Discovery BoxExodus 28:35 
Context28:35 The robe 1 is to be on Aaron as he ministers, 2 and his sound will be heard 3 when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he leaves, so that he does not die.
Exodus 28:43
Context28:43 These must be on Aaron and his sons when they enter 4 to the tent of meeting, or when they approach 5 the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they bear no iniquity and die. 6 It is to be a perpetual ordinance for him and for his descendants 7 after him. 8
Exodus 29:30
Context29:30 The priest who succeeds him 9 from his sons, when he first comes 10 to the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place, is to wear them for seven days. 11
Exodus 30:20
Context30:20 When they enter 12 the tent of meeting, they must wash with 13 water so that they do not die. 14 Also, when they approach 15 the altar to minister by burning incense 16 as an offering made by fire 17 to the Lord,
Exodus 35:19
Context35:19 the woven garments for serving in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to minister as priests.”
Exodus 39:26
Context39:26 There was 18 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe, to be used in ministering, 19 just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
1 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the robe) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn The form is a Piel infinitive construct with the lamed (ל) preposition: “to minister” or “to serve.” It may be taken epexegetically here, “while serving,” although S. R. Driver takes it as a purpose, “in order that he may minister” (Exodus, 308). The point then would be that he dare not enter into the Holy Place without wearing it.
3 sn God would hear the bells and be reminded that this priest was in his presence representing the nation and that the priest had followed the rules of the sanctuary by wearing the appropriate robes with their attachments.
4 tn The construction for this temporal clause is the infinitive construct with the temporal preposition bet (ב) and the suffixed subjective genitive.
5 tn This construction is also the temporal clause with the infinitive construct and the temporal preposition bet (ב) and the suffixed subjective genitive.
6 tn The text has וְלאֹ־יִשְׂאוּ עָוֹן וָמֵתוּ (vÿlo’-yis’u ’avon vametu). The imperfect tense here introduces a final clause, yielding a purpose or result translation (“in order that” or “so that”). The last verb is the perfect tense with the vav consecutive, and so it too is equal to a final imperfect – but it would show the result of bearing the iniquity. The idea is that if they approached the holy things with a lack of modesty, perhaps like the pagans who have nakedness and sexuality as part of the religious ritual, they would pollute the holy things, and it would be reckoned to them for iniquity and they would die.
7 tn Heb “seed.”
8 sn So the priests were to make intercession for the people, give decisions from God’s revealed will, enter his presence in purity, and represent holiness to Yahweh. The clothing of the priests provided for these functions, but in a way that brought honor and dignity. A priest was, therefore, to serve in purity, holiness, and fear (Malachi). There is much that can be derived from this chapter to form principles of spiritual leadership, but the overall point can be worded this way: Those whom God selects to minister to the congregation through intercessory prayer, divine counsel, and sacrificial worship, must always represent the holiness of Yahweh in their activities and demeanor.
9 tn Heb “after him”; NCV, NLT “after Aaron.”
10 tn The text just has the relative pronoun and the imperfect tense. It could be translated “who comes/enters.” But the context seems to indicate that this would be when he first comes to the tent to begin his tenure as High Priest, and so a temporal clause makes this clear. “First” has been supplied.
11 tn “Seven days” is an adverbial accusative of time. The ritual of ordination is to be repeated for seven days, and so they are to remain there in the court in full dress.
12 tn The form is an infinitive construct with the temporal preposition bet (ב), and a suffixed subjective genitive: “in their going in,” or, whenever they enter.
13 tn “Water” is an adverbial accusative of means, and so is translated “with water.” Gesenius classifies this with verbs of “covering with something.” But he prefers to emend the text with a preposition (see GKC 369 §117.y, n. 1).
14 tn The verb is a Qal imperfect with a nuance of final imperfect. The purpose/result clause here is indicated only with the conjunction: “and they do not die.” But clearly from the context this is the intended result of their washing – it is in order that they not die.
15 tn Here, too, the infinitive is used in a temporal clause construction. The verb נָגַשׁ (nagash) is the common verb used for drawing near to the altar to make offerings – the official duties of the priest.
16 tn The text uses two infinitives construct: “to minister to burn incense”; the first is the general term and expresses the purpose of the drawing near, and the second infinitive is epexegetical, explaining the first infinitive.
17 tn The translation “as an offering made by fire” is a standard rendering of the one word in the text that appears to refer to “fire.” Milgrom and others contend that it simply means a “gift” (Leviticus 1-16, 161).
18 tn The words “there was” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
19 tn The infinitive “to minister” is present; “to be used” is supplied from the context.
