Bible/Exodus/28

Exodus 28:43

28:42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: their: Heb. flesh of their nakedness reach: Heb. be
And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

KJV

Save image

They shall be on Aaron, and on his sons, when they go in to the Tent of Meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place; that they don’t bear iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute forever to him and to his offspring after him.

And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

And they shall be on Aaron, and on his sons, when they come in to the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever to him and his seed after him.

What does Exodus 28:43 mean?

Exodus 28:43 is a verse in the book of Exodus, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include אַהֲרוֹן (ʼAhărôwn), בֵּן (bên), בּוֹא (bôwʼ). It connects to 12 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

Full chapter interlinear →
And
they
shall
be
upon
Aaron,אַהֲרוֹןʼAhărôwn/a-har-one'/H175Aharon, the brother of Moses
and
upon
his
sons,בֵּןbên/bane/H1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
when
they
comeבּוֹאbôwʼ/bo/H935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
in
unto
the
tabernacleאֹהֶלʼôhel/o'-hel/H168a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance)
of
the
congregation,מוֹעֵדmôwʻêd/mo-ade'/H4150properly, an appointment, i.e. a fixed time or season; specifically, a festival; conventionally ayear; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand)
or
when
they
come
nearנָגַשׁnâgash/naw-gash'/H5066to be or come (causatively, bring) near (for any purpose); euphemistically, to lie with a woman; as an enemy, to attack; religious to worship; causatively, to present; figuratively, to adduce an argument; by reversal, to stand back
unto
the
altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach/miz-bay'-akh/H4196an altar
to
ministerשָׁרַתshârath/shaw-rath'/H8334to attend as a menial or worshipper; figuratively, to contribute to
in
the
holyקֹדֶשׁqôdesh/ko'-desh/H6944a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity
place;
that
they
bearנָשָׂאnâsâʼ/naw-saw'/H5375to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
not
iniquity,עָוֺןʻâvôn/aw-vone'/H5771perversity, i.e. (moral) evil
and
die:מוּתmûwth/mooth/H4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
it
shall
be
a
statuteחֻקָּהchuqqâh/khook-kaw'/H2708{an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage)}
for
everעוֹלָםʻôwlâm/o-lawm'/H5769properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always
unto
him
and
his
seedזֶרַעzeraʻ/zeh'-rah/H2233seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity
afterאַחַרʼachar/akh-ar'/H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)
him.

Commentary on Exodus 28:43

HENRY_FULL · Exodus 28:42–43
>40 And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. 41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. 42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: 43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him. We have here, 1. Particular orders about the vestments of the inferior priests. They were to have coats, and girdles, and bonnets, of the same materials with those of the high priest; but there was a difference in shape between their bonnets and his mitre. Theirs, as his, were to be for glory and beauty ( v. 40 ), that they might look great in their ministration: yet all this glory was nothing compared with the glory of grace, this beauty nothing to the beauty of holiness, of which these holy garments were typical. They are particularly ordered, in their ministration, to wear linen breeches, v. 42 . This teaches us modesty and decency of garb and gesture at all times, especially in public worship, in which a veil is becoming, 1 Cor. xi. 5, 6 , 10 . It also intimates what need our souls have of a covering, when we come before God, that the shame of their nakedness may not appear. 2. A general rule concerning the garments both of the high priest and of the inferior priests, that they were to be put upon them, at first, when they were consecrated, in token of their being invested in the office ( v. 41 ), and then they were to wear them in all their ministrations, but not at other times ( v. 43 ), and this at their peril, lest they bear iniquity and die. Those who are guilty of omissions in duty, as well as omissions of duty, shall bear their iniquity. If the priests perform the instituted service, and do not do it in the appointed garments, it is (say the Jewish doctors) as if a stranger did it, and the stranger that comes nigh shall be put to death. Nor will God connive at the presumptions and irreverences even of those whom he causes to draw most near to him; if Aaron himself put a slight upon the divine institution, he shall bear iniquity, and die. To us these garments typify, (1.) The righteousness of Christ; if we appear not before God in this, we shall bear iniquity and die. What have we to do at the wedding-feast without a wedding-garment, or at God's altar without the array of his priests? Matt. xxii. 12, 13 . (2.) The armour of God prescribed Eph. vi. 13 . If we venture without that armour, our spiritual enemies will be the death of our souls, and we shall bear the iniquity, our blood will be upon our own heads. Blessed is he therefore that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, Rev. xvi. 15 . 3. This is said to be a statute for ever, that is, it is to continue as long as the priesthood continues. But it is to have its perpetuity in the substance of which these things were the shadows.

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Exodus 20:26

Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.

Exodus 27:21

In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.

Leviticus 5:1

And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.

Leviticus 5:17

And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.

Leviticus 17:7

And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.

Leviticus 20:19

And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, nor of thy father's sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity. uncovereth: Heb. hath made naked

Leviticus 20:20

And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.

Leviticus 22:9

They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.

Numbers 9:13

But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.

Numbers 18:22

Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die. and die: Heb. to die

Matthew 22:12

And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

Matthew 22:13

Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Topics

Aaron

People & places in this verse

People

Things

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Exodus 28:43.

1 Chronicles 6:32

And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to their order.

1 Chronicles 23:32

And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.

1 Chronicles 9:21

And Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

1 Kings 12:33

So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense. offered: or, went up to the altar, etc and burnt: Heb. to burn incense

1 Kings 13:2

And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.

2 Chronicles 1:13

Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel.

2 Chronicles 1:3

So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.

2 Chronicles 1:6

And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.

Frequently asked questions

What does Exodus 28:43 say?

Exodus 28:43 (King James Version) reads: "And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him."

Is Exodus 28:43 in the Old or New Testament?

Exodus 28:43 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Exodus.

Reflect

As you read Exodus 28:43, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

Plan a sermon or study on Exodus 28:43
28:42Read all of Exodus 28