Exodus 28 (JND) - Bible Truth Library

Among the various and contradictory opinions respecting the form and substance of these mysterious appendages, the most probable seems to be that of Josephus, Philo, Bp. Patrick, Parkhurst, and the Jewish writers generally; who state, that they were no other than the twelve precious stones of the high priest's breastplate.

In support of this statement, it is observed, 1. That in the description of the high priest's breastplate, Exod. 39:8, et seq., the Urim and Thummim are not mentioned, but only the rows of stones; and on the contrary, in Lev. 8:8, the Urim and Thummim are expressly mentioned, but not a word is said of the four rows of stones.

As Moses has given such a particular description of every thing relative to the high priest's dress, these would certainly have been described had they been different from what was previously mentioned.

Lev. 8:8• ⁸And he put the breastplate on it, and put on the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim; (Lev. 8:8)

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Deut. 33:8• ⁸And of Levi he said, Thy Thummim and thy Urim are for thy godly one, Whom thou didst prove at Massah, With whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; (Deut. 33:8)

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Judg. 1:1• ¹And it came to pass after the death of Joshua that the children of Israel asked Jehovah, saying, Which of us shall go up against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? (Judg. 1:1)

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Judg. 20:18,23,27‑28• ¹⁸And the children of Israel arose and went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah first.
²³And the children of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until even, and inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And Jehovah said, Go up against him.
²⁷And the children of Israel inquired of Jehovah (and the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
²⁸and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And Jehovah said, Go up; for to-morrow I will give them into thy hand. (Judg. 20:18,23,27‑28)

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1 Sam. 23:9‑12• ⁹And when David knew that Saul devised mischief against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod.
¹⁰Then said David, Jehovah, God of Israel, thy servant hath heard for certain that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
¹¹Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? Jehovah, God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.
¹²And David said, Will the citizens of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver thee up. (1 Sam. 23:9‑12)

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1 Sam. 28:6• ⁶And Saul inquired of Jehovah; but Jehovah did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. (1 Sam. 28:6)

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1 Sam. 30:7‑8• ⁷And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, Bring near to me, I pray thee, the ephod. And Abiathar brought the ephod near to David.
⁸And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he said to him, Pursue; for thou shalt assuredly overtake them and shalt certainly recover. (1 Sam. 30:7‑8)

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Ezra 2:63• ⁶³And the Tirshatha said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim. (Ezra 2:63)

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Neh. 7:65• ⁶⁵And the Tirshatha said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up the priest with Urim and Thummim. (Neh. 7:65)

bear the judgment.

Zech. 6:13• ¹³even he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. (Zech. 6:13)

upon his heart.

2 Cor. 6:11‑12• ¹¹Our mouth is opened to you, Corinthians, our heart is expanded.
¹²Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your affections; (2 Cor. 6:11‑12)

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2 Cor. 7:3• ³I do not speak for condemnation, for I have already said that ye are in our hearts, to die together, and live together. (2 Cor. 7:3)

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2 Cor. 12:15• ¹⁵Now *I* shall most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your souls, if even in abundantly loving you I should be less loved. (2 Cor. 12:15)

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Phil. 1:7‑8• ⁷as it is righteous for me to think this as to you all, because ye have *me* in your hearts, and that both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the glad tidings ye are all participators in my grace.
⁸For God is my witness how I long after you all in the bowels of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:7‑8)

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Heb. 2:17• ¹⁷Wherefore it behoved him in all things to be made like to his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people; (Heb. 2:17)

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Heb. 4:15• ¹⁵For we have not a high priest not able to sympathise with our infirmities, but tempted in all things in like manner, sin apart. (Heb. 4:15)

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Heb. 9:12,24• ¹²nor by blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, has entered in once for all into the holy of holies, having found an eternal redemption.
²⁴For the Christ is not entered into holy places made with hand, figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us: (Heb. 9:12,24)

• They therefore looked for answers through the Urim and Thummim that were in the breastplate; for the wisdom of our conduct is to be according to this position before God. (“Exodus 28” by J.N. Darby)

• The Urim and Thummim were there-light and perfection. The high priest bore the judgment of the children of Israel in their present ways and as to their present relationship upon his heart before Jehovah, and this according to the light and perfection of God. This we need, to get blessing. (“Exodus 28” by J.N. Darby)

J. N. Darby Translation

And thou shalt put into the breastplate of judgment the Urimg and the Thummimh, that they may be upon Aaron’s heart when he goeth in before Jehovah; and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before Jehovah continually.

JND Translation Notes

Light, or Lights.

Perfection, or Perfections.