Exodus 28:38

Summary

The verse states that the forehead plate will remain on Aaron's forehead, so that he bears the guilt connected to the holy things which the Israelites consecrate in their sacred gifts. It further specifies that the plate must stay on his forehead continually, for acceptance of the people before Yehovah (YHWH, H3068G).

Key words

• na.Sa' ("he will bear", H5375J) — qal sequential perfect; describes Aaron's ongoing action of carrying or bearing something, continuing the narrative sequence begun with ha.Yah ("it will be", H1961).
• 'a.Von ("guilt of", H5771H) — masculine singular construct; links directly to ha.Qodashim ("the holy things", H6944G), forming the phrase "the guilt of the holy things."
• yak.Di.shu ("they will consecrate", H6942G) — hiphil (causative) imperfect, third person plural; the causative stem indicates the Israelites actively cause objects to become holy/consecrated, not merely that objects are holy.
• ra.Tzon ("acceptance", H7522) — masculine singular noun; appears without article or construct marker, functioning as the purpose/result of the plate's continual presence.
• ta.Mid ("continually", H8548) — masculine singular noun used adverbially, modifying the state described by ha.Yah ("it will be", H1961) in the second clause.

What the text says

The verse is built on two parallel clauses, each opening with ve.ha.Yah ("and it will be", H9001 + H1961), a narrative sequential perfect that continues action from the preceding verses (which describe the forehead plate itself). The first clause places the plate 'al-Metzach 'Aharon ("on the forehead of Aaron", H5921A + H4696 + H0175) and then states that Aaron na.Sa' ("will bear", H5375J) the 'a.Von ("guilt of", H5771H) ha.Qodashim ("the holy things", H6944G). This construct chain ties Aaron's bearing directly to consecrated objects, further specified by a relative clause: 'a.Sher yak.Di.shu Benei Yisra'el ("which the sons of Israel will consecrate", H0834A + H6942G + H1121G + H3478). The hiphil form yak.Di.shu marks the Israelites as causing consecration, applied le.khol mat.te.Not qod.shei.Hem ("to all the gifts of their holy things", H9005 + H3605 + H4979 + H6944G + H9028).

The second clause repeats ve.ha.Yah 'al-mitzcho ("and it will be on his forehead", H9001+H1961+H5921A+H4696+H9023), adding ta.Mid ("continually", H8548) to stress permanence, followed by the purpose phrase le.ra.Tzon la.Hem lif.nei YHWH ("for acceptance for them before Yehovah", H9005+H7522+H9005+H9038+H9005+H6440G+H3068G). The doubled preposition le before both ra.Tzon and Hem marks purpose and beneficiary separately within the same clause.

Differences between versions

The Vulgate (VULCLEM) begins mid-sentence with imminens fronti pontificis ("hanging over the high priest's forehead"), continuing syntactically from the prior verse's description of the plate, and renders 'a.Von ("guilt of", H5771H) as iniquitates ("iniquities"), a plural abstraction not present in the Hebrew singular construct form. The provided LXXSWETE text does not correspond to this verse's content; it describes linen garments reaching from the loins to the thighs, indicating the supplied Septuagint excerpt belongs to a different verse in the passage sequence rather than a translation of Exodus 28:38 as given in the Hebrew.