Ephod

(image), father of Hanniel of the tribe of Manesseh. (Numbers 34:23)

Ephod

An ornamental part of the dress worn by the Hebrew priests. It was worn above the tunic and the robe, was without sleeves, and open below the arms on each side, consisting of two pieces, one of which covered the front of the body and the other the back, joined together on the shoulders by golden buckles set with gems, and reaching down to the middle of the thigh. A girdle was inwoven with it, by which it was fastened around the body, Exodus 28:6-12. There were two kinds of ephod: one plain, of linen, for the priests, 1 Samuel 22:18; another embroidered, for the high priest. Young Samuel wore an ephod, though only a Levite and a child, 1 Samuel 2:18. David, in transferring the ark to Jerusalem, was "girt with a linen ephod," 2 Samuel 6:14. The Jews had a peculiar superstitious regard for this garment, and employed it in connection with idolatrous worship. Gideon's ephod became a snare to Israel; and Micah made one, that his idol might be duly worshipped, Jud 8:27; 17:5; 18:17.

Something girt, a sacred vestment worn originally by the high priest (Exodus 28:4), afterwards by the ordinary priest (1 Samuel 22:18), and characteristic of his office (1 Samuel 2:18, 28; 14:3). It was worn by Samuel, and also by David (2 Samuel 6:14). It was made of fine linen, and consisted of two pieces, which hung from the neck, and covered both the back and front, above the tunic and outer garment (Exodus 28:31). That of the high priest was embroidered with divers colours. The two pieces were joined together over the shoulders (hence in Latin called superhumerale) by clasps or buckles of gold or precious stones, and fastened round the waist by a "curious girdle of gold, blue, purple, and fine twined linen" (28:6-12).

The breastplate, with the Urim and Thummim, was attached to the ephod.

(n.) A part of the sacerdotal habit among Jews, being a covering for the back and breast, held together on the shoulders by two clasps or brooches of onyx stones set in gold, and fastened by a girdle of the same stuff as the ephod. The ephod for the priests was of plain linen; that for the high priest was richly embroidered in colors. The breastplate of the high priest was worn upon the ephod in front.EPHOD (1)

ef'-od ('ephowdh (28 times), 'ephodh (20 times), 'ephodh; Septuagint epomis, ephoth, ephod, ephoud, stole exallos, stole bussine):

(1) A sacred vestment originally designed for the high priest (Exodus 28:4; Exodus 39:2), and made "of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen," held together by two shoulder-pieces and a skillfully woven band which served as a girdle for the ephod. On the shoulderpieces were two onyx stones on which were engraved the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. It is not known whether the ephod extended below the hips or only to the waist. Attached to the ephod by chains of pure gold was a breastplate containing twelve precious stones in four rows. Underneath the ephod was the blue robe of the ephod extending to the feet of the priest. The robe of the ephod was thus a garment comprising, in addition to the long robe proper, the ephod with its shoulderpieces and the breastplate of judgment.

(2) From the historical books we learn that ephods were worn by persons other than the high priest. Thus, the boy Samuel was girded with a linen ephod while assisting the aged high priest (1 Samuel 2:18); the priests at Nob, 85 in number, are described as men wearing a linen ephod (1 Samuel 22:18); and David was girded with a linen ephod when he danced in the procession that brought the ark into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:14). The ephod was considered appropriate for the king on this solemn and happy occasion; but it would be reading into the narrative more than it contains to infer that lay worshippers were regularly clothed with the ephod; nor are we to suppose that priests other than the high priest were accustomed to wear ephods as rich and elaborate as that of the high priest. Abiathar, who became high priest after the assassination of his father by Doeg, probably brought to the camp of David the ephod worn by the high priest in his ministrations at Nob (1 Samuel 23:6), and through this ephod David sought in certain crises to learn Yahweh's will (1 Samuel 23:9; 1 Samuel 30:7). Some have argued that the ephod, which Abiathar brought in his hand, was an image rather than a priestly garment, but there seems no sufficient reason for regarding it as other than a vestment for the high priest. The ephod behind which the sword of Goliath was kept wrapped in a cloth may well have been a garment suspended from the wall or itself wrapped in a protecting cloth (1 Samuel 21:9).

(3) The ephod mentioned in Judges 17:5; Judges 18:14; Hosea 3:4 is associated with teraphim and other idolatrous images. We may frankly confess that we do not know the shape, size and use of the ephod in these cases, though even here also the ephod may well have been a priestly garment. The same remark holds good of the ephod made by Gideon, and which became an object of idolatrous worship in Israel (Judges 8:27). It has been argued that a vestment would not cost seventeen hundred shekels of gold. Possibly Gideon set up an apparatus of worship containing other articles just as the mother of Micah began with the promise to make a graven image and a molten image, and afterward added an ephod and teraphim (Judges 17:1-5). Moreover, if gems and brilliants were put on Gidcon's ephod, who can say that it did not cost seventeen hundred shekels? LITERATURE.

Braun, De vestitu sacerdotum (1698), 462; Ugolini, Thesaurus antiquitatum sacrarum (1744-69), XII, 785; Ancessi, Annales de philos. chretienne, 1872; Konig, Rel. Hist. of Israel, 107; Van Hoonackcr, Le sacerdoce levitique (1899), 370; Foote, The Ephod, in "Johns Hopkins University Circulars," 1900.

John Richard Sampey

EPHOD (2)

e'-fod ('ephodh):

Father of Hanniel, prince of Manasseh (Numbers 34:23).

646. ephod -- an ephod
... 645, 646. ephod. 647 . an ephod. Transliteration: ephod Phonetic Spelling:
(ay-fode') Short Definition: ephod. Word Origin from ...
/hebrew/646.htm - 6k

641. Ephod -- an Israelite
... Ephod. 642 . an Israelite. Transliteration: Ephod Phonetic Spelling: (ay-fode')
Short Definition: ephod. Word Origin from the same as ephod Definition an Isr. ...
/hebrew/641.htm - 6k

642. aphuddah -- an ephod
... 641, 642. aphuddah. 643 . an ephod. Transliteration: aphuddah Phonetic Spelling:
(ay-food-daw') Short Definition: plated. ... ephod, ornament. ...
/hebrew/642.htm - 6k

640. aphad -- to gird on the ephod
... 639, 640. aphad. 641 . to gird on the ephod. Transliteration: aphad Phonetic
Spelling: (aw-fad') Short Definition: gird. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/640.htm - 6k

That the Ruler Should be Always Chief in Action.
... Wherefore by command of the supernal voice (Exodus 29:5) the priest is braced on
each shoulder with the robe of the ephod, that he may be always guarded ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter iii that the ruler.htm

Reverence in Worship.
... SERMON I. Reverence in Worship. "Samuel ministered before the Lord, being
a child, girded with a linen ephod.""1 Samuel 2:18. ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon i reverence in worship.htm

Whether the Vestments of the Ministers are Fittingly Instituted in ...
... Objection 4: Further, in the Old Law the pontiff wore the ephod [*Superhumerale,
ie over-the-shoulders], which signified the burden of the Gospel, as Bede ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the vestments of the.htm

Concerning the Garments of the Priests, and of the High Priest.
... 5. Besides these, the high priest put on a third garment, which was called
the Ephod, which resembles the Epomis of the Greeks. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 concerning the garments.htm

Book ix. On Jerusalem and Her Enemies
... The ephod is a sign, on the shoulders, of miracles; in Exodus: and they made an
ephod of gold and hyacinth and purple and scarlet goats' hair and complicated ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/book ix on jerusalem and.htm

Books of the Hebrew Canon.
... Structure of the Tabernacle. Ephod (xxxvi.9"12). ... Veils (xxxvi.35"38). Robe
of Ephod (xxxvi.30"34) Linen vestments (xxxvi.35"37). ...
/.../chapter ii books of the.htm

High Priest
... one piece of the dress of the high priest, the breast-plate (rationale); a gorget,
ten inches square, made of the same sort of cloth as the ephod, and doubled ...
/.../conversion of a high priest into a christian worker/chapter iv high priest.htm

Samuel, the Little Server
... now a very little boy helping the priest at God's altar, so Samuel was like a little
server as he helped Eli, and he too wore a linen surplice, or ephod as it ...
/.../steedman/the babe in the bulrushes/samuel the little server.htm

The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture.
... heard it said, "The Head of Christ is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
[3031] Moreover, there was the breastplate, comprising the ephod, which is ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter vi the mystic meaning of.htm

The Names on Aaron's Breastplate
... It was held in position by the ephod, which consisted of another piece of cloth,
with a back and front part, which were united into one on the shoulders. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the names on aarons breastplate.htm

Ephod (45 Occurrences)
... The breastplate, with the Urim and Thummim, was attached to the ephod. ... The breastplate
of the high priest was worn upon the ephod in front. Int. ...
/e/ephod.htm - 27k

Breastpiece (21 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Breastpiece (21 Occurrences). Exodus 25:7 onyx stones,
and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate. (See NAS RSV NIV) ...
/b/breastpiece.htm - 12k

Waistband (15 Occurrences)
... Exodus 28:27 You shall make two rings of gold, and shall put them on the two shoulder
straps of the ephod underneath, in its forepart, close by its coupling ...
/w/waistband.htm - 11k

Skillfully (12 Occurrences)
... Exodus 28:27 You shall make two rings of gold, and shall put them on the two shoulder
straps of the ephod underneath, in its forepart, close by its coupling ...
/s/skillfully.htm - 10k

Woven (40 Occurrences)
... Exodus 28:4 These are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an
ephod, and a robe, and a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash: and they ...
/w/woven.htm - 19k

Breast-plate (22 Occurrences)
... hope of salvation. (WBS). Exodus 25:7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set
in the ephod, and in the breast-plate. (WBS). Exodus 28:4 ...
/b/breast-plate.htm - 12k

Skilfully (13 Occurrences)
... (See RSV). Exodus 28:6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple,
scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skilful workman. (See RSV). ...
/s/skilfully.htm - 10k

Curious (18 Occurrences)
... (WBS). Exodus 28:6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple,
of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with curious work. (WBS). ...
/c/curious.htm - 14k

Breastplate (45 Occurrences)
... The two upper corners were fastened to the ephod by blue ribbons. It was not
to be "loosed from the ephod" (Exodus 28:28). ... See Ephod. Int. ...
/b/breastplate.htm - 24k

Girdle (44 Occurrences)
... (5.) Hebrews hesheb, the "curious girdle" (Exodus 28:8; RV, "cunningly woven band")
was attached to the ephod, and was made of the same material. ...
/g/girdle.htm - 24k

What was the significance of the ephod? | GotQuestions.org

Did David dance naked (2 Samuel 6:14)? | GotQuestions.org

What were the Urim and Thummim? | GotQuestions.org

Ephod: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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