There are three biblical passages which are primarily concerned with the priestly vestments and from which this article will be drawn: 

1. The Instructions for the Garments (Exodus 28:1-43). Here the details for making the garments are given. As with the Tabernacle, the patterns (25"9) are quite imprecise, with the result that it is virtually impossible to reconstruct these garments with accuracy ¹ The primary concern of these details is with the dress of Aaron, the high priest. Only in 28:40 and 42 is there reference to the dress of Aaron's sons, the ordinary priests.
2. The Preparation of the Garments. (Exodus 39:1-31). With some variations from the order and details of Exodus 28, the making of the vestments is treated here.
3. The Investiture of the Garments. (Leviticus 8:5-9). Here the priestly regalia is placed upon Aaron, the high priest, as a part of the ordination service. The sequence in which the various pieces are mentioned is based upon normal dressing procedure.

While not mentioned by name, the craftsmen who made the garments may have been the same persons who constructed the Tabernacle (Exodus 36:1-3). Their skill was directly traceable to God (28:3). Particular skills and trades, while gained through family and guild traditions, were seen as gifts from God (cf. Isaiah 28:26).

The garments were to be made from materials received in offerings from the people (Exodus 25:2-7). This included the usual offerings of colored yarn (blue, purple, and scarlet). Woolen fabrics were identified by the costly dyes used in their manufacture. In addition, gold thread was received, along with fine-twined linen, which had been spun from flax by the women (35:25). ² The people also contributed precious stones for the ephod and the breastpiece (25:7).

 A threefold purpose is discernible in these passages relative to the priestly regalia:

1. Decorative--They were to give Aaron dignity and grandeur (Exodus 28:2). This was most essential since the appearance of the high priest was to convey the beauty and authority that belonged to God himself.
   
2. Functional--Each piece obviously had, in addition to the decorative purpose, a functional role. The breeches, for example, were for the sake of modesty (Exodus 28:42), and the breastplate served as a pouch to contain the sacred lot, Urim and Thummim. 28:30).³
    
3. Symbolic--More than ornamentation was involved. Consider the 12 precious stones of the breastpiece of judgment, which represented the 12 tribes of Israel. When wearing this article, the high priest bore the names of the tribes to bring them to continual remembrance before the Lord (Exodus 28:29). The clothing of the priest was to provide a measure of realization of his task in representing Israel to God.

Eight items of clothing are listed for the priest. There were four "inner" garments to be worn by all the priests: breeches, tunic, girdle, and hat. The remaining four articles were "over" garments to be worn by Aaron and the high priests that followed him: robe, ephod, breastpiece, and diadem. It would appear that not all clothing items are mentioned. An obvious omission is footwear. There is no claim that a complete inventory of garments is given. We will consider first the four "inner" garments, followed by the four "over" ones. 

Breeches--This particular garment (Exodus 28:42) was to assure the modesty demanded of the priest when officiating at the altar (20:26). It was made of linen (39:28), since the priest must not perspire when officiating (Ezekiel 44:18). While the breeches were part of the daily dress of the priest, they are specified in particular as part of his apparel when he was removing the ashes of the burnt offerings from the altar (Leviticus 6:10) and in connection with his activities on the Day of Atonement (16:4).

Tunic--This item, part of the normal dress of every man, was to be worn under the outer garment.⁴ It was a long or half-sleeved shirtlike garb reaching to the ankles.⁵ Made of linen, as were all the "inner" garments, it was to have a checked design, indicating either an open texture or a variegation of colors (Exodus 28:39).

Girdle--This was a kind of linen sash, essential to a flowing garment, to assure warmth and maneuverability.

Turban--Two different Hebrew words are used for the headdress, indicating a distinction between the hat of the high priest, to be discussed later, and the ordinary priests. The turban of the latter was an ornamented head-covering made of fine linen, wrapped about the head in a conical shape.

Robe of the Ephod (Exodus 28:31-34)--The first "over" piece to be put on was the robe. This garment, probably sleeveless, was essentially a large blue mantle with a hole for the wearer's head. A closely woven binding bordered the edge of the head opening to prevent tearing. The skirts of this robe were fringed with alternating woolen pomegranates (i.e., woolen balls shaped like pomegranates) and golden bells. Pomegranates were used for decorative purposes. (1 Kings 7:20, 42). This fruit was also popular as a fertility symbol because of its many seeds, suggesting incomparable fruitfulness. The bells provided sound by which the people could follow the progress of the priest.

Ephod (Exodus 28:6-12). This was perhaps the most important item of the priestly clothing. A kind of apron made of materials woven out of gold and linen thread and variously colored yarns, it covered the back and chest, reaching nearly to the knees. It was fastened to the body by two shoulder straps and a belt with which it was lined. Upon the shoulder straps were two onyx stones, on which the names of the sons of Israel were engraved in the order of their birth. These two onyx stones, called "stones of remembrance," were not so much to remind Aaron of all the tribes he should serve, but to remind God of all the tribes with whom He had made a covenant. As long as the priest bore the names of Israel before the Lord, He would not forget to be gracious to Israel. Thus, in effect, there was a kind of wordless intercessory prayer.⁶

Breastpiece (Exodus 28:15-30). The breastpiece,⁷ so called because of its position when worn, was a pouch made from the same materials as the ephod. Chains of braided gold and golden rings with loops of blue secured the breastpiece in position. Its primary purpose was to contain the sacred lot, the Urim and Thummim. By wearing them above his heart, Aaron would indicate that justice originates with God and would remind God to maintain the administration of justice in Israel. Three times this article is referred to as the "breastpiece of judgment."

Turban (Exodus 28:36-38). This tall, cone-shaped headdress was made of linen. (The Hebrew term means "that which is wrapped" and suggests a long piece of linen that was wound around the head many times.) Attached to this turban was a plate of pure gold on which were engraved the words "Holy to the Lord." This gold plate was equivalent to a diadem or crown, symbolizing the regal splendor of the high priest. The phrase "Holy to the Lord" signified that the high priest and, through his mediatorship, the entire nation belonged to the Lord and were set apart for His peculiar service. By wearing this turban, the priest could compensate for any deficiencies in his conduct of worship so that there would be no infringements on the demands of holiness. The wearing of this hat assured the acceptance of the people before the Lord.

While the priestly garments basically served decorative, functional, and symbolic purposes, they also pre-figured the ministry of Christ, our High Priest, who bears our names before God constantly. "But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry which is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises." (Hebrews 8:6, RSV).

Copyright by author.

1. Brevity of details is not limited to the priestly clothing. Biblical references to common clothing are usually general and somewhat vague.

2. There is no indication of colored linen in the Bible.

3. The Urim and Thummim were oracular media by which the will of God in relation to particular problems was secured. The technique employed by the priest when utilizing the Urim and Thummim is not told. Since they were kept in a pouch, perhaps the priest shook them and then removed one or the other of them, which provided a yes or no answer (cf. 1 Samuel 14:41).

4. It was perhaps this garment which jesus had in mind when He suggested that it be given to those who requested it (Matthew 5:40). It was also the seamless garment of Jesus over which the soldiers gambled (John 19:23).

5. Josephus gives us a more elaborate description of the tunic than does the Bible. He suggests that the tunic had long sleeves which enveloped the whole body (Antiquities 3. 7. 5).

6. As used in the Micah narrative of Judges 17, the ephod was associated with "house gods" in a manner which is no longer fully clear. At any rate, it appears to have been an object of cultic worship rather than an item of clothing.

7. Called the "breastplate" in the KJV.

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