | GotQuestions.org

Why is virginity so important in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Spiritual strongholds - what is the biblical view? | GotQuestions.org

Breastplate: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus