and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;
The breast-plate, fastened by golden chains to the ephod, holds the names of all twelve tribes before God continually. Aaron bears them as a memorial; and so our great High Priest carries His people into the very presence of God, where by faith we sit with Him in heavenly places even now.
AI summary
Commenting on Exodus 28:15-30
And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. The first of these stones, the ligure or lyncurius, is said to be so called from the congealed urine of the lynx (n), but rather from the spots of that creature; for, according to Danaeus (o), it is the same stone with that called "stellina", from having many specks like stars spread about in it.
Exo 28:17-19 “And fill thereon (put on it) a stone-setting, four rows of stones,” i.e., fix four rows of set jewels upon it. The stones, so far as their names can be determined with the help of the ancient versions, the researches of L. de Dieu (animadv. ad Ex 28) and Braun (vestit. ii. c. 8-10), and other sources pointed out in Winer’s R. W. (s. v.
Commenting on Exodus 28:17-19