Lexical Summary
tekeleth: Blue, violet, purple
Original Word:תְּכֵלֶת
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:tkeleth
Pronunciation:teh-KAY-leth
Phonetic Spelling:(tek-ay'-leth)
KJV: blue
NASB:blue, violet, purple
Word Origin:[probably forH7827 (שְׁחֵלֶת - onycha)]
1. the cerulean mussel, i.e. the color (violet) obtained therefrom or stuff dyed therewith
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
blue
Probably forshcheleth; the cerulean mussel, i.e. The color (violet) obtained therefrom or stuff dyed therewith -- blue.
see HEBREWshcheleth
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitionviolet, violet thread
NASB Translationblue (43), purple (1), violet (5).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
48 , i.e. ; usually , ; see Thatcher
Hast. DB COLOURS (Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; ); —
violet thread (spun,Exodus 35:25; woven,Exodus 39:3):
in Exodus (P) , ephod, etc., + , (q. v.; often also , ),Exodus 25:4;Exodus 26:1;Exodus 28:5,6,33;Exodus 35:25 20t.; of temple hangings (+ , , , ) 2 Chron 2:6; 2 Chronicles 2:13; 2 Chronicles 2:14; loops or cords of (alone)Exodus 26:4;Exodus 28:28,31,37;Exodus 36:11;Exodus 39:21,22,31;Numbers 15:38 (all P).
+Esther 1:6.
violet stuff, fabric.;Ezekiel 23:6,Ezekiel 27:24;Jeremiah 10:9; also in tradeEzekiel 27:7 (+ , ), compare for covering sacred utensilsNumbers 4:6,7,9,11,12 (P).
Topical Lexicon
Term and General Meaningتְּכֵלֶת (teḵēlet) is the vivid blue-violet wool obtained from a rare mollusk dye, consistently linked with worship, royalty, and covenant identity in Israel.
Occurrences and Distribution
Roughly forty-nine references span Exodus through Ezekiel, with the greatest concentration (twenty-seven) inExodus 25–39 describing the tabernacle. Subsequent mentions appear in Numbers, 2 Chronicles, Esther, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.
Cultic and Liturgical Applications
Moses was instructed, “Collect blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, fine linen, and goat hair” (Exodus 25:4). Teḵēlet threads were woven into every curtain, veil, and screen of the sanctuary, visually proclaiming that worship is conducted before the God of heaven.
Priestly Vestments
• Ephod: “of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn” (Exodus 28:6).
• Robe: “all of blue” (Exodus 28:31), hemmed with alternating blue pomegranates and gold bells (28:33-34).
• Frontlet: the golden plate engraved “Holy to the LORD” was fastened “by a cord of blue” (28:37).
Thus the high priest was encircled by teḵēlet whenever he represented the nation before God.
Tabernacle and Temple Furnishings
Curtains (Exodus 26:1), inner veil (26:31), and entrance screen (26:36) combined blue with purple, scarlet, and fine linen. For Solomon’s temple Huram-Abi supplied “blue, purple, and crimson yarn” (2 Chronicles 2:7), and the great veil contained the same palette (2 Chronicles 3:14), signaling continuity between tabernacle and temple.
Covenant Reminder in Tassels
“Speak to the Israelites and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments… with a cord of blue on each tassel” (Numbers 15:38-39). The visible strand of teḵēlet reminded every Israelite to “remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them.”
Royal and Secular Use
Mordecai emerged “in royal garments of blue and white” (Esther 8:15). Jeremiah notes that idols were clothed “in blue and purple” (Jeremiah 10:9), revealing the hue’s prestige even among the nations. Ezekiel’s oracle against Tyre describes traders dealing in “blue and embroidered cloth” (Ezekiel 27:24), attesting to its commercial value.
Symbolic and Theological Implications
1. Heavenward orientation: Blue mirrors the sky, directing worshipers’ gaze toward God’s throne (cf.Exodus 24:10).
2. Royal authority: Worn by kings and priests, it prefigures the unified kingship and priesthood of the Messiah.
3. Holiness and obedience: The tassel thread links sight to memory, turning theology into daily practice.
4. Mediation: The seamless priestly robe foreshadows the perfect mediation of Christ.
Historical and Material Aspects
Rabbinic testimony and archaeology identify the dye source as the Mediterranean murex snail. Labor-intensive extraction and sunlight-dependent processing explain the color’s expense and why the knowledge later faded. Dye vats uncovered along Phoenician coastlines corroborate Ezekiel’s description of Tyre’s trade in teḵēlet.
Typological and Christological Reflections
The high priest’s seamless blue robe (Exodus 28:32) anticipates the seamless garment of Jesus (John 19:23-24). As blue linked priest and sanctuary, so Christ unites heaven and earth, bearing His people’s names before the Father.
Contemporary Ministry Application
While ceremonial requirements have been fulfilled, teḵēlet still instructs. Believers, a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), cultivate visible and habitual reminders of God’s Word, adorn worship with symbols that lift eyes heavenward, and proclaim the majesty signified by ancient blue.
Key References
Exodus 25:4; 26:1, 31, 36; 28:6, 31-37; 35:6, 23, 25;Numbers 15:38-41;2 Chronicles 2:7, 14; 3:14;Esther 1:6; 8:15;Jeremiah 10:9;Ezekiel 23:6; 27:7, 24.
Forms and Transliterations
בַּתְּכֵ֙לֶת֙ בַּתְּכֵ֣לֶת בתכלת הַתְּכֵ֖לֶת הַתְּכֵ֙לֶת֙ הַתְּכֵ֤לֶת התכלת וּתְכֵ֔לֶת וּתְכֵ֗לֶת וּתְכֵ֤לֶת וּתְכֵ֧לֶת ותכלת תְּכֵ֔לֶת תְּכֵ֖לֶת תְּכֵ֗לֶת תְּכֵ֣לֶת תְּכֵ֤לֶת תְּכֵ֥לֶת תְּכֵ֧לֶת תְּכֵ֨לֶת תְּכֵֽלֶת׃ תְּכֵלֶת֒ תְכֵ֙לֶת֙ תכלת תכלת׃ bat·tə·ḵê·leṯ batteChelet battəḵêleṯ hat·tə·ḵê·leṯ hatteChelet hattəḵêleṯ tə·ḵê·leṯ ṯə·ḵê·leṯ teChelet təḵêleṯ ṯəḵêleṯ ū·ṯə·ḵê·leṯ uteChelet ūṯəḵêleṯ
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