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And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold.
Exodus 39:15 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB They made on the breastplate chains like cords, of braided work of pure gold.
  • BSB For the breastpiece they made braided chains like cords of pure gold.
  • NKJV And they made chains for the breastplate at the ends, like braided cords of pure gold.
  • NASB And they made for the breastpiece chains like cords, work of twisted cords of pure gold.
  • NLT To attach the chestpiece to the ephod, they made braided cords of pure gold thread.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

They made braided chains of pure gold, like cords, for the breastplate. These would secure it to the ephod.

Overview

Fine gold was twisted into rope-like chains to attach the breastplate to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. The craftsmanship ensured the breastplate, bearing Israel's names, was held firmly in place over the priest's heart. The secure fastening pictures the unbreakable union between the priest's representation and the people he carried before God.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 7

  • John 10:28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
  • 2 Chr 3:5And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.
  • Song 1:10Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.
  • 1 Pet 1:5Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
  • Jude 1:1Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
  • John 17:12While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
  • Exod 28:14And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Exodus videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Exodus 39:15YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ExodusMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.

How Exodus 39:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.