Why was Jewish High Priest commanded to have a golden plate inscribed “Holiness to the Lord”? Why did God ask the High Priest to have a golden plate with the inscription “Holiness to the Lord” on his mitre (Exodus 28:36)? Is there any significant meaning in this?

In Exodus 28:38 it says, “Aaron shall bear the iniquity committed in the holy things” and “they [gifts from the people of Israel] may be accepted before the LORD”.

The complete passage (Exodus 28:36-38) from the King James Version:


  And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.


Why does this Golden plate receive such impressive lines?
There is a specific purpose for every part of the Priest's attire, and that is most certainly true of the High Priest; since only he can ever enter the Holy of Holies, and then only once a year for the specific purpose of atoning for the sins of Israel.

It is worth noting that nearly all of Chapter 28 is devoted to describing only the High Priest's garments, and in meticulous detail.


  Exodus 28:33 through 38  And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about: 34  A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about. 35  And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not. 36  And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 37  And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. 38  And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things,* which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 


In the above passage notice that there are two items that are designated with a specific purpose, that being the bells at the bottom of his robe and the plate.


the bells are to announce the identity of who is entering so that the ire of God is not unleashed, and he be killed.
The plate that identifies him as the bearer of the sins of Israel.


Hope this helps.