COLORS OF SIGNIFICANCE IN THE BIBLE

 

Just as numbers have significant meaning in Scripture, colors do also.  This study includes the major colors that are recorded in the Bible (KJV) and the primary meaning of each color is listed in alphabetical order.

AMBER

The color amber (chashmal) is found in Ezekiel 1:4, 1:27-28; 8:2.  It primarily signifies God’s glory and the brightness of His presence.  This color symbolizes Christ as the glory of God according to Ezekiel 1:28;     II Corinthians 4:6; Revelation 21:23.  And this color is symbolically used to represent 1) fire: God’s presence Exodus 3:2; Hebrews 12:29 2) God’s judgment: Genesis 19:24; II Kings 1:10-14; Isaiah 66:15; II Thessalonians 1:7-8.

BLACK

The color black (chashak, kamar, kimriyr, qadar, shachar, shachor, melas) is primarily associated with the negative aspect of human experience including death, disease, famine, sorrow, all of which are the results of sin.  References include Job 6:15-16 (sin); Job 30:30 (disease); Lamentations 4:8, 5:10; Revelation 6:5-6; Jude 1:12-13 (death); Jeremiah 8:21 (sorrow).  It also can have an opposite meaning as in the use of the word health found in Leviticus 13:37 and Song of Solomon 1:5-6, 5:11.  The symbolism of black is judgment as found in Jeremiah 14:2; Leviticus 13:37; Job 3-5.  An associated symbol is the word sackcloth representing mourning as in Genesis 37:34 and Revelation 6:12.

BLUE

The color blue (takeleth) is used in the Old Testament to describe the various hangings in the Holy Places.  It is also used as a symbol of wealth and the corruptions thereof.  But it should be noted that purple is used far more frequently for such distinctions.  In general blue should be viewed as a heavenly color.

Description of hangings, curtains are found in Exodus 26:1, 36; 27:10; 28:8; II Chronicles 3:14.  Holy coverings are described in Exodus 28:31; Numbers 4:5-7, 11-12; Esther 8:15.  And the Lord’s commandments recorded in Numbers 15:38-40.  Opposite meaning of corruption through vanity, whoredom and idolatry are found in Jeremiah 10:8-9; Ezekiel 23:3-8.  Color symbolisms of blue are heavenly as in Exodus 24:10; Ezekiel 1:26, 10:1 (sapphire).  Holy service as recorded in Exodus 28:31; Esther 8:15.  And chastening as in Proverbs 20:30.  Associated symbols would be water(s) as in John 4:13-14; 7:37-39; Revelation 21:6; 22:17; Matthew 3:11-16.  People and multitudes are recorded in Isaiah 8:7; 17:13; Jeremiah 46:7-8; 47:1-3; Revelation 17:13.

CRIMSON

The color of crimson (karmiyl, shaniy, towla’) is used to describe fine materials and sin.  The dye was extracted from the dried body of the insect coccus ilicis, qirmiz or kermes as transliterated in Arabic.

Crimson is associated with blood representing life as in Genesis 9:4-5; Deuteronomy 12:23.  It is associated with sacrifice as in Exodus 12:13; 23:18 and remission of sin as in Hebrews 9:22; I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5. It is also associated with covenant as in Exodus 24:8; Matthew 26:28; Romans 5:9; Hebrews 9:12; 13:12 as well as associated with war as in I Kings 2:5; I Chronicles 22:8.

GRAY

Gray (seybah, siyb) is used generally to denote old age.  The term old age is used in passages such as Genesis 42:38; Deuteronomy 32:25; I Samuel 12:2; Job 15:10, Psalm 71:18.  Beauty of old age is recorded in Proverbs 20:29; Hosea 7:9.

GREEN

Green (abiby, ramanan, yaraqraq, yarowq) is primarily associated with life especially plant life.  As a result we can view it as a symbol of natural growth and life.  The exception to this meaning would be in Leviticus 13:49, 14:37 which denotes disease.

It is used in Leviticus 2:14 to describe a meat offering.  It is also used in Genesis 1:30, 9:3; II Kings 19:26; Job 39:8; Psalm 37:2 as describing edible plants.  In Exodus 10:15; Deuteronomy 12:2;         I Kings 14:23; II Kings 16:4, 17:10; II Chronicles 28:4; Psalm 37:3, 52:8; Isaiah 37:27; Jermiah 2:20 it is used in reference to trees.

Green is used symbolically for rest as in Psalm 23:2. It is used as life as in Isaiah 15:6; Psalm 23:2; Ezekiel 1:24; Luke 23:31.  Also used as growth in Ezekiel 17:24; It is used as fruitful in Jeremiah 11:16, 17:8; Hosea 14:8; Luke 23:31.  In Song of Solomon 1:16 and Luke 23:31, it is used as fresh or undefiled.  Job uses it for maturity as recorded in Job 15:31-32.  And in Psalm 37:2, it refers to frailty.

Other symbols include the word grass which represents man/flesh as in Psalm 37:1-2, 92:7; I Peter 1:24; Revelation 8:7; Isaiah 40:6-8, 51:12.  Weakness is described in Psalm 102:4, 102:11; Revelation 8:7; Growth is symbolized in Psalm 37:35, 92:7; Job 5:25.  Trees symbolize coverage as in Psalm 37:35.  Trust is symbolized in Psalm 52:8.  Man is symbolized in Matthew 3:10, 7:15-18; Mark 8:24.  And the word cross is symbolized in Acts 5:30 and I Peter 2:24.

HOAR, HOARY

The same word which in other verses is translated gray is rendered hoar or hoary, applying to the hair in I Kings 2:6, 9; Isaiah 46:4; Leviticus 19:32; Job 41:32; Proverbs 16:31.  Another Hebrew word is translated hoar or hoary, describing frost as in Exodus 16:14; Job 38:29; Psalms 147:16

MIXTURE OF COLORS:

1) GRIZZLED/GRISLED, literally spotted as with hail, applied to goats in Genesis 31:10, 12; to horses in Zechariah 6:3, 1.   

2) RINGSTREAKED/RINGSTRAKE, literally, striped with bands as applied to animals in Genesis 30:35; 31:8; to a bird in Jeremiah 12:9; to horses in Zechariah 1:8;

3) SPECKLED, literally, dotted or spotted, applied to cattle and goats in Genesis 30:32; 31:8; to a bird in Jeremiah 12:9; to horses in Zechariah 1:8.

4) SPOTTED, literally, covered with patches, and applies to cattle and goats in Genesis 30:32.  In Jude 1:23 spotted means defiled.

PURPLE

The Hebrew equivalent is argaman and the Greek is porphura.  The latter word refers to the source of the dye, namely a shell-fish found on the shores of the Mediterranean. This color, which varied widely according to the kind of shellfish used and the method of dyeing, was utilized in connection with the adornment of the beautifying the temple: Exodus 25; 26; 27; 28; 35; 36; 38; 39; Numbers 4:13.  There were workers in purple called to assist in beautifying the temple: II Chronicles 2:7, 14; 3:14.  Purple was much used for royal raiment and furnishings: Judges 8:26; Esther 1:6; 8:15; Song of Solomon 3:10; Mark 15:17, 20; John 19:2, 5. Purple was typical of gorgeous apparel: Proverbs 31:22; Jeremiah 10:9; Song of Solomon 7:5; Ezekiel 27:7, 16; Luke 16:19; Acts 16:14; Revelation 17:4; 18:12, 16.

RED

Hebrew word adhom is from dam, blood hence, bloodlike.  This is one of the distinctive color words mention in the Old Testament (See Green and White), and is found in most of the references to red.  Four other words are used: chakhlili meaning darkened or clouded as in Genesis 49:12; Proverbs 23:29; chamar meaning to ferment as in Psalms 75:8 and Isaiah 27:2bahat meaning to glisten as in Esther 1:6; purros meaning fire like as in Matthew 16:2-3; Revelation 6:4; 12:3.  Red is applied to dyed skins as in Exodus 25:5; 26:14; 35:7, 23; 36:19; 39:34; to the color of animals: Numbers 19:2; Zechariah 1:8; 6:2;Revelation 6:4; 12:3; to the human skin as in Genesis 25:25; ruddy, I Samuel 16:12; 17:42; Song of Solomon 5:10; Lamentations 4:7; to the eyes as in Genesis 49:12; Proverbs 23:29; to sores as in Leviticus 13; to wine in Psalms 75:8; Proverbs 23:31; Isaiah 27:2; to water II Kings 3:22; to pavement Esther 1:6; to pottage in Genesis 25:30; to apparel in Isaiah 63:2; to the sky in Matthew 16:2-3; to sins in Isaiah 1:18; to a shield in Nahum 2:3.

SCARLET

Scarlet and Crimson colors were probably from the same source (See Crimson; Dye) tola’ath, or derivatives have been translated by both Scarlet and Crimson (Greek kokkinos).  A Chaldaic word for purple is translated three times “Scarlet” in Daniel 5:7, 16, 29.  Scarlet is applied to fabrics or yarn used in the equipment of the tabernacle as in Exodus 25 and Numbers 4:8.  In rites in cleansing lepers: Leviticus 14; in ceremony of purification as in Numbers 19:5; to royal or gorgeous apparel as in II Samuel 1:24; Proverbs 31:21; Lamentations 4:5; “Purple in Nahum 2:3; Matthew 27:28; Revelation 17:4; 18:12, 16; to marking thread in Genesis 38:28, 30; Joshua 2:18, ; to lips in Song of Solomon 4:3; to sins in Isaiah 1:18; Revelation 17:3; to wool in Hebrews 9:19.

WHITE

The principal word for denoting whiteness in the Hebrew was labhan, a distinctive color word.  Some of the objects to which it was applied show that it was used as we use the word “white” as in Genesis 49:12.  Mt. Lebanon was probably named because of its snow-tipped peaks as in Jeremiah 18:14.  White is applied to goats in Genesis 30:35; to rods in Genesis 30:37; to teeth in Genesis 49:12; to leprous hairs and spots in Leviticus 13; Numbers 12:10; to garments in Ecclesiastes 9:8; 7:9; as symbol of purity in Daniel 11:35; 12:10; Isaiah 1:18; to horses in Zechariah 1:8; 6:3; to tree branches in Joel 1:7; to coriander seed in Exodus 16:31

The corresponding Greek word, leukos, is used in the New Testament. It is applied to hair in Matthew 5:36; Revelation 1:14; to raiment in Matthew 17:2; 28:3; Mark 9:3; 16:15; Luke 9:29; John 20:12; Acts 1:10; Revelation 3:4, 5, 18; 6:11; 7:9, 13, 14; 19:14; to horses in Revelation 6:2; 19:11, 14; to a throne in Revelation 20:11; to stone in Revelation 2:17; to a cloud in Revelation 14:14

Besides labhan, four other Hebrews words have been translated “white”: chori, or chur, meaning bleached, applied to bread in Genesis 40:16; to linen in Esther 1:6, 8:15; tsach, or tsachor, literally, dazzling, is applied to asses in Judges 5:10; to human appearance in Song of Solomon 5:10; to wool in Ezekiel 27:18; dar, probably mother of pearl or alabaster as in Esther 1:6; rir, literally, saliva, and from resemblance to the white of an egg as in Job 6:6.

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