Exodus 28:40-43

Exodus 28:40-43

[40] And for Aaron's  sons  thou shalt make  coats,  and thou shalt make  for them girdles,  and bonnets  shalt thou make  for them, for glory  and for beauty.  [41] And thou shalt put  them upon Aaron  thy brother,  and his sons  with him; and shalt anoint  them, and consecrate  them, and sanctify  them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.  [42] And thou shalt make  them linen  breeches  to cover  their nakedness;  from the loins  even unto the thighs  they shall reach: [43] And they shall be upon Aaron,  and upon his sons,  when they come  in unto the tabernacle  of the congregation,  or when they come near  unto the altar  to minister  in the holy  place; that they bear  not iniquity,  and die:  it shall be a statute  for ever  unto him and his seed  after  him.

What does Exodus 28:40-43 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The clothing described in these verses appears to be the garments the priests other than the high priest wore. All the priests ministered barefoot out of reverence for the holiness of God (cf. Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15).
"This prescription for undergarments alludes to and reminds one of the clothing which God made for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to cover their nakedness ( Genesis 3:21)." [1]
"The essential point of the priestly vestments is the central point of all the instructions concerning the media of worship: Yahweh is present, and Israel must respond to that Presence, be guided in that response, and be reminded constantly in worship as in life of the reality of the Presence and of the need for response." [2]
"There is much that can be derived from this chapter to form principles of spiritual leadership; but the overall point can be worded this way: Those whom God selects to minister to the congregation through intercessory prayer, divine counsel, and sacrificial worship, must always represent the holiness of Yahweh in their activities and demeanor." [3]