choshen · breastpiece

What it means

choshen (חֹשֶׁן) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “breastpiece”.

A square piece of cloth with twelve stones that the high priest wore on his chest (Exodus 28:15-30).

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. The piece with twelve stones the high priest wore.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Where it appears

• Exodus×23
• Leviticus×2

• Exodus 25:7

  onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.

• Exodus 28:4

  These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a checkered tunic, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and for his sons to serve as priests for me.

• Exodus 28:15

  You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skilled craftsman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, blue, purple, scarlet yarn, and fine twisted linen you shall make it.

• Exodus 28:22

  You shall make on the breastpiece twisted chains, of corded work, of pure gold.

• Exodus 28:23

  You shall make on the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece.

• Exodus 28:24

  You shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece;

• Exodus 28:26

  You shall make two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its edge that is toward the side of the ephod, inward.

• Exodus 28:28

  They shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue, so that it is on the woven band of the ephod, and the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod.

• Exodus 28:29

  Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart when he goes into the Holy Place, as a memorial before YHWH continually.

• Exodus 28:30

  You shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on the heart of Aaron when he goes in before YHWH; and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the sons of Israel on his heart before YHWH continually.

• Exodus 29:5

  You shall take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastpiece, and gird him with the woven band of the ephod.

• Exodus 35:9

  and onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.

• Exodus 35:27

  And the chiefs brought the onyx stones and the stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece,

• Exodus 39:8

  And he made the breastpiece, the work of a skilled craftsman, like the work of the ephod: of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twisted fine linen.

• Exodus 39:9

  It was square; doubled they made the breastpiece, a span its length and a span its width, doubled.

• Exodus 39:15

  And they made on the breastpiece chains, twisted, a work of cord, of pure gold.

• Exodus 39:16

  And they made two settings of gold and two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece.

• Exodus 39:17

  And they put the two cords of gold on the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece.

• Exodus 39:19

  And they made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its edge that was on the side of the ephod inward.

• Exodus 39:21

  And they bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue, so that it would be on the woven band of the ephod, and the breastpiece would not come loose from the ephod, as YHWH had commanded Moses.

• Leviticus 8:8

  He put on him the breastpiece, and he put in the breastpiece the Urim and the Thummim.

And 4 more times.