And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bore the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the leader of the music with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Linen. Hebrew, "a cloak of byssus "or of the finest white linen. (Du Hamel)
Byssus has often occurred before in the Vulgate, but we find the Hebrew buts, here for the first time. It probably denotes the brilliant yellow silk taken from the fish pinna, of which St. Basil speaks. (Hexa. vii.) Justinian was clothed with it, on account of its rarity and brightness. (Procopius, de fabric. Yet as it would hardly assume any colour but black, it was not so much sought after as the silk of Persia. Not only David, but all the Levites, were thus richly adorned; as the latter were at the dedication of the temple, 2 Paralipomenon ii. 14. There was a manufactory of this byssus established by David, chap. iv. 21. That of Egypt was white, and is called schesch, or "cotton "Exodus xvi. 4. (Calmet)
Ephod. Septuagint, "a stole of byssus "or a long silken robe, (Haydock) which has been already expressed; (Tirinus) or rather, the ephod was only a girdle, which was not peculiar to the sacred ministers, 1 Kings ii. 18. (Calmet)
Samuel, though a child, wore one. (Worthington)
