We are in chapter twenty-eight of Exodus with our word for today used for the first time in the Bible. מְעִיל sleeveless, cloak-like outer garment, robe. It is used 28 times in the Old Testament, used 3 times in our chapter. Our word is used to describe an exterior garment that covered an inner tunic. We see the tearing of our word used in the sense of grieving or great emotional distress. Ezra 9:3, 5 When I heard this, I tore my tunic וּמְעִילִ֑י and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled … Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic וּמְעִילִ֑י and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God. Job 1:20 At this, Job got up and tore מְעִל֔וֹ his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship. Job 2:12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their מְעִל֔וֹ robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Several of our uses refer specifically to one of the items of the holy garments the priest was to wear while serving God. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 28:4, 31-35 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a וּמְעִ֔יל robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests … You shall make the מְעִ֥יל robe of the ephod all of blue. It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment, so that it may not tear. On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of הַמְּעִ֖ילthe robe. And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.
It is used symbolically to describe God covering over our sin through Jesus death in our place where we receive God’s righteousness as a gift. I’ll close with these great passages. Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the מְעִ֥יל robe of righteousness. Galatians 3:25-27 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
