Lexical Summary
adom: Red
Original Word:אָדָם
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:adam
Pronunciation:ah-DOME
Phonetic Spelling:(aw-dam')
NASB:dyed red, red, ruddy
Word Origin:[to show blood (in the face), i.e. flush or turn rosy]
1. be (dyed, made) red (ruddy)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
be dyed, made red ruddy
To show blood (in the face), i.e. Flush or turn rosy -- be (dyed, made) red (ruddy).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitionto be red
NASB Translationdyed red (6), red (3), ruddy (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[, ] (on formation compare Lag
BN 83 compare 120) —
Perfect3pluralruddy, of NaziritesLamentations 4:7;
Participle reddened, dyed red,Nahum 2:4 (of shield), of rams' skinsExodus 25:5;Exodus 26:14;Exodus 35:7,23;Exodus 36:19;Exodus 39:34 (all P).
Imperfect redden, grow orlook red,Proverbs 23:31 (of wine);
Imperfect emit (show) redness (compare LagBN 120)Isaiah 1:18 (of sins) i.e. be glaring, flagrant (compare alsoIsaiah 1:15).
Topical Lexicon
Thematic OverviewThe root behind Strong’s Hebrew 119 paints the Hebrew Scriptures with a spectrum of vivid red—from the dyed tabernacle coverings to prophetic scenes of judgment. Each appearance of the term accents an aspect of human sin, divine covering, or martial vigor, setting the color red in deliberate theological contrast to purity and peace.
Use in Tabernacle Fabrics and Coverings
Six of the ten occurrences cluster around the construction narrative of the wilderness tabernacle (Exodus 25:5; 26:14; 35:7; 35:23; 36:19; 39:34). “Ram skins dyed red” formed the outermost protective layer of the sanctuary. The choice of a blood-toned covering signaled that fellowship with God would forever be mediated through substitutionary sacrifice. The ram, offered in Isaac’s place on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:13), already bore typological weight; dyed red, its skin visually preached that access to the Holy One lies under a scarlet canopy of atonement. Throughout Israel’s forty-year sojourn the people literally camped in the shadow of a blood-colored reminder that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).
Association with Blood, Sacrifice, and Covering
The red ram skins formed only the first layer of symbolism. Later prophets drew on the same chromatic vocabulary to speak of moral stain.Isaiah 1:18 contrasts sins “red as crimson” with the promised cleansing that makes them “white as snow.” The pairing of color and cleansing recalls the tabernacle covering: what once preached condemnation becomes, through divine provision, a banner of mercy. In the same way,Lamentations 4:7 mourns the princes of Zion whose once “ruddy” appearance—suggestive of health and privilege—has faded under judgment, a reversal of covenant blessing.
Redness as Symbol of Sensual Allure
Proverbs 23:31 employs the root metaphorically: “Do not gaze at wine while it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.” The vibrant hue that once adorned sacred space here warns of intoxication’s deceit. The proverbist thus sets a moral boundary: what belongs to sacrificial worship must never be commandeered for self-indulgence. The shared redness of wine and blood highlights the choice between covenant loyalty and fleshly excess.
Prophetic Warfare Imagery
Nahum 2:3 moves the term onto the battlefield: “The shields of his warriors are dyed red.” Assyria’s armies, daubed in the color of blood, march toward judgment; yet their own crimson armor foreshadows the bloodshed awaiting them. As with the tabernacle, the color red promises both protection and exposure—finding its true meaning only in relation to the LORD’s verdict.
Ruddy Beauty and Royal Splendor
InLamentations 4:7 the “ruddy” complexion of Nazarites evokes vigor, youth, and covenant devotion. Earlier Scripture applies the same adjective to David (1 Samuel 16:12), connecting regal promise with healthy ruddy cheeks. Strong’s 119 therefore bridges the sanctuary and the throne: the same red that shelters the sanctuary also adorns the king whom God raises up.
Typological and Christological Considerations
All Old Testament scarlet ultimately anticipates the blood of “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The red ram skins prefigure Christ’s flesh—both human and sacrificial—covering His people. Isaiah’s crimson stain finds its remedy at the cross, where the true David, ruddy yet radiant, offers His own blood as atonement. Even the dyed shields of Nahum foresee Revelation’s Rider “dressed in a robe dipped in blood” (Revelation 19:13), who conquers by the same sacrifice that secures redemption.
Practical Ministry Implications
1. Worship leaders may trace a theological line from the scarlet layers of Exodus to the communion cup, underscoring continuity between tabernacle, cross, and church.
2. Teachers confronting addiction can contrast the alluring “red” of wine inProverbs 23 with the cleansing “red” ofIsaiah 1, presenting repentance as a move from counterfeit pleasure to true purity.
3. Preachers addressing spiritual warfare may highlightNahum 2 to show that human might, however blood-stained, cannot withstand the Judge whose own blood conquers.
4. Counselors ministering to shame can assure believers that the color most associated with sin’s stain is also the color God chose to signify covering, pointing them to the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement.
Summary
Strong’s Hebrew 119 threads a scarlet line through Scripture, coloring sanctuary, soldier, sinner, and sovereign alike. Whether warning against sensual excess, portraying royal beauty, or announcing prophetic judgment, its red hue ultimately draws every eye to the crimson tide that flows from Calvary—where sin’s stain is both exposed and erased.
Forms and Transliterations
אָ֤דְמוּ אדמו הַמְאָדָּמִ֔ים המאדמים יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם יַאְדִּ֥ימוּ יאדימו יתאדם מְאָדָּ֗ם מְאָדָּמִ֑ים מְאָדָּמִ֛ים מאדם מאדמים ’ā·ḏə·mū ’āḏəmū Ademu ham’āddāmîm ham·’ād·dā·mîm hamaddaMim mə’āddām mə’āddāmîm mə·’ād·dā·mîm mə·’ād·dām meadDam meaddaMim ya’·dî·mū ya’dîmū yaDimu yiṯ’addām yiṯ·’ad·dām yitAdDam
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