Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Exodus 28:21/ספורנו על שמות כ״ח:כ״א

אוְהָאֲבָנִים תִּהְיֶיןָ עַל שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. כְּשֶׁיַּקְדִּישׁוּם הַמִּתְנַדְּבִים, יִהְיֶה הֶקְדֵּשָׁם לְשֵׁם כָּךְ שֶׁיִּכָּתְבוּ עֲלֵיהֶם שְׁמוֹת הַשְּׁבָטִים.
1והאבנים תהיין על שמות בני ישראל, as soon as the Israelites when donating these various materials had dedicated them to their sacred purpose, i.e. that their names be inscribed on these gemstones, they became sacred, so that the word תהיין, meaning “they will remain, etc.,” is fully justified.”
בשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה עַל שְׁמוֹתָם. וְתִהְיֶינָה שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה כְּנֶגֶד שְׁמוֹתָם, לֹא פָחוֹת וְלֹא יוֹתֵר:
2שתים עשרה על שמותם, the Torah emphasises that the number 12 is not arbitrary but represents the names of the 12 tribes, no fewer nor any additional ones. [Joseph is represented by one gemstone not two, and the tribe of Levi was included though they did not share in the distribution of the land of Canaan to the tribes. Ed.]
גפִּתּוּחֵי חוֹתָם אִישׁ עַל שְׁמוֹ. וְכֵן הַמְפַתֵּחַ יְפַתַּח אֶת הָאֶבֶן שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם עַל שְׁמוֹ, וְלֹא יַחֲלִיף לֹא הָאֶבֶן וְלֹא הַכַּוָּנָה מִזֶּה לָזֶה:
3פתוחי חותם איש על שמו, this sounds like an instruction to the engraver of these gemstones to have in mind the specific name of the tribe when he engraves letters on the gemstone representing that tribe.