Blue
The color of Symbols
The words "blue, and purple, and scarlet" appear 26 times in Exodus and can certainly mean those colors but the entire design of the tabernacle is a coded message to express or to witness to a much deeper meaning.
Blue
The word blue appears some 50 times in the Bible. In Hebrew it is (תְּכֵלֶת) tëkeleth[1] and is said to mean blue from brilliant red through deep purple. Some think it is from (שְׁחֶלֶת) shëcheleth[2] which can mean onycha which is an ingredient used in the making of holy incense. The same letters are found in שַׁחַל in a word translated lion or fierce lion.[3]
The Hebrew (תְּכֵלֶת) tëkeleth is similar to the word תַּכְלִית takliyth[4] meaning end, perfection, consummation, completion, completeness which is from the word (כָּלָה) kalah[5] meaning to accomplish. The color blue can include the idea of accomplishing something or doing something to completion.
Purple
The word "purple" in the Torah is from ‘argaman (אַרְגָּמָן)[6] appearing 38 times and is said to be of foreign origin. But ‘argaman (אַרְגָּמָן) contains the verb to weave, (אָרַג) ‘arag and the noun (אֶרֶג) ‘ereg can mean loom or the shuttle used in the process of weaving, braiding, or connecting something and can figuratively mean "intrigue" in a negative sense.
The letters MemNun added to the word for to weave could simply suggest the continuing process of weaving, braiding, or connecting something together.
Scarlet
There are two words translated scarlet in the Torah. One is (שָׁנִי) shaniy[7] but as a number or an adjective the same letters (שָׁנִי) sheniy can mean second or distinct. The other word is (תּוֹלָע) towla‘[8] and can mean worm, scarlet stuff, crimson. The dye comes from the "coccus ilicis" female worm after she dies.
The name of the color is from the word (יָלַע) yala[9] which is translated "devoureth" and defined to speak rashly, talk wildly or even to "to swallow".
Footnotes
- ↑ 08504 תְּכֵלֶת tëkeleth [tek-ay’-leth] probably for 07827 see also 08503; n f; [BDB-1067a] [{See TWOT on 2510 }] AV-blue 50; 50
- 1) violet, violet stuff
- 1a) violet thread
- 1b) violet stuff or fabric
- 2) (TWOT) blue (covering spectrum from brilliant red through deep purple)
- 1) violet, violet stuff
- ↑ 07827 שְׁחֶלֶת shëcheleth [shekh-ay’-leth] apparently from the same as 07826 through some obscure idea, perhaps that of peeling off by concussion of sound; n f; [BDB-1006b] [{See TWOT on 2363 @@ "2363b" }] AV-onycha 1; 1 (See blue)
- 1) onycha
- 1a) an ingredient used in the holy incense
- 1) onycha
- ↑ 07826 שַׁחַל shachal [shakh’-al] from an unused root probably meaning to roar; n m; [BDB-1006b] [{See TWOT on 2363 @@ "2363a" }] AV-lion 4, fierce lion 3; 7
- 1) lion
- 1a) of Jehovah, wicked men (fig)
- 1) lion
- ↑ 08503 תַּכְלִית takliyth [tak-leeth’] from 03615; n f; [BDB-479a] [{See TWOT on 982 @@ "982f" }] AV-end 2, perfection 2, perfect 1; 5
- 1) end, perfection, consummation, completion, completeness
- 1a) end
- 1b) completeness
- 1) end, perfection, consummation, completion, completeness
- ↑ 03615 כָּלָה kalah [kaw-law’] a primitive root; v; [BDB-477a] [{See TWOT on 982 }] [{See TWOT on 983 }] [{See TWOT on 984 }] AV-consume 57, end 44, finish 20, fail 18, accomplish 12, done 9, spend 8, ended 7, determined 4, away 3, fulfil 3, fainteth 2, destroy 2, left 2, waste 2, misc 13; 206
- 1) to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent
- 1a) (Qal)
- 1a1) to be complete, be at an end
- 1a2) to be completed, be finished
- 1a3) to be accomplished, be fulfilled
- 1a4) to be determined, be plotted (bad sense)
- 1a5) to be spent, be used up
- 1a6) to waste away, be exhausted, fail
- 1a7) to come to an end, vanish, perish, be destroyed
- 1b) (Piel)
- 1b1) to complete, bring to an end, finish
- 1b2) to complete (a period of time)
- 1b3) to finish (doing a thing)
- 1b4) to make an end, end
- 1b5) to accomplish, fulfil, bring to pass
- 1b6) to accomplish, determine (in thought)
- 1b7) to put an end to, cause to cease
- 1b8) to cause to fail, exhaust, use up, spend
- 1b9) to destroy, exterminate
- 1c) (Pual) to be finished, be ended, be completed
- 1a) (Qal)
- 1) to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent
- ↑ 0713 אַרְגָּמָן ‘argaman [ar-gaw-mawn’] of foreign origin; n m; [BDB-71a] [{See TWOT on 157 @@ "157b" }] AV-purple 38; 38
- 1) purple, red-purple
- It may be of foreign origin but it contains the verb for to weave, (אָרַג) ‘arag, which has nothing to do with purple but would have to with braiding or connecting something. The letters MemNun added to the word for to weave could simply suggest a continuing of weaving, braiding, or connecting something. As a noun (אֶרֶג) ‘ereg is also the word for loom or even the shuttle by which you weave.
- ↑ 08144 שָׁנִי shaniy [shaw-nee’] of uncertain derivation; n m; [BDB-1040b] [{See TWOT on 2420 @@ "2420a" }] AV-scarlet 34, scarlet + 08438 5, scarlet thread 2, crimson 1; 42
- 1) scarlet, crimson
- 1a) properly, the insect ‘coccus ilicis’, the dried body of the female yielding colouring matter from which is made the dye used for cloth to colour it scarlet or crimson
- 1) scarlet, crimson
- ↑ 08438 תּוֹלָע towla‘ [to-law’] and (fem)
תולעה towle‘ah [to-lay-aw’] or
תולעת towla‘ath [to-lah’-ath] or
תלעת tola‘ath [to-lah’-ath] from 03216 to speak rashly ; n m/n f; [BDB-1068b, BDB-1069a] [{See TWOT on 2516 @@ "2516b" }] AV-scarlet 34, worm 8, crimson 1; 43
- 1) worm, scarlet stuff, crimson
- 1a) worm-the female ‘coccus ilicis’
- 1b) scarlet stuff, crimson, scarlet
- 1b1) the dye made from the dried body of the female of the worm "coccus ilicis"
- 2) worm, maggot
- 2a) worm, grub
- 2b) the worm "coccus ilicis"
- When the female of the scarlet worm species was ready to give birth to her young, she would attach her body to the trunk of a tree, fixing herself so firmly and permanently that she would never leave again. The eggs deposited beneath her body were thus protected until the larvae were hatched and able to enter their own life cycle. As the mother died, the crimson fluid stained her body and the surrounding wood. From the dead bodies of such female scarlet worms, the commercial scarlet dyes of antiquity were extracted. What a picture this gives of Christ, dying on the tree, shedding his precious blood that he might "bring many sons unto glory" (#Heb 2:10)! He died for us, that we might live through him! #Ps 22:6 describes such a worm and gives us this picture of Christ. (cf. #Isa 1:18) (from page 73, "Biblical Basis for Modern Science," 1985, Baker Book House, by Henry Morris)
- 1) worm, scarlet stuff, crimson
- ↑ 03216 יָלַע yala‘ [yaw-lah’] a primitive root; v; [BDB-534a] [{See TWOT on 1098 }] AV-devoureth 1; 1
- 1) (Qal) to speak rashly, talk wildly
- 1a) (TWOT) to swallow, swallow down
- 1) (Qal) to speak rashly, talk wildly