Exodus 28:20 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Gold, in their inclosings— Hebrew, fillings. In the 17th verse it is said, Thou shalt set in it settings of stones; literally, shalt fill up fillings of stones; i.e. shalt fill the sockets with stones, or set stones in the sockets or cavities made to receive them; so, ch. Exodus 35:9 stones to be set is, in the Hebrew, stones for filling up: (comp. ch. Exodus 39:10.) It appears from these verses, that the chains mentioned Exodus 28:14 were to fasten the breast-plate to the two onyx-stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. Besides the two rings on the end of the breast-plate, Exodus 28:23 two more were to be made, and put into the doubling next to the ephod, Exodus 28:26 in which two corresponding rings were to be made, Exodus 28:27 and by means of these, the breast-plate was to be laced with a lace of blue to the ephod, Exodus 28:28 and never to be parted from it. The reader will remember the remark respecting the words curious girdle, made on Exodus 28:8 and those who are desirous of an exact and critical discussion of Exodus 28:22-28 we refer to Houbigant's notes.