Reference: Purple
American
The famous and costly Tyrian purple, the royal color of the ancients, is said to have been discovered by the Tyrian Hercules, whose dog having by chance eaten a shellfish called Purpura, and returning to his master with his lips tinged with a purple color, occasioned the discovery of this precious dye. Purple, however, is much more ancient than this, since we find it mentioned by Moses in several places. Two kinds of purple are mentioned in the Old Testament:
1. Argamon, rendered in our version "purple," denoting a reddish purple obtained from a species of muscle or shellfish found on the coasts of the Mediterranean.
2. Techieleth, rendered in the English Bible "blue." This was a bluish or cerulean purple, likewise obtained from another species of shellfish. The "scarlet" or "crimson," for the two words denote essentially the same color, was produced from the coccus in sect, coccus ilicis. All these were sacred colors among the Jews; and the latter was used for the highpriest's ephod, and for veils, ribbons, and cloths, Ex 26:1,4,31,36; 28:31; Nu 4:6-12; 15:38.
The "purple" of the ancients seems to have included many different tints derived originally from the shellfish, and modified by various arts in which the Tyrians excelled. As each fish yielded but a few drops of coloring matter, the choicest purple bore a very high price. Purple robes were worn by the kings and first magistrates of ancient Rome, and Nero forbade their use by his subjects under pain of death. Our Savior was clothed with a royal robe of purple, in mockery of his title, "The King of the Jews" Joh 19:2,5. Compare also Jg 8:26; Es 8:15; Pr 31:22; Da 5:7; Lu 16:19. Moses used much wool dyed of a crimson and used much wool dyed of a crimson and purple color in the work of the tabernacle, and in the ornaments of the high priest, Ex 25:4; 26:1,31,36; 39:1; 2Ch 3:14. The Babylonians also clothed their idols in robes of a purple and azure color, Jer 10:9; Eze 23:15; 27:7,16.
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And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubim of skillful work shall you make them.
Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubim of skillful work shall you make them.
And you shall make loops of blue upon the edge of the outmost curtain from the first set; and likewise shall you make in the edge of the outmost curtain, in the coupling of the second set.
And you shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of skillful work: with cherubim shall it be made:
And you shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of skillful work: with cherubim shall it be made:
And you shall make a hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework.
And you shall make a hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework.
And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.
And shall put thereon the covering of badger skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in its poles. And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover them: and the showbread shall be on it: read more. And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badger skins, and shall put in its poles. And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the lampstand of the light, and its lamps, and its wick trimmers, and its trays, and all the oil vessels thereof, with which they minister unto it: And they shall put it and all the utensils thereof within a covering of badger skins, and shall put it upon a carrying beam. And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badger skins, and shall put in its poles: And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badger skins, and shall put them on a carrying beam:
Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them tassels in the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the tassel of the corners a thread of blue:
And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.
And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.
She makes herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Silver beaten into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the craftsman, and of the hands of the goldsmith: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of skillful men.
Girded with belts upon their waists, exceeding in flowing turbans upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity:
Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was that which you spread forth to be your sail; blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was that which covered you.
Syria was your merchant because of the multitude of the wares of your making: they traded in your wares with emeralds, purple, and embroidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate.
The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spoke, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me its interpretation, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and feasted sumptuously every day:
And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate said unto them, Behold the man!
Fausets
argan. Obtained by the Tyrians from the shell fish Murex purpura, and Murex conchylium. (Ex 25:4; 35:25; Jg 8:26; Pr 31:22).
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And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.
And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.
She makes herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Hastings
Morish
A colour often mentioned with blue and scarlet in connection with the tabernacle. Ex 25:4, etc. Among the spoils taken from the Midianites under Gideon was "purple raiment that was on the kings," and it is used as a symbol of royalty. Jg 8:26. In derision the soldiers put a crown of thorns and a 'purple' robe on the Lord, as king of the Jews. 2000'>Mr 15:17,20; Joh 19:2,5. The rich man in Lu 16:19 was clothed in purple; and papal Rome is seen as a woman clothed in purple and scarlet, royalty and splendour. Re 17:4; 18:12,16.
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And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.
And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and feasted sumptuously every day:
And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate said unto them, Behold the man!
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all citron wood, and all manner of vessels of ivory, and all manner of vessels of most precious wood, and of bronze, and iron, and marble,
And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Watsons
PURPLE, ?????, Ex 25:4, &c; ???????, 2000'>Mr 15:17,20; Lu 16:19; Joh 19:2,5; Re 17:4; 18:12,16. This is supposed to be the very precious colour extracted from the purpura or murex, a species of shell fish; and the same with the famous Tyrian dye, so costly, and so much celebrated in antiquity. The purple dye is called in 1 Macc. 4:23, "purple of the sea," or sea purple; it being the blood or juice of a turbinated shell fish, which the Jews call ?????. (See Scarlet.) Among the blessings pronounced by Moses upon the tribes of Israel, those of Zebulun and Issachar are, "They shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of the treasures hid in the sand," De 33:19. Jonathan Ben Uzziel explains the latter clause thus: "From the sand are produced looking glasses, and glass in general; the treasures, the method of finding and working which, was revealed to these tribes." Several ancient writers inform us, that there were havens in the coasts of the Zebulunites, in which the sand proper for making glass was found. The words of Tacitus are remarkable: "Et Belus amnis Judaico mari illabitur, circa ejus os lectae arenae admixto nitro in vitrum excoquuntur." "The river Belus falls into the Jewish sea, about whose mouth those sands mixed with nitre are collected, out of which glass is formed." But it seems much more natural to explain "the treasures hid in the sand," of those highly valuable murices and purpurae which were found on the sea coast, near the country of Zebulun and Issachar, and of which those tribes partook in common with their Heathen neighbours of Tyre, who rendered the curious dyes made from those shell fish so famous among the Romans by the names of Sarranum ostrum, Tyrii colores. In reference to the purple vestment, Lu 16:19, it may be observed that this was not appropriately a royal robe. In the earlier times it was the dress of any of high rank. Thus all the courtiers were styled by the historians purpurati. This colour is more properly crimson than purple; for the LXX, Josephus, and Philo, constantly use ???????? to express the Hebrew ?????, by which the Talmudists understood crimson; and that this Hebrew word expressed, not the Tyrian purple, but that brought to the city from another country, appears from Eze 27:7. The purple robe put on our Saviour, Joh 19:2,5, is explained by a Roman custom, the dressing of a person in the robes of state, as the investiture of office. Hence the robe brought by Herod's or the Roman soldiers, scoffingly, was as though it had been the pictae vestes usually sent by the Roman senate. In Ac 16:14, Lydia is said to be "a seller of purple." Mr. Harmer styles purple the most sublime of all earthly colours, having the gaudiness of red, of which it retains a shade, softened with the gravity of blue.
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And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall partake of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.
Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was that which you spread forth to be your sail; blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was that which covered you.
And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and feasted sumptuously every day:
There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and feasted sumptuously every day:
And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate said unto them, Behold the man!
Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate said unto them, Behold the man!
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, so that she attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul.
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all citron wood, and all manner of vessels of ivory, and all manner of vessels of most precious wood, and of bronze, and iron, and marble,
And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!