Reference: Colour
Easton
The subject of colours holds an important place in the Scriptures.
White occurs as the translation of various Hebrew words. It is applied to milk (Ge 49:12), manna (Ex 16:31), snow (Isa 1:18), horses (Zec 1:8), raiment (Ec 9:8). Another Hebrew word so rendered is applied to marble (Es 1:6), and a cognate word to the lily (Song 2:16). A different term, meaning "dazzling," is applied to the countenance (Song 5:10).
This colour was an emblem of purity and innocence (Mr 16:5; Joh 20:12; Re 19:8,14), of joy (Ec 9:8), and also of victory (Zec 6:3; Re 6:2). The hangings of the tabernacle court (Ex 27:9; 38:9), the coats, mitres, bonnets, and breeches of the priests (Ex 39:27-28), and the dress of the high priest on the day of Atonement (Le 16:4,32), were white.
Black, applied to the hair (Le 13:31; Song 5:11), the complexion (Song 1:5), and to horses (Zec 6:2,6). The word rendered "brown" in Ge 30:32 (R.V., "black") means properly "scorched", i.e., the colour produced by the influence of the sun's rays. "Black" in Job 30:30 means dirty, blackened by sorrow and disease. The word is applied to a mourner's robes (Jer 8:21; 14:2), to a clouded sky (1Ki 18:45), to night (Mic 3:6; Jer 4:28), and to a brook rendered turbid by melted snow (Job 6:16). It is used as symbolical of evil in 6/2/type/am'>Zec 6:2,6; Re 6:5. It was the emblem of mourning, affliction, calamity (Jer 14:2; La 4:8; 5:10).
Red, applied to blood (2Ki 3; 22), a heifer (Nu 19:2), pottage of lentils (Ge 25:30), a horse (Zec 1:8), wine (Pr 23:31), the complexion (Ge 25:25; Song 5:10). This colour is symbolical of bloodshed (Zec 6:2; Re 6:4; 12:3).
Purple, a colour obtained from the secretion of a species of shell-fish (the Murex trunculus, Illustration: Murex Trunculus) which was found in the Mediterranean, and particularly on the coasts of Phoenicia and Asia Minor. The colouring matter in each separate shell-fish amounted to only a single drop, and hence the great value of this dye. Robes of this colour were worn by kings (Jg 8:26) and high officers (Es 8:15). They were also worn by the wealthy and luxurious (Jer 10:9; Eze 27:7; Lu 16:19; Re 17:4). With this colour was associated the idea of royalty and majesty (Jg 8:26; Song 3:10; 7:5; Da 5:7,16,29).
Blue. This colour was also procured from a species of shell-fish, the chelzon of the Hebrews, and the Helix ianthina of modern naturalists. The tint was emblematic of the sky, the deep dark hue of the Eastern sky. This colour was used in the same way as purple. The ribbon and fringe of the Hebrew dress were of this colour (Nu 15:38). The loops of the curtains (Ex 26:4), the lace of the high priest's breastplate, the robe of the ephod, and the lace on his mitre, were blue (Ex 28:28,31,37).
Scarlet, or Crimson. In Isa 1:18 a Hebrew word is used which denotes the worm or grub whence this dye was procured. In Ge 38:28,30, the word so rendered means "to shine," and expresses the brilliancy of the colour. The small parasitic insects from which this dye was obtained somewhat resembled the cochineal which is found in Eastern countries. It is called by naturalists Coccus ilics. The dye was procured from the female grub alone. The only natural object to which this colour is applied in Scripture is the lips, which are likened to a scarlet thread (Song 4:3). Scarlet robes were worn by the rich and luxurious (2Sa 1:24; Pr 31:21; Jer 4:30; Re 17:4). It was also the hue of the warrior's dress (Na 2:3; Isa 9:5). The Phoenicians excelled in the art of dyeing this colour (2Ch 2:7).
These four colours--white, purple, blue, and scarlet--were used in the textures of the tabernacle curtains (Ex 26:1,31,36), and also in the high priest's ephod, girdle, and breastplate (8/5/type/am'>Ex 28:5-6,8,15). Scarlet thread is mentioned in connection with the rites of cleansing the leper (Le 14:4,6,51) and of burning the red heifer (Nu 19:6). It was a crimson thread that Rahab was to bind on her window as a sign that she was to be saved alive (Jos 2:18; 6:25) when the city of Jericho was taken.
Vermilion, the red sulphuret of mercury, or cinnabar; a colour used for drawing the figures of idols on the walls of temples (Eze 23:14), or for decorating the walls and beams of houses (Jer 22:14).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
The first came out red all over like a hairy garment, and they named him Esau [hairy].
And Esau said to Jacob, I beg of you, let me have some of that red lentil stew to eat, for I am faint and famished! That is why his name was called Edom [red].
Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted animal and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages.
And when she was in labor, one baby put out his hand; and the midwife took his hand and bound upon it a scarlet thread, saying, This baby was born first.
And afterward his brother who had the scarlet thread on his hand was born and was named Zerah [scarlet].
His eyes are darker and more sparkling than wine, and His teeth whiter than milk.
The house of Israel called the bread manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and it tasted like wafers made with honey.
Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, and blue and purple and scarlet [stuff], with cherubim skillfully embroidered shall you make them.
And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the last curtain in the first set, and likewise in the second set.
And make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] and fine twined linen, skillfully worked with cherubim on it.
You shall make a hanging [to form a screen] for the door of the tent of blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] and fine twined linen, embroidered.
And you shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits long for one side;
They shall receive [from the people] and use gold, and blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], and fine linen. And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], and fine twined linen, skillfully woven and worked.
The skillfully woven girding band which is on the ephod shall be made of the same, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], and fine twined linen.
You shall make a breastplate of judgment, in skilled work; like the workmanship of the ephod shall you make it, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], and of fine twined linen.
And they shall bind the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the skillfully woven girding band of the ephod, and that the breastplate may not become loose from the ephod.
And he made the court: for the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits;
And they made the long and sleeved tunics woven of fine linen for Aaron and his sons, And the turban, and the ornamental caps of fine linen, and the breeches of fine twined linen,
If the priest examines the spot infected by the mangelike disease, and it does not appear deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, the priest shall bind up the spot for seven days.
Then the priest shall command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living clean birds and cedar wood and scarlet [material] and hyssop.
As for the living bird, he shall take it, the cedar wood, and the scarlet [material], and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird killed over the running water;
And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet [material], and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times.
He shall put on the holy linen undergarment, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his body, and be girded with the linen girdle or sash, and with the linen turban or miter shall he be attired; these are the holy garments; he shall bathe his body in water and then put them on.
And the priest who shall be anointed and consecrated to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments;
Speak to the Israelites and bid them make fringes or tassels on the corners in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and put upon the fringe of the borders or upon the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.
This is the ritual of the law which the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without spot, in which is no blemish, upon which a yoke has never come.
And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet [stuff] and cast them into the midst of the burning heifer.
Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall bring your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household into your house.
So Joshua saved Rahab the harlot, with her father's household and all that she had; and she lives in Israel even to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescents and pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and the chains that were about their camels' necks.
And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescents and pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and the chains that were about their camels' necks.
You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with [other] delights, who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
In a little while, the heavens were black with wind-swept clouds, and there was a great rain. And Ahab went to Jezreel.
Now therefore, send a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue colors, who is a trained engraver, to work with the skilled men who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.
There were hangings of fine white cloth, of green and of blue [cotton], fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings or rods and marble pillars. The couches of gold and silver rested on a [mosaic] pavement of porphyry, white marble, mother-of-pearl, and [precious] colored stones.
And Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and with a robe of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan shouted and rejoiced.
Which are black and turbid by reason of the ice, and in which the snows hides itself;
My skin falls from me in blackened flakes, and my bones are burned with heat.
Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the wineglass, when it goes down smoothly.
She fears not the snow for her family, for all her household are doubly clothed in scarlet.
Let your garments be always white [with purity], and let your head not lack [the] oil [of gladness].
Let your garments be always white [with purity], and let your head not lack [the] oil [of gladness].
I am so black; but [you are] lovely and pleasant [the ladies assured her]. O you daughters of Jerusalem, [I am as dark] as the tents of [the Bedouin tribe] Kedar, like the [beautiful] curtains of Solomon!
[She said distinctly] My beloved is mine and I am his! He pastures his flocks among the lilies.
He made its posts of silver, its back of gold, its seat of purple, the inside of it lovingly and intricately wrought in needlework by the daughters of Jerusalem.
Your lips are like a thread of scarlet, and your mouth is lovely. Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil.
[She said] My beloved is fair and ruddy, the chief among ten thousand! His head is [as precious as] the finest gold; his locks are curly and bushy and black as a raven.
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, and the hair of your head like purple. [Then seeing the king watching the girl in absorbed admiration, the speaker added] The king is held captive by its tresses.
Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.
Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.
For every [tramping] warrior's war boots and all his armor in the battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
For this will the earth mourn and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken, I have purposed, and I will not relent, nor will I turn back [from it].
And you [plundered one], when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you paint your eyelids and make them look farther apart, in vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers (allies) despise you; they seek your life.
For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I [Jeremiah] hurt; I go around mourning; dismay has taken hold on me.
Silver beaten [into plates] is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz, the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; the [idols'] clothing is violet and purple -- "they are all the work of skillful men.
Judah mourns and her gates languish; [her people] sit in black [mourning garb] upon the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
Judah mourns and her gates languish; [her people] sit in black [mourning garb] upon the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
Who says, I will build myself a wide house with large rooms, and he cuts himself out windows, and it is ceiled or paneled with cedar and painted with vermilion.
[Prolonged famine has made] them look blacker than soot and darkness; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin clings to their bones; it is withered and it has become [dry] like a stick.
Our skin glows and is parched as from [the heat of] an oven because of the burning heat of [the fever of] famine.
But [Aholibah] carried her harlotries further, for she saw men pictured upon the wall, the pictures of the Chaldeans sketched in bright red pigment,
Of fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be an ensign for you; blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah [of Asia Minor] was the [ship's] awning which covered you.
The king cried aloud [mightily] to bring in the enchanters or soothsayers, the Chaldeans [diviners], and the astrologers. The king said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever will read this writing and show me the interpretation of it will be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold put about his neck and will be the third ruler in the kingdom.
But I have heard of you, that you can make interpretations and solve knotty problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold put around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Then Belshazzar commanded, and Daniel was clothed with purple and a chain of gold put about his neck, and a proclamation was made concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Therefore it shall be night to you, so that you shall have no vision; yes, it shall be dark to you without divination. And the sun shall go down over the false prophets, and the day shall be black over them.
The shields of the mighty men [of Media and Babylon] are [dyed] red; the valiant men are [clothed] in dyed scarlet. The chariots blaze with fire of steel on the day of his preparation [for battle], and the officers' horses prance like a cypress forest [reeling in the wind].
I saw in the night [vision] and behold, a Man riding upon a red horse, and He stood among the myrtle trees that were in a low valley or bottom, and behind Him there were horses, red, bay or flame-colored, and white.
I saw in the night [vision] and behold, a Man riding upon a red horse, and He stood among the myrtle trees that were in a low valley or bottom, and behind Him there were horses, red, bay or flame-colored, and white.
The first chariot had red or bay horses, the second chariot had black horses,
The first chariot had red or bay horses, the second chariot had black horses,
The first chariot had red or bay horses, the second chariot had black horses, The third chariot had white horses, and the fourth chariot had dappled, active, and strong horses.
The chariot with the black horses is going forth into the north country, and the white ones are going forth after them [because there are two northern powers to overcome], and the dappled ones are going forth toward the south country.
The chariot with the black horses is going forth into the north country, and the white ones are going forth after them [because there are two northern powers to overcome], and the dappled ones are going forth toward the south country.
And going into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting [there] on the right [side], clothed in a [ long, stately, sweeping] robe of white, and they were utterly amazed and struck with terror.
There was a certain rich man who [habitually] clothed himself in purple and fine linen and reveled and feasted and made merry in splendor every day.
And she saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
And I looked, and saw there a white horse whose rider carried a bow. And a crown was given him, and he rode forth conquering and to conquer.
And another horse came out, flaming red. And its rider was empowered to take the peace from the earth, so that men slaughtered one another; and he was given a huge sword. When He broke open the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, Come and look! And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and in his hand the rider had a pair of scales (a balance).
Then another ominous sign (wonder) was seen in heaven: Behold, a huge, fiery-red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven kingly crowns (diadems) upon his heads.
The woman was robed in purple and scarlet and bedecked with gold, precious stones, and pearls, [and she was] holding in her hand a golden cup full of the accursed offenses and the filth of her lewdness and vice.
The woman was robed in purple and scarlet and bedecked with gold, precious stones, and pearls, [and she was] holding in her hand a golden cup full of the accursed offenses and the filth of her lewdness and vice.
She has been permitted to dress in fine (radiant) linen, dazzling and white -- "for the fine linen is (signifies, represents) the righteousness (the upright, just, and godly living, deeds, and conduct, and right standing with God) of the saints (God's holy people).
And the troops of heaven, clothed in fine linen, dazzling and clean, followed Him on white horses.