Ephod

The ephod of the High Priest was a kind of apron or vest with shoulder straps and a belt. The belt was an integral part of the ephod; it was wrapped around the waist and tied either in the front or the back (see also the discussion below). The top of the ephod was at about the bottom of the ribcage. According to a tradition preserved by Josephus (Antiquities III 7, 5), the ephod had a length of one cubit (about 50 centimeters or 20 inches). This would mean that it extended approximately to the middle of the upper leg. The dimensions of the ephod are not given in Scripture.

In order to gain a better picture of the structure of this ephod, it is helpful to consider it together with the breastpiece (see Sacred pocket, breastpiece). According to one interpretation, the shoulder straps of the ephod were attached in the back and in the front of the ephod, and the breastpiece was attached to these straps in the front by gold rings. This is demonstrated in the illustration at High Priest’s clothing. According to another interpretation, the shoulder straps of the ephod did not reach the belt at the top of the ephod. The space between the end of the straps and the belt (about 25 centimeters or 10 inches) was taken up by the breastpiece. On the four corners of the breastpiece were sewn gold rings. The lower two rings were tied with a blue thread to corresponding rings in the belt of the ephod. The upper rings of the breastpiece were connected to the ends of the shoulder straps by means of small gold chains. On the end of each shoulder strap was a kind of clasp consisting of a precious stone in a gold setting. Engraved on these stones were the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. It was to these devices that the other ends of the gold chains were attached. See the illustrations here and Sacred pocket, breastpiece.

In the Bible

The Hebrew and Greek words for it, and every verse where each is used

Also in High Priest’s clothing

Sources

Plants and Trees in the Bible, Animals in the Bible and Human-made Things in the Bible © United Bible Societies, 2025 (adapted from Each According to its Kind: Plants and Trees in the Bible by Robert Koops, All Creatures Great and Small: Living Things in the Bible by Edward R. Hope, and The Works of Their Hands: Man-made Things in the Bible by Ray Pritz), CC BY-SA 4.0; adapted for eRhema