Bearing in mind that in Pasuk 4, the Torah mentioned the Choshen before the Eifod, why here, does it mention the Eifod first?
R. Bachye: Because the Eifod was the main garment of the two 1 - and it only mentioned the Choshen first in Pasuk 4 in deference to the Kedushah of the Urim ve'Tumim which wa placed in it folds.
Oznayim la'Torah: Because, on the one hand, the Kedushah of the Choshen exceeded that of the Eifod, on the oher, it was not usable without the Eifod, since it was by means of the straps of the Eifod that it was attached to the Kohen Gadol's body.
See R. Bachye and R. Chavel's footnotes.
How did they obtain the gold threads?
Rashi and Ramban (Sh'mos 39:3): They beat out flat sheets of gold and cut them into thin strips. 1
How were the multicolored threads for the Choshen and the Eifod made?
Rashi and R. Bachye (in Pasuk 15): They spun one golden thread with six 1 threads of Techeiles wool, with six threads of purple wool, with six threads of scarlet wool (all spun), and with six threads of twined linen, 2 before spinning them all together - so that each thread comprised twenty-eight threads. 3
"Techeiles ve'Argaman ? ve'Shesh Moshzar". Why does the Torah refer to linen as "Sheish"?
R. Bachye (citing Yoma 71b): Wherever the Torah uses the term "Sheish" each thread comprises six threads. 1
R. Bachye, ibid.: 'Moshzar without 'Sheish', each thread comprises eight. Consequently, the three threads of the pomegranates on the hem of the Me'il comprised twenty-four threads. See Pikudei 39:24.
"Techeiles ve'Argaman ? ve Shesh Moshzar". How could the Kohen Gadol ear Sha'atnez?
R. Bachye: This was permitted only during the Avodah exclusively - and the Kohen Gadol was not permitted to wear them at any other time.
Only the Kohen Gadol wore the Eifod, and it comprised gold, three colors of wool, and linen. Why were eighty-five Kohanim called "Nosei Eifod Bad" (Shmuel 1 22:18)? Moreover, "Bad" implies that it was made totally of linen?
Ramban (in Pasuk 30): Based on the two questions, it seems that Moshe handed over the details of the Urim ve'Tumim, together with the secrets of the Torah, to the Gedolei ha'Dor, and that eventually, David ha'Melech and the Kohanim of Nov made themselves a linen Eifod, similar to that of the Kohen Gadol - only it was made of linen. 1
Moshav Zekenim: Perhaps also Bigdei Kohen Hedyot are called 'Eifod' - which has connotations of an ornament.
Radak and Abarvenel #1 (Shmuel 1 22:18): Targum Yonason there writes 'eligible to wear a linen Eifod.' Great Ovdei Hashem wore it - such as Shmuel (1:2:18) and David (Shmuel 2 6:14). It was not one of the Bigdei Kehunah. 2
See Ramban, Ibid. DH 've'Efshar'.
Metzudas Tziyon (Shmuel 1 2:18): It slightly resembled the Kohen Gadol's Eifod.
This answer does not explain why it is called "Bad". (PF).
