The Significance of Purple in the Bible: A Divine Color
Purple appears 41 times throughout the Bible, carrying deep symbolism and significance. From the construction of the tabernacle in Exodus to the mockery of Jesus during His crucifixion, purple consistently represents themes of holiness, authority, and sacrifice. This blog post explores the various scriptures where purple is mentioned, offering insights into its symbolic meaning and how it invites believers to reflect on their relationship with God. Through understanding the rich history of purple in the Bible, we gain a greater appreciation for the depth and beauty of scripture and its guidance in our faith journey.
Exodus 25:4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
Exodus 26:1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.
Exodus 26:31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
Exodus 26:36 And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.
Exodus 27:16 And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.
Exodus 28:5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
Exodus 28:6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.
Exodus 28:8: "And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen."
Exodus 28:15: "And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it."
Exodus 28:33: "And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:"
Exodus 35:6: "And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,"
Exodus 35:23: "And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them."
Exodus 35:25: "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."
Exodus 35:35: "Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work."
Exodus 36:8: "And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work made he them."
Exodus 36:35: "And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work."
Exodus 36:37: "And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework;"
Exodus 38:18: "And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court."
Exodus 38:23: "And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen."
Exodus 39:1: "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."
Exodus 39:2: "And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen."
Exodus 39:3: "And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work."
Exodus 39:5: "And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the Lord commanded Moses."
Exodus 39:8: "And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen."
Exodus 39:24: "And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen."
Exodus 39:29: "And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the Lord commanded Moses."
Numbers and Judges
Numbers 4:13: "And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon."
Judges 8:26: "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."
Chronicles and Esther
2 Chronicles 2:7: "Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide."
2 Chronicles 2:14: "The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father."
2 Chronicles 3:14: "And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon."
Esther 1:6: "Where were white, green, and blue, hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble."
Esther 8:15: "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."
Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel
Proverbs 31:22: "She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple."
Song of Solomon 3:10: "He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem."
Song of Solomon 7:5: "Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries."
Jeremiah 10:9: "Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men."
Ezekiel 27:7: "Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee."
Ezekiel 27:16 Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making: they occupied in thy fairs with emeralds, purple, and broidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate.
Mark 15:17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
Mark 15:20 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.
Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
John 19:2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
John 19:5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!
Acts 16:14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Revelation 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Revelation 18:12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
Revelation 18:16 And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Conclusion
The color purple in the Bible carries profound significance, representing themes of holiness, authority, and sacrifice. Throughout scripture, from the construction of the tabernacle to the garments of the high priests, and even in the mockery of Jesus during His crucifixion, purple consistently signifies a connection to the divine and the sacred.
This deep symbolism invites believers to reflect on their relationship with God and the ways they can embody the values of royalty, reverence, and sacrifice in their own lives. The recurrence of purple throughout the Bible serves as a reminder of God's majesty and the honor of being part of His divine plan.
By understanding the rich history and significance of purple in the Bible, we gain a greater appreciation for the depth and beauty of scripture, and the ways it continues to inspire and guide our faith journey today.
In our journey through life, we often seek guidance and wisdom beyond our own understanding. St. Mykul’s prayer is a beautiful expression of this desire, a heartfelt plea for divine intervention and alignment with Jehovah’s will. It serves as a reminder of the profound connection we can cultivate with the divine, allowing us to become vessels of His wisdom and love.
St. Mykul’s prayer:
“I pray for Jehovah to speak through me all the time, and I pray for Jehovah to remove all my thoughts, and implant His thoughts all the time, as I do not even want my thoughts.”
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