Commentary - Exodus 28:40-43

Bird's-eye view

This short passage concludes the instructions for the priestly garments, shifting focus from the ornate vestments of the High Priest, Aaron, to the simpler, yet equally significant, attire of his sons. These are the regular priests, and God's concern for their appearance before Him is meticulous. The instructions cover their tunics, sashes, and caps, explicitly stating their purpose is "for glory and for beauty." Beyond the outer garments, the text addresses a crucial element: linen undergarments to cover their nakedness. This is not a matter of fashion but of life and death. The passage concludes with a solemn warning: to minister before the holy God without this prescribed covering is to incur guilt and face death. This requirement is not a temporary guideline but is established as a "perpetual statute" for all of Aaron's descendants who would serve as priests. This section, therefore, establishes a foundational principle of worship: approaching a holy God requires a divine provision of covering, one that bestows dignity and deals with the mortal problem of man's sinful exposure.

In these verses, we see the grammar of the gospel written in fabric and thread. The glory and beauty are not man-made contrivances to impress others, but rather a reflection of the God they serve. The mandatory covering of nakedness is a direct response to the shame of the Fall in Genesis 3. Man's attempt to cover himself with fig leaves was inadequate, and here God Himself prescribes the proper covering. The threat of death for disobedience underscores the absolute holiness of God and the gravity of sin. Ultimately, these garments point forward to the perfect High Priest, Jesus Christ, who clothes His people in His own righteousness, providing the only true and sufficient covering for our sin and shame, allowing us to draw near to God without incurring guilt and death.

Outline

Context In Exodus

These verses come at the tail end of a major section in Exodus (chapters 25-31) where God gives Moses detailed instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle and all its furnishings. Having laid out the blueprint for His dwelling place among His people, God now specifies the nature of the priesthood that will serve within it. Chapter 28 is dedicated entirely to the priestly garments. The first thirty-nine verses describe the elaborate and symbolic attire of the High Priest, Aaron. This includes the ephod, the breastpiece of judgment with the Urim and Thummim, the robe, and the golden plate inscribed with "Holiness to the Lord." The passage in view, verses 40-43, serves as a necessary addendum, detailing the requirements for the regular priests, Aaron's sons. This section is immediately followed by chapter 29, which describes the week-long ceremony for the consecration and ordination of these priests. The context is therefore one of establishing holy order. Before worship can begin, the place of worship must be built according to God's pattern, and the people who lead worship must be set apart and clothed according to God's command.

Key Issues

Clothed for a Holy Encounter

When God sets up a system of worship, He is concerned with every detail, from the dimensions of the furniture to the fabric of the uniforms. This is because true worship is a holy encounter, a meeting between a holy God and sinful men. Nothing can be left to chance or human invention. The garments of the priests were not for their self-aggrandizement; they were a uniform that marked them out as belonging to God, and they were a necessary provision that made it possible for them to serve in His presence without being consumed. Every element was symbolic, teaching Israel about the nature of God and the requirements for approaching Him.

The theme of clothing runs from Genesis to Revelation. In the Garden, Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed. After their sin, they knew they were naked and felt shame, attempting to cover themselves with flimsy fig leaves. God rejected their solution and provided them with coats of skin, indicating that a death was required to cover their sin. Here in Exodus, that principle is codified in the priesthood. To serve God as a mediator requires a covering that God Himself designs and provides. This entire chapter is a detailed picture of what that covering looked like under the Old Covenant, and it sets the stage for the ultimate covering we receive in the New.

Verse by Verse Commentary

40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics; you shall also make sashes for them, and you shall make caps for them, for glory and for beauty.

The instructions now turn from the High Priest to the common priests, his sons. Their attire is simpler but carries the same stated purpose as Aaron's more elaborate vestments: for glory and for beauty. This is a crucial phrase. The glory is not theirs; it is a reflection of the God they serve. Their clothing is meant to display something of the majesty and holiness of Yahweh. The beauty is not about aesthetic vanity; it is about the fittingness and order of God's house. God is not a chaotic or ugly God; He is a God of order and beauty, and His worship should reflect His character. These garments dignify the office and the work, reminding both the priest and the people that ministering before the Lord is a high and glorious calling. It is a visual sermon on the splendor of holiness.

41 You shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain them and set them apart as holy, that they may minister to Me as priests.

The garments are not merely decorative; they are integral to the process of consecration. The process has four distinct steps. First, they are clothed. The external reality must match the internal calling. Second, they are anointed with oil, a symbol of the Holy Spirit being poured out upon them for service. Third, they are ordained, which literally means to "fill their hands." This likely refers to placing parts of the sacrifice in their hands, signifying their new role in offering sacrifices to God. Fourth, they are set apart as holy, or consecrated. All of this is done for a specific purpose: that they may minister to Me as priests. God is the one who calls, clothes, anoints, and consecrates. The entire process is a divine work from start to finish, setting these men apart from the common and into the sacred service of God Himself.

42 You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their bare flesh; they shall reach from the loins even to the thighs.

Here we get to the most basic and non-negotiable part of the uniform. Underneath the glorious outer garments, there must be simple linen breeches. The purpose is stated plainly: to cover their bare flesh. This is a direct echo of the shame of Genesis 3. After the fall, nakedness became a symbol of sin, shame, and vulnerability before a holy God. Man's natural state is one of indecent exposure. God requires that this be covered, and He specifies the material, linen, which was associated with purity and righteousness. The dimensions are also specified, from the waist to the thighs, ensuring complete coverage in this area. This was not about prudishness, but about holiness. The flesh represents fallen human nature, and it must be covered in the presence of God.

43 They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tent of meeting or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. It shall be a perpetual statute to him and to his seed after him.

This final verse attaches the gravest possible warning to the command. This covering is required whenever the priests are on duty, either inside the Tabernacle proper or at the bronze altar in the courtyard. The consequence for failure is stark: they will incur guilt and die. To appear before God with one's fallenness exposed is to invite judgment. It is a capital offense. This is not an arbitrary rule; it teaches a profound theological truth about God's utter holiness and man's desperate sinfulness. The guilt is real, and the penalty is death. God then declares this to be a perpetual statute. This is not a suggestion that will fade over time. For as long as this priesthood stands, this rule is absolute. It is a permanent reminder that no man can approach God on his own terms or in his own state. A divine covering is required.

Application

As believers in the new covenant, we are all a kingdom of priests (1 Pet. 2:9). The Aaronic priesthood was a type, a shadow, of which we are the reality. Therefore, these instructions about priestly garments are for us, though not in a literalistic way. We are not called to sew linen breeches, but we are most certainly called to be clothed for glory and beauty and to have our nakedness covered.

Our glory and beauty is Christ Himself. When we come to worship, we are not to come displaying our own shabby righteousness, but rather clothed in the imputed righteousness of Jesus. This is our glorious uniform. As Paul says, we are to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 13:14). This is the only beauty that is fitting for the presence of God. Anything less is filthy rags.

And most fundamentally, the gospel is the ultimate answer to the problem of our nakedness. Our sin leaves us exposed, guilty, and liable to death before the judgment seat of God. We cannot cover ourselves. Our good works are nothing more than fig leaves. But God, in His mercy, has provided a perfect covering. The Lord Jesus went to the cross, and there He was stripped naked, bearing our shame. He incurred our guilt and died our death, so that we could be clothed in His perfect righteousness. When God the Father looks at a believer, He does not see our bare flesh, our sin, our shame. He sees the perfect obedience of His Son. This is our linen undergarment, our perpetual statute. To try and approach God on any other basis is to incur guilt and die. But to come clothed in Christ is to be welcomed, accepted, and consecrated for His service, for His glory and beauty, forever.