Lexicon :: Strong's H646 - 'ēp̄ôḏ

1. ephod, priestly garment, shoulder-cape or mantle;

a. as worn by ordinary priest made of white stuff (בַּד) 1 Samuel 22:18; נֹשֵׂא א׳ compare 2; so Samuel as a temple-servant 1 Samuel 2:8; חָגוּר א׳ girt with an ephod; so David when dancing before ark 2 Samuel 6:14 (id.) 1 Chronicles 15:27 וְעַל דוד א׳;

b. as prescribed in P for high priest, more costly, woven of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, & linen (? שֵׁשׁ)threads, provided with shoulder-pieces & breast-piece of like material, ornamented with gems and gold, Exodus 25:7; Exodus 28:4, 6, 12, 15; Exodus 29:5; Exodus 35:9, 27 + 17 times Exodus 28, 39, also Leviticus 8:7; compare probably 1 Samuel 2:28 (נֹשֵׂא א׳) 1 Samuel 14:3; 1 Samuel 21:10 (see below 2); חֵשֶׁב הָא׳ Exodus 28:27, 28; Exodus 29:5; Exodus 39:20, 21; Leviticus 8:7; מְעִיל הָא׳ Exodus 29:5; Exodus 39:22 (compare Leviticus 8:7); with verb עַל־ נָתַן אֶת־הָא׳ put the ephod on Aaron Leviticus 8:7.

2. ephod used in consulting י׳ 1 Samuel 23:6 א׳ borne in hand (read בְּיָדוֺ יָרַד וְהָא׳ We Dr) 1 Samuel 23:9; 1 Samuel 30:7 (twice in verse) (all with חִגִּישׁ) + 1 Samuel 14:18 (הגישׁ) & 1 Samuel 14:18, in both read הָא׳ for ארון & 1 Samuel 14:18 also נֹשֵׂא Klo Dr;

a. according to Thes MV Di Exodus 28:6 and elsewhere properly below 1b; consultation of י׳ in that case by Urim & Thummim in the breast-piece attached to the ephod (compare Exodus 28:28-30 & see אוּרִים); if so, in view of נשׂא 1 Samuel 2:28; 1 Samuel 14:3, 18 (compare above), not used elsewhere = wear except 1 Samuel 22:18, & of 1 Samuel 23:6, the word might be used by metonymy for the breast-piece itself;

b. others, e.g. Sta^{Geschichte i. 466, 471} Bu^{RS 115} and others, think of an image representing י׳; compare following.

3.

a. ephod of gold made by Gideon Judges 8:27 for a local sanctuary, by which Israel was ensnared; = 2b according to Thes ('sine controversia') Stu and others + Sta Bu l.c.; originally = gold sheathing of an image (compare etymology above & Isaiah 30:22 below אֲפֻדָּה); MV Be Kö^{Hauptprobleme 59} think of garment, as below 1 see above.

b. made (material not given) for a private, local sanctuary Judges 17:5; Judges 18:14, 17, 18, 20 (|| פֶּסֶל, מַסֵּכָה, תְּרָפִים in all, for gives מַסֵּכָה Judges 18:20, omitted by HCT); compare Hosea 3:4 Israel shall abide without king, prince, sacrifice, pillar, ephod or teraphim; according to Thes and others + Sta Bu l.c. = 2b; Stu Be Ry and others regard as below 1; in view of distinction from פסל, מסכה & תרפים it seems more likely that this is not an image, but some means of consulting deity, perhaps in imitation of Urim & Thummim.