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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Color; Colors
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kul´ẽr, kul´erz: The word translated “color†in the King James Version is ‛ayin, which literally means “eye†or “appearance,†and has been so translated in the Revised Version (British and American). In the New Testament the Greek Ï€ÏοÌφασις, proÌphasis, has the meaning of pretense or show (; compare the King James Version). The references to Joseph's coat of many colors (, , ) and “garments of divers colors†(, ) probably do not mean the color of the garment at all, but the form, as suggested in the American Revised Version, margin, “a long garment with sleeves.†In the word for “dip†or “dye†appears in the original and has been so translated in the American Standard Revised Version. (see DYE). In רקמה, rikÌ£maÌ„h, meaning “variegated,†hence, “varicolored,†is found. In , puÌ„kh is used. This name was applied to the sulfide of antimony (Arabic kohÌ£l) used for painting the eyes. Hence, the American Revised Version, margin rendering “antimony†instead of “fair colors†(see PAINT). In טל×, tÌ£aÌ„laÌ„', is found, meaning “covered with pieces†or “spotted,†hence, by implication “divers colors.â€
Although the ancient Hebrews had no specific words for “color,†“paint†or “painter,†still, as we know, they constantly met with displays of the art of coloring among the Babylonians () and Egyptians and the inhabitants of Palestine Pottery, glazed bricks, glassware, tomb walls, sarcophagi, wood and fabrics were submitted to the skill of the colorist. This skill probably consisted in bringing out striking effects by the use of a few primary colors, rather than in any attempt at the blending of shades which characterizes modern coloring. That the gaudy show of their heathen neighbors attracted the children of Israel is shown by such passages as ; , .
Two reasons may be given for the indefiniteness of many of the Biblical references to color. (1) The origin of the Hebrew people: They had been wandering tribes or slaves with no occasion to develop a color language. (2) Their religious laws: These forbade expression in color or form (). Yielding to the attractions of gorgeous display was discouraged by such prophets as Ezekiel, who had sickened of the abominations of the Chaldeans (, , ); “And I said unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes†().
Indefiniteness of color language is common to oriental literature, ancient and modern. This does not indicate a want of appreciation of color but a failure to analyze and define color effects. The inhabitants of Syria and Palestine today delight in brilliant colors. Bright yellow, crimson, magenta and green are used for adornment with no evident sense of fitness, according to the foreigners' eyes, other than their correspondence with the glaring brightness of the eastern skies. A soapmaker once told the writer that in order to make his wares attractive to the Arabs he colored them a brilliant crimson or yellow. A peasant chooses without hesitation a flaring magenta or yellow or green zun-nar (girdle), rather than one of somber hues. The oriental student in the chemical or physical laboratory often finds his inability to distinguish or classify color a real obstacle. His closest definition of a color is usually “lightish†or “darkish.†This is not due to color blindness but to a lack of education, and extends to lines other than color distinctions. The colloquial language of Palestine today is poor in words denoting color, and an attempt to secure from a native a satisfactory description of some simple color scheme is usually disappointing. The harmonious color effects which have come to us from the Orient have been, in the past, more the result of accident (see DYE) than of deliberate purpose, as witness the clashing of colors where modern artificial dyes have been introduced.
This inability of the peoples of Bible lands to define colors is an inheritance from past ages, a consideration which helps us to appreciate the vagueness of many of the Biblical references.
The following color words occur in the King James Version or Revised Version: (1) bay, (2) black, (3) blue, (4) brown, (5) crimson, (6) green, (7) grey, (8) hoar, (9) purple, (10) red, (11) scarlet, (12) sorrel, (13) vermilion, (14) white, (15) yellow. In addition there are indefinite words indicating mixtures of light and dark: (a) grisled (grizzled), (b) ringstraked (ringstreaked), (c) speckled, (d) spotted.
(1) Bay or Red
Bay or red is more properly translated “strong†in the Revised Version (British and American).
(2) Black (Blackish)
Eight different words have been translated “black.†They indicate various meanings such as “dusky like the early dawn,†“ashen,†“swarthy,†“moved with passion.†Black is applied to hair (; ; ); to marble or pavement (); to mourning (, ; ); to passion ( the King James Version; ); to horses (, ; ); to the heavens (; ; the King James Version; ; ); to the sun (); to the skin (racial) (, ); to flocks (, , , ); to brooks because of ice ().
(3) Blue
Blue (תּכלת, tekheÌ„leth, a color from the cerulean mussel): This word was applied only to fabrics dyed with a special blue dye obtained from a shellfish. See DYE. ש×ש×, sheÌ„sh in one passage of the King James Version is translated “blue†(). It is properly translated in the Revised Version (British and American) “white cloth.†“Blueness of a wound†() is correctly rendered in the Revised Version (British and American) “stripes that wound.†Blue is applied to the fringes, veil, vestments, embroideries, etc., in the description of the ark and tabernacle (Ex 25ff; f; ); to workers in blue (, ; ); to palace adornments (); to royal apparel (; ; ; , ).
(4) Brown
The Hebrew word meaning “sunburnt†or “swarthy†is translated “black†in the Revised Version (British and American) ().
(5) Crimson
Crimson (כּרמיל, karmı̄l): This word is probably of Persian origin and applies to the brilliant dye obtained from a bug. A second word תּולעת, tōla‛ath, is also found. Its meaning is the same. See DYE. Crimson is applied to raiment (, ; ; the King James Version); to sins ().
(6) Green (Greenish)
This word in the translation refers almost without exception to vegetation. The Hebrew ירק, yaÌ„raÌ„kÌ£, literally, “pale,†is considered one of the three definite color words used in the Old Testament (see WHITE; RED). The Greek equivalent is chloÌ„roÌs; compare English “chlorine.†This word occurs in the following vs: ; ; ; (the King James Version); (the King James Version); ; ; ; ; ; chloÌ„ros, ; ; . ×¨×¢× ×Ÿ, ra‛ănaÌ„n, closely allied in meaning to yaÌ„raÌ„kÌ£, is used to describe trees in the following passages: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; , ; ; . In the remaining verses the Hebrew equivalents do not denote color, but the condition of being full of sap, fresh or unripe (compare similar uses in English) ( (the King James Version); , ; ; ; ; ; ; ). In the Hebrew word refers to a fiber, probably cotton, as is indicated by the American Revised Version, margin. Greenish is used to describe leprous spots in ; . The same word is translated “yellow†in .
(7) Gray
The Hebrew שׂיבה, sēbhāh, means old age, hence, refers also to the color of the hair in old age (; ; ; ; ; ). See Hoar, next paragraph.
(8) Hoar (Hoary)
The same word which in other verses is translated “gray†is rendered “hoar†or “hoary,†applying to the hair in , ; ; ; ; . Another Hebrew word is translated “hoar†or “hoary,†describing “frost†in ; ; .
(9) Purple
The Hebrew equivalent is ×רגּמן, 'argaÌ„maÌ„n; Greek ποÏφυÌÏα, porphuÌraÌŒ. The latter word refers to the source of the dye, namely, a shell-fish found on the shores of the Mediterranean. See DYE. 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 tabernacle (Ex 25; 26; 27; 28; 35; 36; 38; 39; ). There were workers in purple called to assist in beautifying the temple (, ; ). Purple was much used for royal raiment and furnishings (; ; ; ; , ; , ). Purple was typical of gorgeous apparel (; ; ; , ; ; ; ; , ).
(10) Red
The Hebrew ×דו×, 'aÌ„dhoÌ„m, is from דּ×, daÌ„m, “blood,†hence, “bloodlike.†This is one of the three distinctive color words mentioned in the Old Testament (see GREEN; WHITE), and is found in most of the references to red. Four other words are used: (a) חכלילי, hÌ£akhlı̄lı̄, probably “darkened†or “clouded†(; ); (b) חמר, hÌ£aÌ„mar, “to ferment†( margin; the King James Version); (c) בּהט, baÌ„hatÌ£, probably “to glisten†(); (d) πυÏÏοÌÏ‚, purroÌs “firelike†(, ; ; ). Red is applied to dyed skins (; ; , ; ; 39: 34); to the color of animals (; ; ; ; ); to the human skin (; ruddy, ; ; ; ); to the eyes (; ); to sores (Lev 13); to wine ( m; ; the King James Version); to water (); to pavement (); to pottage (); to apparel (); to the sky (, ); to sins (); to a shield ().
(11) Scarlet
Scarlet and crimson colors were probably from the same source (see CRIMSON; DYE). תּולעת, toÌ„la‛ath, or derivatives have been translated by both “scarlet†and “crimson†(Greek koÌkkinos). A Chaldaic word for purple has thrice been translated “scarlet†in the King James Version (, , ). Scarlet is applied to fabrics or yarn used (a) in the equipment of the tabernacle (Ex 25ff; ); (b) in rites in cleansing lepers (Lev 14); in ceremony of purification (); to royal or gorgeous apparel (; ; ; , , , “purpleâ€; ; ; ; , ); to marking thread (, ; , ); to lips (); to sins (); to beasts (); to wool ().
(12) Sorrel
This word occurs once in the Revised Version (British and American) ().
(13) Vermilion
This word, ש×ש×ר, shaÌ„shar, occurs in two passages (; ). Vermilion of modern arts is a sulfide of mercury. It is not at all improbable that the paint referred to was an oxide of iron. This oxide is still taken from the ground in Syria and Palestine and used for decorative outlining.
(14) White
The principal word for denoting whiteness in the Hebrew was לבן, 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†(). Mt. Lebanon was probably named because of its snow-tipped peaks (). White is applied to goats (); to rods (); to teeth (); to leprous hairs and spots (Lev 13; ); to garments (; ); as symbol of purity (; ; ); to horses (; , ); to tree branches (); to coriander seed (). The corresponding Greek word, λευκοÌÏ‚, leukoÌs, is used in New Testament. It is applied to hair (; ); to raiment (; ; ; ; ; ; ; , , ; ; , , ; 19, 14); to horses (; , ); to a throne (); to stone (); to a cloud (). Besides laÌ„bhaÌ„n, four other Hebrew words have been translated “whiteâ€: (a) חורי, hÌ£oÌ„rı̄, or חוּר, hÌ£uÌ„r, meaning “bleached,†applied to bread (); to linen (; ); (b) צח, cahÌ£, or צחור, caÌ„hÌ£oÌ„r, literally, “dazzling,†is applied to asses (); to human appearance (); to wool (); (c) דּר, dar, probably mother of pearl or alabaster (); (d) ריר, rı̄r, literally, “saliva,†and, from resemblance, “white of egg†().
(15) Yellow
This word occurs in to describe pavement; in Lev 13 to describe leprous hair; in to describe gold.
Mixtures of colors: (a) grizzled (grisled), literally, “spotted as with hail,†applied to goats (, ); to horses (, ); (b) ringstreaked (ringstraked), literally, “striped with bands,†applied to animals (; ); (c) speckled, literally, “dotted or spotted,†applied to cattle and goats (; ); to a bird (); to horses ( the King James Version); (d) spotted, literally, “covered with patches,†applied to cattle and goats (). In “spotted†means “defiled.â€
Figurative: For figurative uses, see under separate colors.
Literature
Perrot and Chipiez, History of Art in Ancient Egypt, History of Art in Chaldea and Assyria, History of Art in Phoenicia and its Dependencies; Wilkinson, The Ancient Egyptians; Jewish Encyclopedia; EB; Delitzsch, Iris.