15 And make a priest's bag for giving decisions, designed like the ephod, made of gold and blue and purple and red and the best linen. 16 It is to be square, folded in two, a hand-stretch long and a hand-stretch wide. 17 And on it you are to put four lines of jewels; the first line is to be a cornelian, a chrysolite, and an emerald; 18 The second, a ruby, a sapphire, and an onyx; 19 The third, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 The fourth, a topaz, a beryl, and a jasper; they are to be fixed in twisted frames of gold. 21 The jewels are to be twelve in number, for the names of the children of Israel; every jewel having the name of one of the twelve tribes cut on it as on a stamp. 22 And you are to make two chains of gold, twisted like cords, to be fixed to the priest's bag. 23 And put two gold rings on the two ends of the bag. 24 Put the two gold chains on the two rings at the ends of the bag; 25 Joining the other ends of the chains to the gold frames and putting them on the front of the ephod, at the top of the arms. 26 Then make two gold rings and put them on the lower ends of the bag, at the edge of it on the inner side nearest to the ephod. 27 And make two more gold rings and put them on the front of the ephod at the top of the arms, at the join, over the worked band: 28 So that the rings on the bag may be fixed to the rings of the ephod by a blue cord and on to the band of the ephod, so that the bag may not come loose from the ephod. 29 And so Aaron will have the names of the children of Israel on the priest's bag over his heart whenever he goes into the holy place, to keep the memory of them before the Lord. 30 And in the bag you are to put the Urim and Thummim, so that they may be on Aaron's heart whenever he goes in before the Lord; and Aaron may have the power of making decisions for the children of Israel before the Lord at all times.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 28:15-30
Commentary on Exodus 28:15-30
(Read Exodus 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, Hebrews 1:1,2; John 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.