חֹ֫שֶׁן (cho.shen)
cho.shen
breastpiece
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 21 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun cho.shen refers to the breastpiece worn by the high priest, a sacred pouch designed to hold the Urim and Thummim. This garment appears frequently in the instructions for the tabernacle found in Exodus and is mentioned again during Aaron’s consecration in Leviticus 8:8. It was not merely decorative but served as a vital instrument for discerning God’s will.
Its etymology likely points to something that contains or sparkles, reflecting its dual nature as a container for divine lots and an ornament set with twelve precious stones. The text describes it being attached to the ephod, ensuring it remained close to the priest’s heart as he interceded for the people.
Translators consistently render this word as "breastplate" or "breastpiece," emphasizing its physical placement and function. Unlike other priestly garments that signified honor, the cho.shen carried the weight of judicial decision-making, linking the wearer directly to the community he represented.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The breastpiece, or cho.shen, was far more than a piece of jewelry for the high priest. It was a sacred pouch worn directly over the heart, designed to hold the Urim and Thummim. These were tools used to seek God’s guidance in matters of national importance. By wearing this item close to his chest, Aaron physically carried the weight of the people’s needs before entering the Holy Place.
For believers today, this image reminds us that prayer is not just a ritual but a way to bring our deepest concerns into God’s presence. Just as the priest bore the names of Israel on his heart, we are invited to trust that God hears and remembers us. This ancient garment shows how seriously God takes the relationship between His people and Himself.
Understanding this item helps us see the care God puts into providing for His community. It was made with great skill and precious materials, showing that approaching God requires reverence. We can find comfort in knowing that our High Priest, Jesus Christ, now intercedes for us with even greater permanence than Aaron ever did.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 21 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ breastpiece18×
- and/ for the/ breastpiece3×
- on/ [the] breastpiece of1×
- a breastpiece of1×
- a breastpiece1×
- [the] breastpiece of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/חֹ֑שֶׁן5×
- הַ/חֹֽשֶׁן\׃4×
- הַ/חֹ֔שֶׁן4×
- וְ/לַ/חֹֽשֶׁן\׃3×
- הַ/חֹ֛שֶׁן3×
- חֹ֤שֶׁן2×
- חֹ֣שֶׁן1×
- הַ֠/חֹשֶׁן1×
- הַ/חֹ֡שֶׁן1×
- בְּ/חֹ֧שֶׁן1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 28:29
Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart, when he goes in to the holy place, for a memorial before Yahweh continually.
This verse highlights the symbolic role of the breastpiece as a memorial, ensuring the priest constantly remembered the twelve tribes before God.
-
Exodus 28:30
You shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before Yahweh. Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel on his heart before Yahweh continually.
Here the text specifies that the Urim and Thummim were placed inside to discern God’s will for judgment, linking the garment directly to divine guidance.
-
Leviticus 8:8
He placed the breastplate on him. He put the Urim and Thummim in the breastplate.
This occurrence marks the consecration of Aaron, showing how the breastpiece was essential for his official installation as high priest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word cho.shen mean?
What was inside the breastpiece?
Why was the breastpiece attached to the ephod?
Every Occurrence (21 verses across 2 books)
Exodus 20 verses
onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate.
Exodus 28:4These are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a fitted tunic, a turban, and a sash.…
Exodus 28:15“You shall make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make…
Exodus 28:22You shall make on the breastplate chains like cords, of braided work of pure gold.
Exodus 28:23You shall make on the breastplate two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
Exodus 28:24You shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.
Exodus 28:26You shall make two rings of gold, and you shall put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on its edge, which is…
Exodus 28:28They shall bind the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be on the…
Exodus 28:29Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart, when he goes in to…
Exodus 28:30You shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes…
Exodus 29:5You shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and…
Exodus 35:9onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate.
Exodus 35:27The rulers brought the onyx stones and the stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate;
Exodus 39:8He made the breastplate, the work of a skillful workman, like the work of the ephod: of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet,…
Exodus 39:9It was square. They made the breastplate double. Its length was a span, and its width a span, being double.
Exodus 39:15They made on the breastplate chains like cords, of braided work of pure gold.
Exodus 39:16They made two settings of gold, and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
Exodus 39:17They put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.
Exodus 39:19They made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on its edge, which was toward the side of…
Exodus 39:21They bound the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be on the…