3. The Vestments For [Aaron And His Sons]
BOOK THREE
like you from the midst of their own brethren, and I will put my words in his mouth. ''
[97] Those wonderful works of his, which no one else has done, are rightly compared to Aamn'svesture, which is remarkable for the marvelousvariety
[of its colours]. Or perhaps the assorted vestments of Aaron designate the whole company of the elect, which clings to Christ in a variegated diversity of persons and merits, as the Apostle bears witness when he says For as many ofyou as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ. Now if we take it that the Lord Saviour is figuratively suggested in the person of Aaron, what are we to say is being signified by the sons of Aaron, who have also been anointed with him into the priesthood, unless it is the apostles of Christ and the successors of the apostles, and all those who instruct the faithful? Certainly these things can be taken as referring in the first instance to the Lord, but it is more fitting for us to contemplate in them the meanings that pertain to our pious manner of life in the Lord and that have reference to the correction of our character.
THE VESTMENTS FOR [AARON AND HIS SONS]
There follows:
28:2-3 And you shall make a sacred vesture for your brother, for glory and for beauty, and you shall speak to all who are wise in heart, whom I have filled with the spirit of prudence, that they may make
Aaron's vestments, in which he may minister to me when he is consecrated. The sacred vestments of Aaron which Moses made for him are the works of righteousness and holiness which the Scripture of the sacred law recommends [the Church's] rulers to possess. In [the figures ofj those who have preceded them in Christ, it shows examples of these [works] for them to imitate. The wise in heart, whom God has filled with the spirit of prudence so that they may make these same vestments, are the prophets and apostles and the other teachers of the truth who quite openly show us how priests and ministers of the altar ought to live, and in what way they ought to teach.
This they do either by the example of their actions or by their words of exhortation, among which there is that [saying] of the Apostle to Titus, For a bishop, as God S steward, must be without reproach, not proud not hot-tempered, not drunk with wine, not violent, not greedy forjlthy lucre,
1 De.ut. 18:18
2 Gal. 3:27
BOOK THREE
I12 but hospitable, kind, sober, just, holy, continent, embracing that faithful word which nccord.s with doctrine.
28:4-5 And these will be the vestments that they shall make: a rational and a superhumerale, a tunic and acloscfitting linen garment, a head-dress and a sash. They shall make the sacred vestmentsfor your brother Aaron and his sons, that they may exercise the priestly oftice for me, and they shall take gold, and blue and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and tine linen. Later on, it is explained more fully how each of these things is to be made. Now the rational is a garment for the chest, the superhumcraJe2 for the shoulders; the tunic and the close-fitting linen garment (that is, the shirt3) cover the whole body; the headdress adorns the head, and the sash holds both the tunic and also die superhumerale quite close to the body. Underneath these six articles of clothing there is added a seventh, namely, linen undergarments to cover the shamefulness of the flesh, and an eighth, which is a gold plate on the head-dress [bearing] an inscription of the Lord's name that stands out above all the rest4 Now the 'close-fitting linen garment' was so callcd because it clung to the body and was slender with tight sleeves, in such a way that there were no folds in it at all. Because it hung down to the feet, in Greek it is also called apodeeris, that is, a long robe reaching to the a n k l ~ s . ~
With these eight kinds of vestments was the high priest accustomed to be dressed at the time for the sacrifice. Among these there were four hit were also granted to the lesser order of priests: the linen undergarments, the tunic, the sash, and the head-dress. For it was only fitting that someone distinguished by being in a higher rank should also be remarkable for shining tlLit much more in many virtuous acts. And all of these are made of gold and costly dyes, because there should be nothing vile or sordid in a priest's speech or action, but each thing thqt he does, everything that he says, and all that he thinks should appear excellent before human eyes, and also glorious in the sight of the inner Judge.
(981 1 Titus 1:7-9 2 superumerale; literally, 'that which is on the shoulder'. The Vulgate uses this term throughout Exod. 28 to designate the same garment that in Exod. 25:7 was called the ephod.
3 camisia 4 Exod. 28136-8, 42 5 'a long rob,. reaching to tlie ankles' = falarrs, a temi the Vulgate uses in Gen. 37:23 to refer to the gamicnt givcn to Joscph by his father Jacob. Tlie Greek word rro6ipng literally meals 'reaching to tlie feet'. Bede's source hcrc is Jerome, Ep. 64, 1 1, 1 ( C S U 54: 598,4-9), a long letter to Fabiola on the subject of the priestly vestments. Jerome's commentary is in three puts: a gencral description ofthe eight vestnients oftlie priests and the high priest, giving their names in Hebrew, Greek, and htin; an exposition 'in tlie manner of the Jews', for tlie most part following Josephus; and a Christian allcgorical interpretation.