וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ מִשְׁבְּצֹ֖ת זָהָֽב׃

The verse returns to elaborate on the production of the settings for the onyx stones. The process will have relevance for the breast piece as well: You shall make settings of gold. Perhaps this command includes the other settings of gold, which were placed on the breast piece.

וּשְׁתֵּ֤י שַׁרְשְׁרֹת֙ זָהָ֣ב טָה֔וֹר מִגְבָּלֹ֛ת תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָ֖ם מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה עֲבֹ֑ת וְנָתַתָּ֛ה אֶת־שַׁרְשְׁרֹ֥ת הָעֲבֹתֹ֖ת עַל־הַֽמִּשְׁבְּצֹֽת׃ (ס)

And two chains of pure gold: You shall make them at the edges of the settings; they shall be braided craftsmanship. After fashioning them, you shall set the braided chains in the settings.

וְעָשִׂ֜יתָ חֹ֤שֶׁן מִשְׁפָּט֙ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה חֹשֵׁ֔ב כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה אֵפֹ֖ד תַּעֲשֶׂ֑נּוּ זָ֠הָב תְּכֵ֨לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֜ן וְתוֹלַ֧עַת שָׁנִ֛י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ מָשְׁזָ֖ר תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתֽוֹ׃

You shall make an ornamental breast piece, which will be utilized in the administration of judgment; alternatively, the breast piece will symbolize your status as a judge. It shall be artfully crafted; you shall make it like the craftsmanship of the ephod, in a similar manner and from the same materials: gold, sky-blue, purple, and scarlet wool, and linen, all spun together you shall make it.

רָב֥וּעַ יִֽהְיֶ֖ה כָּפ֑וּל זֶ֥רֶת אָרְכּ֖וֹ וְזֶ֥רֶת רָחְבּֽוֹ׃

It shall be square in appearance, and yet it shall actually be made from a rectangular cloth that has been folded, doubled over. This will form a kind of pouch, in which the Urim and the Tumim are most likely meant to be placed (see verse 30). Its length shall be a span [ zeret ] after it is folded, and its width a span. A zeret is approximately half a cubit, slightly more than 20 cm. It is roughly the distance between the tip of one’s little finger [ zeret ] and the tip of one’s thumb when spreading out fingers to their greatest extent.

וּמִלֵּאתָ֥ בוֹ֙ מִלֻּ֣אַת אֶ֔בֶן אַרְבָּעָ֖ה טוּרִ֣ים אָ֑בֶן ט֗וּר אֹ֤דֶם פִּטְדָה֙ וּבָרֶ֔קֶת הַטּ֖וּר הָאֶחָֽד׃

You shall set in it, the breast piece, a mounting of stone, four rows of stone, each of which shall contain three different precious stones. The identity of these stones is difficult to determine with absolute certainty: A row of odem , which is commonly identified as a ruby, a peridot, and an emerald; this shall be the first row.

וְהַטּ֖וּר הַשֵּׁנִ֑י נֹ֥פֶךְ סַפִּ֖יר וְיָהֲלֹֽם׃

And the second row: a carbuncle, a sapphire [ sappir ] (see 24:10 above). The identity of the sappir stone is uncertain. And a clear quartz [ yahalom ] . Although in modern Hebrew, yahalom refers to a diamond, it is likely that yahalom once referred to a different precious stone.

וְהַטּ֖וּר הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י לֶ֥שֶׁם שְׁב֖וֹ וְאַחְלָֽמָה׃

And the third row: a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst.

וְהַטּוּר֙ הָרְבִיעִ֔י תַּרְשִׁ֥ישׁ וְשֹׁ֖הַם וְיָשְׁפֵ֑ה מְשֻׁבָּצִ֥ים זָהָ֛ב יִהְי֖וּ בְּמִלּוּאֹתָֽם׃

And the fourth row: a beryl, and an onyx, and a chalcedony; they shall be set in gold in their mountings. Due to the difficulty in cutting and smoothing these precious stones, the enclosures must be made to suit the shapes of the stones that will be set inside them, so that they will be held firmly.

וְ֠הָאֲבָנִים תִּֽהְיֶ֜יןָ עַל־שְׁמֹ֧ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל שְׁתֵּ֥ים עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה עַל־שְׁמֹתָ֑ם פִּתּוּחֵ֤י חוֹתָם֙ אִ֣ישׁ עַל־שְׁמ֔וֹ תִּֽהְיֶ֕יןָ לִשְׁנֵ֥י עָשָׂ֖ר שָֽׁבֶט׃

The stones shall correspond to the names of the children of Israel: Twelve, according to their names. On each stone the name of one tribe will be engraved. And they shall be engraved like the engravings of a signet, each according to its name, for the twelve tribes.

וְעָשִׂ֧יתָ עַל־הַחֹ֛שֶׁן שַֽׁרְשֹׁ֥ת גַּבְלֻ֖ת מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה עֲבֹ֑ת זָהָ֖ב טָהֽוֹר׃

The verse reiterates, this time in the context of the breast piece, an earlier command with regard to the chains (see verse 14 above). You shall fix bordering chains of braided craftsmanship on the breast piece of pure gold. These will be placed on the edges of the breast piece.

וְעָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ עַל־הַחֹ֔שֶׁן שְׁתֵּ֖י טַבְּע֣וֹת זָהָ֑ב וְנָתַתָּ֗ אֶת־שְׁתֵּי֙ הַטַּבָּע֔וֹת עַל־שְׁנֵ֖י קְצ֥וֹת הַחֹֽשֶׁן׃

You shall fix two rings of gold upon the upper part of the breast piece, and you shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breast piece, on the right and left.

וְנָתַתָּ֗ה אֶת־שְׁתֵּי֙ עֲבֹתֹ֣ת הַזָּהָ֔ב עַל־שְׁתֵּ֖י הַטַּבָּעֹ֑ת אֶל־קְצ֖וֹת הַחֹֽשֶׁן׃

You shall put the two braids of gold on the two rings at the ends of the breast piece.

וְאֵ֨ת שְׁתֵּ֤י קְצוֹת֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י הָעֲבֹתֹ֔ת תִּתֵּ֖ן עַל־שְׁתֵּ֣י הַֽמִּשְׁבְּצ֑וֹת וְנָתַתָּ֛ה עַל־כִּתְפ֥וֹת הָאֵפֹ֖ד אֶל־מ֥וּל פָּנָֽיו׃

The other two ends of the two braids you shall put on the two settings mentioned above with regard to the ephod, and you shall place them, the settings, on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, toward its front, in the area of the neck. In this manner the breast piece shall hang over the chest.

וְעָשִׂ֗יתָ שְׁתֵּי֙ טַבְּע֣וֹת זָהָ֔ב וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ אֹתָ֔ם עַל־שְׁנֵ֖י קְצ֣וֹת הַחֹ֑שֶׁן עַל־שְׂפָת֕וֹ אֲשֶׁ֛ר אֶל־עֵ֥בֶר הָאֵפֹ֖ד בָּֽיְתָה׃

You shall make two additional rings of gold and you shall place them on the two ends of the breast piece, on its edge, that is toward the ephod on the inner side of the folded breast piece, which faces the ephod.

וְעָשִׂיתָ֮ שְׁתֵּ֣י טַבְּע֣וֹת זָהָב֒ וְנָתַתָּ֣ה אֹתָ֡ם עַל־שְׁתֵּי֩ כִתְפ֨וֹת הָאֵפ֤וֹד מִלְּמַ֙טָּה֙ מִמּ֣וּל פָּנָ֔יו לְעֻמַּ֖ת מֶחְבַּרְתּ֑וֹ מִמַּ֕עַל לְחֵ֖שֶׁב הָאֵפֽוֹד׃

You shall make two additional rings of gold, and you shall put them on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, specifically from below those shoulder pieces, toward its front, on the backside of the ephod, adjacent to its seam, that is, the area where the shoulder pieces are sewn to the ephod, above the belt of the ephod.

וְיִרְכְּס֣וּ אֶת־הַ֠חֹשֶׁן מטבעתו [מִֽטַּבְּעֹתָ֞יו] אֶל־טַבְּעֹ֤ת הָאֵפֹד֙ בִּפְתִ֣יל תְּכֵ֔לֶת לִֽהְי֖וֹת עַל־חֵ֣שֶׁב הָאֵפ֑וֹד וְלֹֽא־יִזַּ֣ח הַחֹ֔שֶׁן מֵעַ֖ל הָאֵפֽוֹד׃

They shall lace the breast piece from its rings, namely those on the bottom of the breast piece, to the rings attached to the bottoms of the shoulder pieces of the ephod, with a thread of sky-blue wool, to be on the belt of the ephod, and the breast piece shall not be detached from upon the ephod. That is to say, there is a specific requirement that the breast piece will be attached to the ephod at all times.

וְנָשָׂ֣א אַ֠הֲרֹן אֶת־שְׁמ֨וֹת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל בְּחֹ֧שֶׁן הַמִּשְׁפָּ֛ט עַל־לִבּ֖וֹ בְּבֹא֣וֹ אֶל־הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ לְזִכָּרֹ֥ן לִפְנֵֽי־יְהוָ֖ה תָּמִֽיד׃

Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel on the breast piece of judgment upon his heart upon his entry into the Sanctuary, as a constant remembrance before the Lord. The stones of the breast piece are not mere ornaments meant for beauty; rather, they serve as a remembrance of Israel before God, just like the stones of the ephod.

וְנָתַתָּ֞ אֶל־חֹ֣שֶׁן הַמִּשְׁפָּ֗ט אֶת־הָאוּרִים֙ וְאֶת־הַתֻּמִּ֔ים וְהָיוּ֙ עַל־לֵ֣ב אַהֲרֹ֔ן בְּבֹא֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְנָשָׂ֣א אַ֠הֲרֹן אֶת־מִשְׁפַּ֨ט בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל עַל־לִבּ֛וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה תָּמִֽיד׃ (ס)

You shall place the Urim and the Tumim in the pouch between the folds of the breast piece of judgment. The nature of the Urim and the Tumim is shrouded in mystery and is not explained in the Bible. The Sages explain that they were sacred names that, when placed inside the fold, would cause the stones of the breast piece to shine in response to questions posed about the future. According to Ibn Ezra (verse 6 above), the Urim and the Tumim are instruments for making astrological measurements. Others suggest that they contained a list of the borders and cities of each tribe. And they shall be upon Aaron’s heart upon his entry before the Lord; and Aaron shall constantly bear the judgment, meaning the ways and practices, of the children of Israel on his heart, inside the breast piece, before the Lord.