SECTION XLVII.
High Priests Ephod.
ABove this he put the Ephod, the materials of which were fine yarn or threds dyed* 1.1 blew, and purple, and scarlet, and with every thred of these, was twisted a thred of gold, fitly shewing the purity and holiness of the Priest in every action, as also most fitly resembling the lustre of the diety shining in each of Christs humane actions.
The word Ephod doth generally signifie any thing that girdeth a man, so the word ori∣ginally signifies. More particularly it betokens garments or other things used in divine service: So Samuel ministred before Eli in a linnen Ephod, or a linnen coat girded to him. So David when he brought up the Ark to Jerusalent, being desirous to be as Priest-like as he might, he was cloathed with such a garment, a linnen Ephod: So the abomination which Gideon made Judg. 8. 27. is called an Ephod. Because he made it to resemble that Ephod which he had seen upon the High Priest at Shiloh. Most especially the Ephod signifies the upmost garment of the High Priest when he served at the Altar or Taberna∣cle. The form of this was somewhat like the aprons, which some workmen wear, tyed over their shoulders and covering their breast: Such was this, a rich piece of stuff, of the materials before named, the breadth of the Priests breast; at either side it had a shoulder piece of the same piece, which went over the Priests shoulders and were fastned behind one to another: Before his breast the piece came down to his paps, and there was the lower edg of it, upon which was woven a piece to gird it withall, of the same stuff and piece, so that it was girded over his paps or heart; whence John speaketh, when he saith he saw Christ girded about the Paps with a golden girdle, Apoc. 1. 13. Upon the shoulder pieces were two precious stones set in ouches of gold, one on the one side, and another on the other. The stones were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Beryl, vulgarly Onyx, the stone which among the twelve belonged to Joseph. In these two stones were ingraven the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel, six on one and six on another.
Thus when the Priest appeared before the Lord, he bare the charge of all Israel upon his shoulders: A full resemblance of Christ.
Upon the shoulder pieces likewise were two bosses of gold near to these stones, unto which the gold chains that tyed the Breast-plate to the Ephod▪ were made so fast that they might not part one from another. Thus was the curious work of the Ephod, with its girdle and other apurtenances, a full signification of the preciousness, and yet heavy charge of the Priesthood.