Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

COLOR

Though the abstract term “color” is not found in the OT and not used in the NT, both parts of the Christian Bible describe various colors. Athalya Brenner identifies five basic colors mentioned in the OT: (1) red (Heb. ʾāḏōm); (2) white (lāḇān); (3) black (šāḥōr); (4) green (yārôq); and (5) yellow (ṣāhōḇ). Though other color terms also are found in Scripture (e.g., purple), they do not fit the criteria for basic colors. These terms meet three primary characteristics: (1) monolexemic (i.e., no expressions such as reddish); (2) exclusive signification (i.e., must not be a term that can be subsumed under a broader color); and (3) unrestricted applicability (i.e., the color has a universal application; it is not restricted to a narrow class of objects). Of the five main color terms, the dominant three are red, white, and black.

White is the term used most often, and it not only describes the color of an object (hair in Lev. 13) but also has a symbolic significance. It indicates wealth (Gen. 49:12; Esth. 1:6), joy (Eccl. 9:8), or purity (Rev. 3:4; 7:9, 13-14). White was not a natural color in Israel; fullers bleached natural fabrics to achieve the color.

Black is used to describe the color of objects, such as sheep (Gen. 30:32-33, 35, 40) or hair (Cant. 5:11), but it can also symbolize trouble (Job 3:5) or judgment (2 Pet. 2:17; Rev. 6:5). Red is used to describe the color of skin (Gen. 25:25), stew (v. 30), and blood (2 Kgs. 3:22). Red also is used symbolically to describe luxury (Isa. 63:2) and war (Rev. 6:4). Tints of red include such color terms as purple, scarlet, and crimson. Purple, a symbol of luxury or kingship (Esth. 8:15; Cant. 3:10; John 19:2), was derived from the murex shellfish along the coastline of Palestine, which accounts for the name of the region — Canaan (the land of purple). Scarlet and crimson are derived from the female insect known as kermes and are used to describe the color of sin (Isa. 1:18).

Often there is a tendency to overinterpret Scripture by attaching symbolic meaning to a color in the text. Scholars might suggest that the colors of the tabernacle — predominantly blue, purple, and scarlet — have some deep, spiritual meaning attached to them. However, if the text does not allude to a deeper significance, it is best to avoid those interpretations.

Bibliography. A. Brenner, Colour Terms in the Old Testament. JSOTSup 21 (Sheffield, 1982).

Rick W. Byargeon

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

COLOR

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)