They made shoulder straps for it, joined together. At the two ends it was joined together.
Parallel translations
- KJV They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together.
- BSB They made shoulder pieces for the ephod, which were attached at two of its corners, so it could be fastened.
- NKJV They made shoulder straps for it to couple it together; it was coupled together at its two edges.
- NASB They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it was attached at its two upper ends.
- NLT The ephod consisted of two pieces, front and back, joined at the shoulders with two shoulder-pieces.
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 joined shoulder pieces for the ephod, connected at its two edges. These bound the garment together at the shoulders.
Overview
The shoulder straps held the front and back of the ephod together and would bear the onyx stones engraved with the tribes' names. The shoulder, a place of strength and burden-bearing, fittingly carried the people before God. This pictures the high priest, and ultimately Christ, upholding God's people upon his strength as he ministers on their behalf.
Cross-references & the web
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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 39:4 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
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