Topical Encyclopedia
In the Bible, the color black is often associated with mourning, affliction, and judgment, but it can also symbolize depth and mystery. The use of black in Scripture is both literal and metaphorical, appearing in various contexts that convey different aspects of human experience and divine interaction.
Mourning and AfflictionBlack is frequently linked to mourning and sorrow. In the ancient Near Eastern culture, wearing sackcloth, which was typically black, was a common expression of grief and repentance. In the book of Job, Job laments his suffering and uses imagery associated with darkness: "My skin grows black and peels, and my bones burn with fever" (
Job 30:30). This verse highlights the physical and emotional toll of his afflictions.
Judgment and CalamityThe color black is also used to describe judgment and calamity. In the prophetic literature, blackness often symbolizes the severity of God's judgment. For instance, in the book of Jeremiah, the prophet describes the desolation of the land: "The whole land is desolate, because no one takes it to heart. The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gates are desolate; her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she herself is bitter" (
Jeremiah 4:28). The imagery of desolation and mourning is often accompanied by darkness, underscoring the gravity of divine judgment.
Mystery and DepthWhile black is predominantly associated with negative connotations, it can also represent mystery and depth. In the Song of Solomon, the Shulammite woman describes herself as "dark, yet lovely" (
Song of Solomon 1:5). Here, the term "dark" is not used pejoratively but rather to express her unique beauty and allure. This passage reflects the complexity and richness of human identity and relationships.
Symbolism in Apocalyptic LiteratureIn apocalyptic literature, black is used symbolically to convey cosmic disturbances and divine intervention. In the book of Revelation, the opening of the third seal reveals a black horse, symbolizing famine and economic hardship: "Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, 'A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine'" (
Revelation 6:5-6). The black horse represents scarcity and the dire consequences of divine judgment on the earth.
Cultural and Historical ContextUnderstanding the use of black in the Bible requires an appreciation of the cultural and historical context of the ancient world. Black was a color associated with the natural cycles of life and death, as well as the spiritual realities of sin and redemption. The biblical authors employed the color black to communicate profound truths about the human condition and God's sovereign purposes.
In summary, the color black in the Bible serves as a multifaceted symbol, reflecting themes of mourning, judgment, mystery, and divine intervention. Its usage across various books and genres underscores the depth and complexity of biblical theology and the human experience.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Properly the absence of all colour. In
Proverbs 7:9 the Hebrew word means, as in the margin of the Revised Version, "the pupil of the eye." It is translated "apple" of the eye in
Deuteronomy 32:10;
Psalm 17:8;
Proverbs 7:2. It is a different word which is rendered "black" in
Leviticus 13:31,37; Cant. 1:5;
5:11; and
Zechariah 6:2, 6. It is uncertain what the "black marble" of
Esther 1:6 was which formed a part of the mosaic pavement.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
a.) Destitute of light, or incapable of reflecting it; of the color of soot or coal; of the darkest or a very dark color, the opposite of white
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
HORSE, BLACK(hippos melas): Symbolic of famine ("balance. measure of wheat for a shilling," etc.,Revelation 6:5, 6; compareZechariah 6:2, 6).
SeeREVELATION OF JOHN.
BLACK
SeeCOLORS.
Greek
3189. melas --black... 3188, 3189. melas. 3190 .
black. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration:
melas Phonetic Spelling: (mel'-as) Short Definition:
black Definition:
black.
...4807. sukaminos -- the mulberry tree, the sycamine
... Feminine Transliteration: sukaminos Phonetic Spelling: (soo-kam'-ee-nos) Short
Definition: a sycamore tree Definition: a sycamore tree,black mulberry tree....
2217. zophos -- deep gloom
... Word Origin akin to gnophos Definition deep gloom NASB Word Usageblack
(2), darkness (2), gloom (1). blackness, darkness, mist....
4809. sukomorea -- the fig-mulberry tree, sycamore fig
... Word Origin from sukon and moron (theblack mulberry) Definition the fig-mulberry
tree, sycamore fig NASB Word Usage sycamore tree (1). sycamore tree....
3468. molops -- a bruise
... stripe, wound. From molos ("moil"; probably akin to the base of molis) and probably
ops (the face; from optanomai); a mole ("black eye") or blow-mark -- stripe....
931. basanos -- a touchstone (a dark stone used in testing metals)...
... Cognate: 931 -- originally, ablack, silicon-based stone used as "a touchstone"
to the purity of precious metals (like silver and gold). See 928 ()....
3526. Niger -- Niger, a Christian
... Niger. Of Latin origin;black; Niger, a Christian -- Niger. (niger) -- 1
Occurrence. 3525, 3526. Niger. 3527 . Strong's Numbers.
5299. hupopiazo -- to strike under the eye
... worry, exhaust. 5299 (from 5259 , "under" and , "eye") -- properly, to strike ,
ie giving someone "ablack eye.". Word Origin from...
4195. Pontos -- "a sea," Pontus, a region of Asia Minor
... Phonetic Spelling: (pon'-tos) Short Definition: Pontus Definition: Pontus, a Roman
province in the north of Asia Minor, bordering on theBlack Sea, governed...
978. Bithunia -- Bithynia, a province in Asia Minor
... Spelling: (bee-thoo-nee'-ah) Short Definition: Bithynia Definition: Bithynia, a
Roman province, north-west of Asia Minor and south-west of theBlack Sea....
Strong's Hebrew
7835. shachar -- to beblack... to be
black. Transliteration: shachar Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-khar') Short Definition:
black.
... root Definition to be
black NASB Word Usage turns
black (1).
...7838. shachor --black
...black. Transliteration: shachor Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-khore') Short Definition:
black. Word Origin from shachar Definitionblack NASB Word Usageblack (6)....
2345. chum -- darkened, dark brown orblack
... 2344, 2345. chum. 2346 . darkened, dark brown orblack. Transliteration:
chum Phonetic Spelling: (khoom) Short Definition:black....
806. Ashchuwr -- "black," an Israelite
... 805b, 806. Ashchuwr. 806a . "black," an Israelite. Transliteration: Ashchuwr
Phonetic Spelling: (ash-khoor') Short Definition: Ashur. Ashur...
806a. Ashchur -- "black," an Israelite
... 806, 806a. Ashchur. 806b . "black," an Israelite. Transliteration: Ashchur
Short Definition: Ashhur. Word Origin from shachar Definition "black," an Isr....
7100. qetsach --black cumin
... 7099, 7100. qetsach. 7101 .black cumin. Transliteration: qetsach Phonetic
Spelling: (keh'-tsakh) Short Definition: dill. Word Origin...
5508. sochereth -- a stone (used in paving)
...black marble. Similar to cocherah; probably a (black) tile (or tessara) for laying
borders with --black marble. see HEBREW cocherah. 5507, 5508....
2821. chashak -- to be or grow dark
... beblack, be make dark, darken, cause darkness, be dim, hide. A primitive
root; to be dark (as withholding light); transitively, to...
3648. kamar -- to grow warm and tender, to be or grow hot
... beblack, be kindled, yearn. A primitive root; properly, to intertwine or contract,
ie (by implication) to shrivel (as with heat); figuratively...
7840. shecharchoreth -- blackish
... Word Origin from shachar Definition blackish NASB Word Usage swarthy (1).black.
From shachar; swarthy --black. see HEBREW shachar. 7839, 7840....
Library
WilliamBlack
WilliamBlack. <. WilliamBlack John Maclean. Produced by Diane
Monico and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team...
The Life of Mr. DavidBlack.
... The Life of Mr. DAVIDBLACK. Mr.Black was for some time colleague to the
worthy Mr. Andrew Melvil minister at St. Andrews. He was...
For if this Deity Requires aBlack, that a White Skin...
... Book III. 43 For if this deity requires ablack, that a white skin? For
if this deity [4070] requires ablack, that [4071] a white...
I amBlack, but Comely, O Ye Daughters of Jerusalem, as the Tents...
... COMMENTARY. CHAPTER I. 4. I amblack, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem,
as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon....
ABlack Catalogue.
... Book X. Chapter XXI."ABlack Catalogue. "Thus much of his incests; I shall
now speak of his adulteries. He defiled Europa, the...
Knox in England: theBlack Rubric: Exile: 1549-1554
... CHAPTER IV: KNOX IN ENGLAND: THEBLACK RUBRIC: EXILE: 1549-1554.... restored, this
"Black Rubric" which Anglicanism owes to the Scottish Reformer....
Black and Wesley.
WilliamBlack. <.... V.BLACK AND WESLEY. A memorable year for Methodism
and WilliamBlack was 1791, as on the second day...
Black-Balled by Man, Saved by Christ.
...Black-balled by Man, Saved by Christ.... They went and made inquiry about him, and
they found he was a drunken sailor, so theyblack-balled him....
Emancipation --Black and White.
... II. EMANCIPATION"BLACK AND WHITE. Quashie's plaintive inquiry, "Am I
not a man and a brother?" seems at last to have received...
WilliamBlack
WilliamBlack. <.... Title Page. WILLIAMBLACK THE APOSTLE OF METHODISM IN
THE MARITIME PROVINCES OF CANADA. BY JOHN MACLEAN, PH. D.,....
Thesaurus
Black (52 Occurrences)... of the eye." It is translated "apple" of the eye in Deuteronomy 32:10; Psalm
17:8; Proverbs 7:2. It is a different word which is rendered "
black" in Leviticus
...Black-mulberry-tree (1 Occurrence)
Black-mulberry-tree. Blackish,Black-mulberry-tree. Blackness .
Multi-Version ConcordanceBlack-mulberry-tree (1 Occurrence)....
Chemarim (1 Occurrence)
...Black, (Zephaniah 1:4; rendered "idolatrous priests" in 2 Kings 23:5, and "priests"
in Hosea 10:5). Some derive this word from the Assyrian Kamaru, meaning "to...
Blackness (13 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) The quality or state of beingblack;black color;
atrociousness or enormity in wickedness. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia....
Cormorant (4 Occurrences)
... Cormorants devour fish voraciously, and have become the emblem of gluttony. They
are generallyblack, and hence are called sea ravens, and coalgeese....
Marble (5 Occurrences)
... (3.) Bahat, "red marble," probably the verd-antique or half-porphyry of Egypt.
(4.) Sohareth, "black marble," probably some spotted variety of marble....
Raven (7 Occurrences)
... Hebrews `orebh, from a root meaning "to beblack" (Comp. Cant.... 1. (n.) A largeblack
passerine bird (Corvus corax), similar to the crow, but larger....
Ebony (2 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Ablack, hard wood, brought by the merchants from India
to Tyre (Ezek.... The usual color isblack, but it also occurs red or green....
Mulberry (6 Occurrences)
... trembling poplar. "We know with certainty that theblack poplar, the aspen,
and the Lombardy poplar grew in Palestine. The aspen...
Coal (7 Occurrences)
... Two different words are found in Hebrew to denote coal, both occurring in Proverbs
26:21, "As coal [Hebrews peham; ie, "black coal"] is to burning coal...
Resources
Who are the Black Hebrews / Black Israelites? | GotQuestions.orgAre there any black people mentioned in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgHow should Christians view the Black Lives Matter movement? | GotQuestions.orgBlack: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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