The big picture
Exodus 39 opens in verse 1 with “And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 22 with “And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.”, and closes in verse 43 with “And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had…” Repeated or prominent terms include gold, ephod, Moses, linen, LORD. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Exodus · King James Version · 43Exodus 39:1-8
1–8: Of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do…
Exodus 39:1–8 opens with “And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy…” and reaches “And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 39 develops its own movement around gold, ephod, Moses, linen, LORD, with particular weight carried by blue, gold, purple.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in…” The line’s distinctive content terms include work, beat, blue. Its relationship to verses 2 and 4 shows what work it does in this passage.
“And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Exodus 39:1-8
King James Version1And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.
2And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
3And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.
4They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together.
5And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses.
6And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.
7And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses.
8And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exodus 39:9-16
9–16: It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the…
Exodus 39:9–16 opens with “It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span…” and reaches “And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 39 develops its own movement around gold, ephod, Moses, linen, LORD, with particular weight carried by gold, breastplate, ends.
Context that brings the passage to life
“It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof…” The line’s distinctive content terms include span, breadth, breastplate. Its relationship to verses 10 shows what work it does in this passage.
“And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.” The line’s distinctive content terms include diamond, emerald, sapphire. Its relationship to verses 10 and 12 shows what work it does in this passage.
Exodus 39:9-16
King James Version9It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.
10And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row.
11And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
12And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
13And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
14And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.
15And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold.
16And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate.
Exodus 39:17-24
17–24: They put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of…
Exodus 39:17–24 opens with “And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.” and reaches “And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 39 develops its own movement around gold, ephod, Moses, linen, LORD, with particular weight carried by ephod, rings, breastplate.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.” The number two makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
“And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on…” The number two makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
“And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Exodus 39:17-24
King James Version17And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
18And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it.
19And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward.
20And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
21And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
22And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
23And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend.
24And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
Exodus 39:25-32
25–32: They made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates…
Exodus 39:25–32 opens with “And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the…” and reaches “Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 39 develops its own movement around gold, ephod, Moses, linen, LORD, with particular weight carried by linen, fine, LORD.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about…” The line’s distinctive content terms include bells, pomegranates, gold. Its relationship to verses 26 shows what work it does in this passage.
“And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,” Naming Aaron keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Exodus 39:25-32
King James Version25And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
26A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.
27And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,
28And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen,
29And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.
30And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD .
31And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses.
32Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.
Exodus 39:33-40
33–40: They brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture…
Exodus 39:33–40 opens with “And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his…” and reaches “The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 39 develops its own movement around gold, ephod, Moses, linen, LORD, with particular weight carried by vessels, covering, tabernacle.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his…” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat,” The line’s distinctive content terms include mercy, seat, staves. Its relationship to verses 34 and 36 shows what work it does in this passage.
Exodus 39:33-40
King James Version33And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets,
34And the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers’ skins, and the vail of the covering,
35The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat,
36The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread,
37The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,
38And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,
39The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
40The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
Exodus 39:41-43
41–43: The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy…
Exodus 39:41–43 opens with “The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the…” and reaches “And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 39 develops its own movement around gold, ephod, Moses, linen, LORD, with particular weight carried by Moses, commanded, garments.
Exodus 39:41-43
King James Version41The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister in the priest’s office.
42According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
43And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Exodus 39:1 begins with “And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD…”
Where the chapter turns
Exodus 39:22 forms a natural hinge: “And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.”
The final note
Exodus 39:43 leaves the reader with “And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words gold, ephod, Moses, linen, LORD, work help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What reasons does Joseph give for refusing?
He will not betray his master's trust or commit great wickedness against God.
What remains constant across house and prison?
The Lord's presence, explicitly repeated by the narrator, despite Joseph's changed circumstances.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.
