Colors

Colors enter scripture mostly through cloth. The dyed threads of the tabernacle, the vestments of the high priest, the robes of kings, and the horses of prophetic vision all carry their meaning by hue. Blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen are the recurring quartet of sacred craftsmanship; white belongs to holiness and to the figures of the heavenly court; red, crimson, and scarlet move between blood, sin, conquest, and royalty; black gathers around famine and judgment.

The Tabernacle Quartet

The construction of the tabernacle binds blue, purple, and scarlet together with fine twined linen. The contribution list opens with the colors: "and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' [hair]," (Ex 25:4). The skilled workmen receive the gold "and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen" for the work (Ex 28:5). The ten curtains of the dwelling are woven of the same fabrics, with cherubim figured into them by the skilled workman (Ex 26:1). The veil that screens the most holy place is "of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen" with cherubim worked into it (Ex 26:31), and the screen at the door of the Tent (Ex 26:36) and the gate of the court (Ex 27:16) are made of the same four. Numbers preserves the colors during the camp's movement: the lampstand and its vessels are wrapped in a cloth of all blue (Nu 4:6); the altar is spread with a purple cloth after its ashes are taken away (Nu 4:13); the table of show-bread vessels are spread with a cloth of scarlet (Nu 4:8). When Solomon writes to Hiram for a craftsman, he asks for one skilled "in purple, and crimson, and blue" (2 Chr 2:7), and the temple veil that follows the tabernacle pattern is "of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubim on it" (2 Chr 3:14). Hebrews recapitulates the colored thread inside the atonement: Moses "took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people" (Heb 9:19).

The Priestly Vestments

The colors that clothe the sanctuary also clothe its priest. The garments listed for Aaron are "a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of checker work, a turban, and a belt" (Ex 28:4); the ephod itself is made "of gold, of blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skillful workman" (Ex 28:6). The breastplate of judgment is made "like the work of an ephod," "of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen" (Ex 28:15). The robe of the ephod is "all of blue" (Ex 28:31; Ex 39:22), and on its skirts are pomegranates "of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about its skirts; and bells of gold between them round about" (Ex 28:33). The construction record reports the work done: "And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen" (Ex 39:2), the gold beaten into wires "to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen" (Ex 39:3). The contribution rolls in the rams' skins dyed red and the materials brought to make it all (Ex 35:23). At the investiture, Moses puts the coat on Aaron, girds him with the belt, clothes him with the robe, sets the ephod on him, and binds it with the skillfully woven band (Lev 8:7). On the Day of Atonement the high priest sets aside the colored finery and approaches Yahweh in unrelieved white: "He will put on the holy linen coat, and he will have the linen breeches on his flesh, and will be girded with the linen belt, and with the linen turban he will be attired: they are the holy garments" (Lev 16:4). The fringe on every Israelite's garment carries one of the priestly colors into ordinary life: "that they put on the fringe of each border a cord of blue" (Nu 15:38).

Aside from the colored fabrics, the cleansing rites draw on the same palette. The ritual for a leper takes "two living clean birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop" (Lev 14:4). The red heifer prescribed for the water of cleansing is "without spot, in which is no blemish, [and] on which never came a yoke" (Nu 19:2). Sirach pictures the high priest Simon at the climax of the same colored heritage: "When he put on his glorious robes, And clothed himself in full splendor, When he went up to the altar of majesty, And made glorious the court of the sanctuary" (Sir 50:11).

Joseph's Coat

The first colored garment in the canon is a domestic one. Israel "loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors" (Gen 37:3). The coat is the visible mark of his father's preference and the trigger of his brothers' hatred — color set apart at the level of family before it was set apart at the level of worship.

Royal and Elite Garments

Outside the sanctuary, the same colors mark wealth and rule. Scarlet is the women's mourning garment for Saul: "Who clothed you⁺ in scarlet delicately, Who put ornaments of gold on your⁺ apparel" (2 Sa 1:24). The capable woman of Proverbs is not afraid of the snow because all her household has double clothes (Pr 31:21), and her own clothing is "fine linen and purple" (Pr 31:22). Gideon takes from the kings of Midian "the purple raiment that was on the kings" (Judg 8:26). Mordecai goes out from the king "in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purple" (Es 8:15). Ahasuerus's court itself is built of color: "[There were hangings of] white [cloth], [of] green, and [of] blue, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the couches were of gold and silver, on a pavement of red, and white, and yellow, and black marble" (Es 1:6). The Assyrian governors who corrupted Oholah are "clothed with blue, governors and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses" (Eze 23:6).

The Babylonian court keeps the same convention. Belshazzar promises that whoever can read the writing on the wall "will be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck" (Da 5:7), and after Daniel reads it, "they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck" (Da 5:29). Jeremiah mocks idol-makers whose work is "blue and purple for their clothing; they are all the work of skillful men" (Je 10:9). Sirach already showed the high priest in glorious robes; 1 Maccabees adds the Hellenistic continuation. After Beth-horon, Judas's men gather "much gold, and silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches" (1 Mac 4:23). Demetrius offers Jonathan the high priesthood and "sent him a purple robe, and a crown of gold" (1 Mac 10:20). Alexander goes further: "he commanded that Jonathan's garments should be taken off, and that he should be clothed with purple" (1 Mac 10:62). Antiochus VI gives Jonathan leave "to drink in gold, and to be clothed in purple, and to wear a golden buckle" (1 Mac 11:58). Simon's decree is engraved on bronze tablets: "that he should be clothed with purple and gold" (1 Mac 14:43); none but he may be "clothed with purple, or to wear a buckle of gold" (1 Mac 14:44). Purple and the golden buckle are, in this period, the visible signs of who governs.

The Colors of Prophetic Vision

The visions of the prophets and the Apocalypse organize themselves by color. Zechariah's first night vision shows "a man riding on a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the bottom; and behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white" (Zech 1:8). The four chariots of his later vision are sorted the same way: "In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; and in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grizzled strong horses" (Zech 6:2-3). The opening of the seven seals takes up the figure: "I looked, and saw a white horse" with a bow and a crown (Rev 6:2); "another [horse] came forth, a red horse: and to him who sat on it, it was given to take peace from the earth" (Rev 6:4); "I looked, and saw a black horse; and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand" (Rev 6:5); "I looked, and saw a pale horse: and he who sat on him, his name was Death" (Rev 6:8). The sixth seal turns the colors of the heavens themselves: "the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood" (Rev 6:12). Above the firmament Ezekiel sees "the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of man on it above" (Eze 1:26).

The coloration of judgment carries into the figure of Babylon. The dragon of Revelation 12 is great and red, "having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems" (Rev 12:3). The woman of the wilderness sits "on a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns" (Rev 17:3); she herself is "arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls" (Rev 17:4). Nahum's account of Nineveh's overthrowers uses the same palette of conquest: "The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots are blazing in the day of his preparation" (Nah 2:3). Jeremiah turns the figure on Jerusalem herself: "Though you dress yourself with scarlet, though you deck you with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with paint, in vain you make yourself fair" (Jer 4:30).

White as Holiness and Glory

White marks the figures of purity and the heavenly court. Daniel's vision of the Ancient of Days names the color first: "his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames" (Dan 7:9). At the end of the same book, "Many will purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but the wicked will do wickedly" (Dan 12:10). The wisdom call adds white as festal garment: "Let your garments always be white; and don't let your head lack oil" (Eccl 9:8). The Levitical singers at the dedication of the temple stand "arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and psalteries and harps" (2 Chr 5:12). The transfiguration dresses Jesus in the same color: "his garments became glistering, exceedingly white, so as no fuller on earth can whiten them" (Mark 9:3). The risen Christ of the Apocalypse has "his head and his hair were white as white wool, [white] as snow" (Rev 1:14). The promises to the Sardian church speak the same language: "But you have a few names in Sardis who did not defile their garments: and they will walk with me in white; for they are worthy" (Rev 3:4); "He who overcomes will thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no way blot his name out of the Book of Life" (Rev 3:5). Around the throne sit "four and twenty elders sitting, arrayed in white garments; and on their heads crowns of gold" (Rev 4:4). Out of the great tribulation comes "a great multitude, which no man could number," "arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands" (Rev 7:9), of whom the elder explains: "they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Rev 7:14). The bride is given "fine linen, bright [and] pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints" (Rev 19:8). The armies that follow the Word of God are "on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white [and] pure" (Rev 19:14). The final court is "a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away" (Rev 20:11). In the same vein the white stone is given to the overcomer at Pergamum, "and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows but he who receives it" (Rev 2:17).

Red, Crimson, Scarlet — Sin and Atonement

Red and its relatives sit closest to blood. Yahweh's invitation through Isaiah holds the figure together at one verse: "Come now, and let us reason together, says Yahweh: though your⁺ sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they will be as wool" (Isa 1:18). David's plea uses the same picture: "Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean: Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow" (Ps 51:7). The conqueror of Edom comes red from his work: "Why are you red in your apparel, and your garments like him who treads in the wine vat?" (Isa 63:2). Rahab's life is bought with "this line of scarlet thread in the window" (Josh 2:18). The Sinai cleansing rites use scarlet and hyssop together (Lev 14:4); the offerings the people bring include "rams' skins dyed red" (Ex 35:23); the red heifer is set aside without blemish (Nu 19:2). And the sprinkling of blood for the inauguration of the covenant is done "with water and scarlet wool and hyssop" (Heb 9:19). The pavement of Ahasuerus's court already names red and white together with yellow and black (Es 1:6); the figure of cleansed scarlet runs throughout.

Black as Affliction and Judgment

Black is the color of mourning, famine, and judgment. Job curses the day of his birth: "Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own; Let a cloud stay on it; Let all that makes blackness of day terrify it" (Job 3:5). Lamentations describes the famine of the siege: "Their visage is blacker than a charcoal; they are not recognized in the streets: Their skin shrivels to their bones; it is withered, it has become like a stick" (Lam 4:8). The third seal rides a black horse over scarcity: "saw a black horse; and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand" (Rev 6:5). The sixth seal turns the heavens to mourning: "the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood" (Rev 6:12). The pavement at Susa already lists black marble alongside red, white, and yellow (Es 1:6) — the same color that, transferred from floor to figure, becomes the sign of the day Yahweh visits.