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NASB | Exodus 28:30 "You shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron's heart when he goes in before the LORD; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD continually. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Exodus 28:30 "In the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim (Lights) and the Thummim (Perfections) [to be used for determining God's will in a matter]. They shall be over Aaron's heart whenever he goes before the LORD, and Aaron shall always carry the judgment (verdict, judicial decisions) of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD. |
Bible Question: What are urim and thummim? |
Bible Answer: Israel Divination Part 1 What we can glean from the biblical data describing the physical identity of the Urim and Thummim is there is an certain connection between the Urim and Thummim and the vestments of the High Priest, specifically the ephod and the breastplate of judgment. Exodus 28:30 writes that "in the breastpiece of judgement you shall put the Urim and Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart when he goes in before the Lord." Lev. 8:8 further states that "[Moses] placed the breastpiece on [Aaron], and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and Thummim." From this data we can see that the Urim and Thummim were physical objects that were put inside the ephod. We also can that these objects were a plurality, due to the Hebrew plural suffix "im" added to each word. Biblical data further states that the practice that accompanied use of the Urim was to "inquire of God". This inquiry of God was specific, as only one particular form in the Hebrew text is used when the seeker is inquiring of God by means of Urim and Thummim; sa'al be-eloh'im. The basic function of the Urim and Thummim then, we can easily conclude, is to inquire of God. The difficulty at this point is realizing the limits of the biblical data, seeing that these are the only two general certainties that can be gleaned from the biblical texts regarding the physical identity of the Urim and Thummim. Seeing the Urim as "lights", "revelation", and "manifestation" gains a sense of the fact that the Urim were a means of enlightenment, for they revealed hidden truths, and made manifest things which the Israelite seekers sought from the High Priests prophetic capacity. As for the Thummim we see them as "truth" and "perfection" as characterizing words, for by means of urim (enlightenment, revelation, the manifestation of the unseen) the thummim (the truth, the path of perfection) was what followed directly. This is articulated similarily in the Pseudo- Jonathan texts on Exod. 28:30: And you shall put into the breastplate the Urim, which illuminate their words and make manifest the hidden things of the House of Israel, and the Tumim [sic] which perfect their deeds. (10) The same sentiment is found in the Babylonian Talmud; Why are they called "Urim and Thummim" "Urim" because they made their words enlightening. "Thummim" because they fulfill their words." (b. Yoma 73b) (11) And also the Jersusalem Talmud; "Urim because they luminated Israel and Thummim because they perfected they way before them" (y. Yoma 7.3) (12). The application of this character to the Urim and Thummim was re-iterated in the translations by Origen, "manifestation and truth", and Augustine, "showing and truth" (13). In essence, what the sense can be made of all this is that generally the Urim and Thummim are seen as a means of enlightenment, revelation, uncovering of truth. In turn, this means illuminating the way or path to truth or, in the same sense, perfection. |