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Gideon's Ephod


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+ :unsure: The exposition speaks of this being a garment. The amount of gold was about 43 pounds & would be a heavy garment to wear. Which suggests that it could have been placed somewhere and became another idol to the Israelites. (In Judges 17:5 it speaks of Micah, who made an ephod, in Exodus 28:6 it speaks of an ephrod being a priestly & grand garment made for Aaron.)

As I read this I become impatient with the many idols they worship. Yet I too have my idols - not made of gold, but none-the-less an idol because it often comes between me and God. Isn't that the problem with idols? :(

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An ephod is a linen garment worn by the priests over their chests. It was considered holy because it was used by the priests. This ephod may have looked like a beautiful, golden garment that would be on display when not worn by the priests. What ever it looked like it became an idol to the Israelites who seemed to constantly need something new to worship.

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What is an ephod? (8:24-27) What might the gold ephod have looked like?

An ephod seems to refer to a sacred garment. In OT, it is used of the high priest's garment. Sometimes it is used in the determining the will of God.

"Perhaps the high priest's ephod when not used was hung on a wall or placed on a stand, possibly of roughly human shape, which may explain Gideon's golden ephod."

:rolleyes:

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What is an ephod? (8:24-27) What might the gold ephod have looked like?

EPHOD

1. The high priest's vestment, with the breastplate and Urim and Thrumhim (some material objects in the bag of the breastplate, used for consulting Jehovah by casting lots: Speaker's Commentary; but see HIGH PRIEST) in it. This Abiathar carried off from the tabernacle at Nob, and David consulted (1 Sam 21:9; 23:6,9; 30:7). The breastplate, with its twelve precious stones, gave an importance to the ephod which led to its adoption in the idolatries of Gideon and Micah (Judg 8:27; 17:5; 18:14). The large amount of gold used by Gideon on his ephod was not the material of it, but the means wherewith he completed it; including the breastplate (choshen), the 12 precious stones, and the two for the shoulders, the gold thread throughout, and gold braid, and gold twist chains fastening the breastplate upon the ephod, and lastly the price of the labor (Ex 28:6-30). See GIDEON. His aim was by wearing it to have a vehicle for inquiring the will of Jehovah, through the Urim and Thummim, the holy lot, and breastplate. The ephod was also used, but without the breastplate, by the ordinary priests, as their characteristic robe (1 Sam 2:28; 14:3; 22:18; Hos 3:4). David's ephod, in bringing the ark to Jerusalem, differed from the priests' in being of ordinary linen (baad), whereas theirs was of fine linen (sheesh).

2. Father of Hanniel, head of Manasseh, assisted Joshua and Eleazar in apportioning Canaan (Num 34:23).

(from Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database Copyright ©1998 by Biblesoft)

I found the details about Gideon's ephod were very interesting.

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What is an ephod?

An ephod is refered to as a scared garment. In the Old Testament it was worn by the high priest. It has been mention as a graven image.

What might the gold ephod looked like?

It looked like the form of a statue because it was used by the high priest and the ephod hung on a wall or placed on a stand, possibly of a rough human shape.

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This was a garment of priesthood, it might have looked like a tunic that is worn over the other clothing.

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The "Ephod"'transliteration of the Hebrew noun'ephod,and seems to refer to a sacred garment,some made of less extravagant { linen} and some were {golden garments}.Perhaps the high priest's ephod when not used was hung on a wall or placed on a stand,possibly of roughly human shape,which may explain Gideon's golden ephod.

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Exodus 28 discusses an ephod made for Aaron which was a beautiful two-piece, sleeveless garment, held to the body by a girdle (or ornamental belt) and joined at the shoulders by straps. On the straps were placed two onyx stones (or emeralds) with the names of six tribes on each stone. Only Hebrew priests were allowed to wear this vestment.

"Illustrated Concordance of the Bible" copyright 1986 by G.G.The Jerusalem Publishing House Ltd.

This source further states that the front of the ephod, the breastplate, carried the Urim and the Thummim which the high priest used as mantic symbols for purposes of divination (Ex 28:31).

The ephod was made of blue, purple and scarlet fine linen, distinguished only by strands of gold thread from the tabernacle curtains and veil of the ark (Ex 39:2-3). It thus helped to symbolize the close relationship of the high priest to the tabernacle and the Holy of Holies.

It is reported that Samuel wore a linen ephod (I Sam 2:18) as did David when the ark was brought to Jerusalem (II Sam 6:14).

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Q3. What is an ephod? (8:24-27) What might the gold ephod have looked like?

Q3 What is an ephod? (8:24-27) What might the gold ephod have looked like?

Ephod" is a transliteration of the Hebrew noun 'ephod, and seems to refer to a sacred garment, though there is a lot of scholarly speculation. The ephod might have looked like some kind of clothing.

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Q3. What is an ephod? (8:24-27) What might the gold ephod have looked like?

There were two kinds of

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What is an ephod? (8:24-27) What might the gold ephod have looked like?

An ephod was a priestly tunic, worn over his regular clothes, that was made of fine linen with gold and other fine ornamental patterns sewn into it. It held the Urim and Thummim which were used to cast lots and determine God's will.

An ephod could also be a less ornate garment, such as what David and Samuel wore.

The Eerdman's Bible Dictionary also suggested that at times idols were clothed in garments like Ephods. "Ephod" could refer to the whole idol clothed in the Ephod in that case.

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An ephod is a garment worn by the high priest. A garment that controversial must have been very wonderful to look at. But it became a double-edged sword for them. Its beauty took the people's focus from the Lord to the priests, and that caused them to sin.

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