Leviticus 8:7
Context8:7 Then he 1 put the tunic 2 on Aaron, 3 wrapped the sash around him, 4 and clothed him with the robe. 5 Next he put the ephod on him 6 and placed on him 7 the decorated band of the ephod, and fastened the ephod closely to him with the band. 8
Leviticus 16:4
Context16:4 He must put on a holy linen tunic, 9 linen leggings are to cover his body, 10 and he is to wrap himself with a linen sash 11 and wrap his head with a linen turban. 12 They are holy garments, so he must bathe 13 his body in water and put them on.
1 sn Here Moses actually clothes Aaron (cf. v. 13 below for Aaron’s sons). Regarding the various articles of clothing see J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 111-12 and esp. J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:501-13.
2 sn The term “tunic” refers to a shirt-like garment worn next to the skin and, therefore, put on first (cf. Exod 28:4, 39-40; 29:5, 8; 39:27). Traditionally this has been translated “coat” (so KJV, ASV), but that English word designates an outer garment.
3 tn Heb “on him”; the referent (Aaron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “girded him with the sash” (so NASB); NCV “tied the cloth belt around him.”
sn The sash fastened the tunic around the waist (Exod 28:4, 39; 29:9; 39:29).
5 sn The robe was a long shirt-like over-garment that reached down below the knees. Its hem was embroidered with pomegranates and golden bells around the bottom (Exod 28:4, 31-35; 29:5; 39:22-26).
6 sn The ephod was an apron like garment suspended from shoulder straps. It draped over the robe and extended from the chest down to the thighs (Exod 28:4, 6-14, 25-28; 29:5; 39:2-7).
7 tn Heb “girded him with.”
8 sn The decorated band of the ephod served as a sort of belt around Aaron’s body that would hold the ephod closely to him rather than allowing it to hang loosely across his front (Exod 28:8, 27; 29:5; 39:5, 20).
9 sn The term “tunic” refers to a shirt-like garment worn next to the skin and, therefore, put on first (cf. Exod 28:4, 39-40; 29:5, 8; 39:27). It covered the upper body only. For detailed remarks on the terminology for the priestly clothing in this verse (except the “linen leggings”) see the notes on Lev 8:7-9 and the literature cited there.
10 tn Heb “shall be on his flesh.” As in many instances in Lev 15, the term “flesh” or “body” here is euphemistic for the male genitals (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:1017, and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 222; cf. the note on Lev 15:2), which the priest must be careful not to expose during such ritual procedures (see Exod 20:26 with 28:42-43).
11 sn The sash fastened the tunic around the waist (Exod 28:4, 39; 29:9; 39:29).
12 tn Heb “and in a turban of linen he shall wrap.”
sn The turban consisted of wound up linen (cf. Exod 28:4, 37, 39; 29:6; 39:31; Lev 16:4). It is usually thought to be a “turban,” but it might be only a “turban-like headband” wound around the forehead area (HALOT 624 s.v. מִצְנֶפֶת).
13 tn Heb “and he shall bathe….”