And you shall make uses the singular you, but again it may be expressed as “Have them make” or “Cause them to make.” Holy garments is literally “clothes of holiness.” This refers to “sacred vestments” (New Revised Standard Version), or in this case, “priestly garments” (Good News Translation). Aaron your brother is discussed at verse 1. He was to be the high priest, that is, the leader or chief of all the other priests. For glory and for beauty uses two words that have a similar meaning. The word for glory (kavod) has the basic meaning of “heavy,” but here it is used in the sense of honor, or “dignity” (Good News Translation). (See the comment at 14.4 and 16.7.) The word for beauty carries the meaning of “grandeur” (Revised English Bible) or “splendour” (Translator’s Old Testament). New Revised Standard Version has “for the glorious adornment of your brother Aaron.” It is possible to understand beauty as referring to the garments, and glory referring to the “dignity” (Good News Translation) of the high priest. Contemporary English Version thus renders the verse as “Make Aaron some beautiful clothes that are worthy of a high priest.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .