Hebrew efod. The distinctive outer garment of the high priest of Israel, described in Exodus 28:6-14 and 39:2-7. A sleeveless, apron-like vestment made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarns, with fine twined linen — woven with skillful design. Two shoulder pieces connected front to back, and a woven waistband of the same materials bound it around the body. On the shoulders of the ephod sat two onyx stones in gold filigree, engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel (six names on each stone) "as a memorial before the LORD" (28:12). Over the ephod fastened the breastpiece of judgment, which held the Urim and Thummim.
The ephod was the most significant garment in Israelite priestly vestments. Three observations. (1) Tribal representation. The high priest literally carried Israel on his shoulders every time he entered the tabernacle. Every tribe by name was borne into God's presence by the priesthood. Typologically this maps onto Christ our great high priest, who carries every believer's name, every tribe's representation, into the Father's presence on the shoulders of His mediation. Not a single believer is forgotten; Christ knows you by name. (2) Colors and materials. The ephod's gold, blue, purple, and scarlet — the colors of royalty, deity, and sacrifice — matched the tabernacle's inner curtains. The priest moving through the courts was dressed in the tabernacle's own fabric, embodying the mediation between God and man. (3) Military/victory garment. David twice "inquires of the LORD through the ephod" before battle (1 Samuel 23:9-12, 30:7-8) — the ephod housed the Urim and Thummim used for decisions. The garment was not merely aesthetic; it was the instrument of divine guidance in national crisis. A false ephod — Gideon's golden ephod that became an idol (Judges 8:27) — shows how priestly symbols can be corrupted. The true priest still wears the garment no human can lift: Christ carries you on His shoulders.