What does אֵפוֹד (ʾēpwōd) mean in the Bible?
An ephod is a named garment or object whose construction, wearer and use belong to its actual account. Exodus specifies the priestly ephod and its shoulder stones bearing Israel's names as a memorial.
Hebrew · H646
אֵפוֹד
An ephod is a named garment or object whose construction, wearer and use belong to its actual account. Exodus specifies the priestly ephod and its shoulder stones bearing Israel's names as a memorial.
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אֵפוֹדH646
Pronunciationʾēpwōd
What does אֵפוֹד (ʾēpwōd) mean in the Bible?
Reader summary
Full entry for אֵפוֹד (H646) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H646?
The BSB source-word alignment has 49 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the ephod (15), of the ephod (14), an ephod (6), ephod (5), on the ephod (3).
Where does אֵפוֹד (ʾēpwōd) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 25:7. Its strongest book concentrations include Exodus (29), 1 Samuel (9), Judges (6), Leviticus (2).
What This Word Actually Means
An ephod is a named garment or object whose construction, wearer and use belong to its actual account. Exodus specifies the priestly ephod and its shoulder stones bearing Israel's names as a memorial. Samuel serves wearing a linen ephod. David asks for the ephod in a particular inquiry account, and later dances before the Lord wearing a linen ephod. Judges records Gideon's ephod becoming an object of unfaithful worship and a snare for his house.
The noun does not approve every ephod simply because a priestly garment is prescribed elsewhere. Read the material, actor and assessment rather than assign power to the object. A congregation can notice preparation, remembrance and worship while refusing to copy an inquiry practice as a divination technique, grant immunity through clothing or ignore the explicit condemnation of Gideon's object.
How the Bible Uses It
Exodus' constructed priestly garment, Samuel's linen ephod, David's inquiry and procession and Gideon's condemned object have distinct settings. The shared noun cannot approve every use or establish object-based power.
- Exod.28.6
They are to make the ephod of finely spun linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn.
The ephod is made with specified materials and skilled workmanship within the garment instructions.
- Exod.28.12
Fasten both stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear their names on his two shoulders as a memorial before the Lord.
The shoulder stones bear Israel's names as a memorial before the Lord within the stated garment arrangement.
- 1Sam.2.18
Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
Samuel ministers before the Lord wearing a linen ephod within the account of his childhood service.
- 1Sam.23.9
When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”
David asks the priest Abiathar to bring the ephod before the inquiry narrated in the following verses.
- 2Sam.6.14
And David, wearing a linen ephod, danced with all his might before the Lord,
David dances before the Lord wearing a linen ephod within the ark procession and ensuing account.
- Judg.8.27
From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
Gideon's ephod becomes an object of unfaithful worship and a snare for him and his household.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itthe ephod15×Exodus 28:6, Exodus 28:26, Exodus 28:28, Exodus 29:5
of the ephod14×Exodus 28:12, Exodus 28:25, Exodus 28:27, Exodus 28:28
an ephod6×Exodus 28:4, Judges 8:27, Judges 17:5, Judges 18:14
ephod5×1 Samuel 2:18, 1 Samuel 22:18, 2 Samuel 6:14, 1 Chronicles 15:27
on the ephod3×Exodus 25:7, Exodus 35:9, Exodus 35:27
. . .2×Exodus 28:27, Exodus 39:20
as the ephod2×Exodus 28:15, Exodus 39:8
it1×1 Samuel 30:7
the ephod itself1×Exodus 29:5
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 25:7לָאֵפֹ֖דtoon the ephodPreposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singularExodus 28:4וְאֵפוֹד֙toan ephodConjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularExodus 28:6הָאֵפֹ֑דtothe ephodArticle | Noun - masculine singularExodus 28:12הָֽאֵפֹ֔דtoof the ephodArticle | Noun - masculine singularExodus 28:15אֵפֹ֖דtoas the ephodNoun - masculine singularExodus 28:25הָאֵפֹ֖דtoof the ephodArticle | Noun - masculine singularExodus 28:26הָאֵפֹ֖דtothe ephodArticle | Noun - masculine singularExodus 28:27הָאֵפ֤וֹדtoof the ephodArticle | Noun - masculine singularExodus 28:27הָאֵפֽוֹד׃to. . .Article | Noun - masculine singularExodus 28:28הָאֵפֹד֙toof the ephodArticle | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowExodus 25:7
Aligned rows49
Books represented7
Exodus29Leviticus2Judges61 Samuel92 Samuel11 Chronicles1Hosea1
Source forms
הָאֵפֹ֖ד7xhā·’ê·p̄ōḏExodus 28:25, Exodus 28:26, Exodus 29:5, Exodus 39:18
הָאֵפֹ֑ד5xhā·’ê·p̄ōḏExodus 28:6, Exodus 39:2, Exodus 39:21, Leviticus 8:7
אֵפ֥וֹד4x’ê·p̄ō·wḏ1 Samuel 2:18, 1 Samuel 22:18, 2 Samuel 6:14, 1 Chronicles 15:27
אֵפ֖וֹד3x’ê·p̄ō·wḏ1 Samuel 2:28, 1 Samuel 23:6, Hosea 3:4
הָאֵפֹ֔ד3xhā·’ê·p̄ōḏExodus 29:5, Exodus 39:7, Exodus 39:21
הָֽאֵפֹ֔ד2xhā·’ê·p̄ōḏExodus 28:12, Leviticus 8:7
הָאֵפֹֽד׃2xhā·’ê·p̄ōḏExodus 29:5, Exodus 39:20
הָ֣אֵפ֔וֹד2xhā·’ê·p̄ō·wḏJudges 18:17, Judges 18:20
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine singular32xExodus 28:6, Exodus 28:12, Exodus 28:25, Exodus 28:26
Noun - masculine singular8xExodus 28:15, Exodus 39:8, Judges 17:5, Judges 18:14
Noun - masculine singular construct4x1 Samuel 2:18, 1 Samuel 22:18, 2 Samuel 6:14, 1 Chronicles 15:27
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular3xExodus 25:7, Exodus 35:9, Exodus 35:27
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular1xExodus 28:4
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular1xJudges 8:27
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Examine religious objects through their actual use and effects rather than presumed immunity from criticism.
- Honor people's dignity and hear concerns without body shaming or fertility-based threats.
Avoid claiming...
- An ephod cannot confer automatic holiness, institutional immunity or power for present divination.
- Gideon's object cannot become approved by lexical similarity, and Michal's account cannot threaten every critic with childlessness.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Priestly garment that evolved from functional girdle to symbolic object embodying divine presence and judgment.
Source Gloss
a girdle ; specifically the ephod or highpriest's shoulder-piece; also generally, an image
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Priestly garment that evolved from functional girdle to symbolic object embodying divine presence and judgment.
a girdle; specifically the ephod or highpriest's shoulder-piece; also generally, an image BDB: ephod Usage: ephod.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
אֵפוֹד is of foreign origin - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
The word ephod does not erase the differences among its accounts. Exodus gives materials and workmanship for a particular garment, then names Israel's names borne as a memorial on its shoulder stones. Samuel's childhood service and David's procession identify linen clothing in their own narrated settings. David's request to Abiathar belongs to a particular inquiry whose answer and action must be read with the account.
Judges supplies a sharply different assessment: Gideon's ephod becomes an object of unfaithful worship and a snare for his household. Teaching should include that condemnation rather than borrowing approval from Exodus. A congregation can value service, remembrance and worship without attributing spiritual power to cloth or reproducing an ancient inquiry as a divination method.
David's later household conflict should not be used to shame people's bodies or turn Michal's childlessness into a universal threat against critics. Clothing does not establish a person's dignity, trustworthiness or immunity.
Anchor passage
Judg.8.27
Doctrinal connections
- Exodus specifies the materials and skilled workmanship of the priestly ephod.
- Israel's names on the shoulder stones serve the stated memorial before the Lord.
- Samuel's linen ephod is named within his childhood ministry before the Lord.
- David's request to Abiathar precedes the particular inquiry and narrated response.
- David's linen ephod belongs to the ark procession's narrated worship setting.
- Judges condemns the unfaithful worship surrounding Gideon's ephod and its resulting snare.
The noun names an ephod while material, wearer and narrative assessment determine its role. Forty-nine direct BSB tokens in thirty-nine verses remain distinct from canonical forty-nine; artifact transliteration is preserved and shared garment vocabulary cannot confer approval, divination power or automatic holiness.
From Old to New Testament
First Peter 2:1-10 addresses a spiritual house and holy priesthood, acceptable sacrifices through Jesus Christ and the calling to proclaim God's excellence. This is a canonical priestly-service comparison, not a prescription for an ephod or a claim that the garment transfers authority, protection or insight to a present wearer.