complete verse (Exodus 28:31)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 28:31:

  • Kupsabiny: “It is necessary to use blue cloth to make the robe.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Sew the garment that the priest wears inside the ephod entirely of blue cloth.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘The outside clothing/garment which was laid-over the special clothing of the priest must be pure blue” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “God spoke again like this, ‘You (pl.) must take a blue cloth and then make the long robe for the man of offerings.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “They must also sew cloth green/blue for shirt as wise people for clothes sewing do it.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “‘Tell the workmen to use only blue cloth to make the robe that is to be worn underneath the priest’s sacred apron.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exodus 28:31-32

And you shall make continues to use you singular, and again the translator may expand this opening sentence as follows: “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Have them make…’ ” or “The LORD commanded Moses, ….” The robe of the ephod is what the Hebrew says, but the context indicates that the robe was a separate piece of clothing, so Good News Translation is correct with “The robe that goes under the ephod.” Contemporary English Version similarly has “Under his vest Aaron must wear a robe….” The word for robe refers to a coat or mantle without sleeves. (See the comment at 28.4.) All of blue uses the word meaning “violet-purple” (New Jerusalem Bible). (See the discussion on color at 25.4.) The kind of material is not indicated, but Good News Translation has “blue wool,” Durham has “violet yarn,” and Revised English Bible has “violet stuff.” New International Version‘s “blue cloth” may be the easiest solution.

It shall have in it an opening for the head is literally “and a mouth of its head shall be in its midst.” The “mouth,” of course, refers to an opening, or “a hole” (Good News Translation), and “its head” is better rendered as the head, meaning the head of whoever wears the robe, in this case Aaron. So one may translate “his head” (Contemporary English Version). New Revised Standard Version has now added “in the middle of it,” a phrase that Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation either missed or considered unnecessary. Contemporary English Version correctly has “with an opening in the center for his head.”

With a woven binding around the opening is literally “a lip shall be around its mouth, work of a weaver.” As in verse 26, the “lip” means the “edge” (New International Version) or binding of the opening, and “work of a weaver” means “woven work” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). This means a “woven reinforcement” (Durham), or “woven binding” (Good News Translation). New American Bible has “selvage,” New Jerusalem Bible has “border,” and Revised English Bible has “hem.”

Like the opening in a garment, literally “it shall be like the mouth of a tachraʾ,” uses a rare word that may have referred to the leather edge of a “coat of mail” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Jerusalem Bible). (See the Revised Standard Version footnote.) Translator’s Old Testament and Moffatt translate it as “a linen corselet,” and Revised English Bible has “an oversewn edge.” Note that Good News Translation omits this phrase entirely without actually losing any significant meaning. This may be the easiest solution, since the meaning of tachraʾ is not known. That it may not be torn, literally “it will not be torn,” explains that the purpose of the tachraʾ was to reinforce the “hole for the head” (Good News Translation). Nothing is said about holes for the arms, so this may either be assumed, or the robe may have had no arm holes, as is true of a Mexican pancho.

An alternative translation model for verses 31-32 is:

• The LORD commanded Moses, “Have them make a robe [or, long coat] for Aaron to wear under the ephod. They shall make it entirely out of blue wool [or, sheep’s hair dyed violet-purple]. It must have an opening in the center for his head. They must sew a special edging around the opening to keep the cloth from tearing.

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 .