Zechariah 6:2 — Word Study
WLCבַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה הָרִֽאשֹׁנָ֖ה סוּסִ֣ים אֲדֻמִּ֑ים וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית סוּסִ֥ים שְׁחֹרִֽים׃
BSAThe firstriʼshôwn [primary, preceding all others] chariotmerkâbâh [vehicle for transportation or warfare] had redʼâdôm [ruddy] horsesçûwç [swallow] the secondshênîy blackshâchôr [dark] horsesçûwç [sus]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה | [were] with the chariot | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| הָרִֽאשֹׁנָ֖ה | first | Particle |
| סוּסִ֣ים | horses | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| אֲדֻמִּ֑ים | red | Adj |
| וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה | and [were] with the chariot | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית | second | Particle |
| סוּסִ֥ים | horses | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| שְׁחֹרִֽים׃ | black | Adj |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, |
| KJV | In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; |
| ASV | In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; |
| YLT | In the first chariot [are] red horses, and in the second chariot brown horses, |
| WEB | In the first chariot were red horses. In the second chariot were black horses. |
| BBE | In the first war-carriage were red horses; and in the second, black horses; |
Where they part company is in the descriptive terms for the horses and their colors — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured with a main clause followed by a subordinate clause, clearly distinguishing the two chariots.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Zechariah 6:2
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Vision of the Chariotsgenerated
Zechariah 6:2 describes a vision where four chariots emerge from between two mountains of bronze. Each chariot is drawn by horses of different colors, symbolizing various aspects of God's judgment and action in the world. This vision is part of a larger message regarding the restoration of Jerusalem and God's sovereignty over the nations, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zechariah 1:8 | I looked out into the night and saw a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the hollow, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. |
| 2 | Revelation 6:2–5 | So I looked and saw a white horse, and its rider held a bow. And he was given a crown, and he rode out to overcome and conquer. |
| 3 | Revelation 12:3 | Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads. |
| 4 | Revelation 17:3 | And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. |
| 5 | Zechariah 6:6 | The one with the black horses is going toward the land of the north, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מֶרְכָּבָה, ba.mer.ka.Vahgenerated
The word מֶרְכָּבָה (merkabah) means 'chariot' and refers to a vehicle used for transportation or warfare. It is a feminine noun that highlights the importance of this mode of transport in ancient contexts, particularly in relation to divine missions, as seen in the visions of the prophet Ezekiel.
This term appears frequently in the Old Testament and is often associated with images of power and movement. In this verse, it emphasizes the role of the chariots in the unfolding of God's plans.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses chariot for מֶרְכָּבָה and horses for סוּסִים, consistent with other translations such as the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is introduced by the finite verb 'had' and describes two separate chariots. The structure is straightforward, with each chariot described by its color and the horses that draw it.
The word order emphasizes the first chariot and its horses before moving to the second, highlighting the distinction between the two sets of horses.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מֶרְכָּבָה as ἅρματι (armati), which also means 'chariot' and carries the same connotation of a vehicle for transport or warfare.
This choice reflects the translators' intention to maintain the imagery of movement and power associated with the chariots in the original Hebrew.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Zechariah 6:2 tells us about two chariots: the first has red horses, and the second has black horses. This vision is part of a larger message about God's plans for His people.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The colors of the horses in Zechariah's vision symbolize different aspects of God's judgment and the actions of the nations.
The four chariots represent God's control over the four corners of the earth and His sovereignty over all nations.
The chariots symbolize divine action and the execution of God's will, showing that He is at work in the world.
This vision is part of a series of messages to Zechariah that emphasize God's promise to restore Jerusalem and His people.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What do the different colors of the horses tell us about God's plans and actions in the world?
- How can we see God's sovereignty in our own lives and circumstances?
- In what ways can we be instruments of God's action, like the chariots in this vision?
- How does understanding this vision help us to trust in God's promises for restoration?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Zechariah 6:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleIn the first chariot [were] red horses,.... If these are to be understood of the apostles of Christ, and ministers of the Gospel, they may be compared to "horses", for bearing the name of Christ, and
Read John Gill on Zechariah 6 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryIn the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; In the first chariot were red horses - implying carnage.
Read Robert Jamieson on Zechariah 6 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThere is no distinction made between chariot and chariot, nor any mention made of the drivers of these chariots, though these are included in the chariots. Now by the different colours of the horses doth the prophet distinguish the chariots, and possibly that is all intended by the various colours, though generally interpreters do guess by the colour of the horses what should be the quality and temper of the times pointed at; of which a little: red horses may signify bloody times, a fiery execution of wrath, ; black, a time of mortality, and wasting diseases, .
Read Matthew Poole on Zechariah 6 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsZechariah 6:2 In the first chariot [were] red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;Ver. 2. In the first chariot were red horses, &c.] These various colours seem to set forth the various administrations of the angels, deputed to various employments. The black colour betokeneth sorrowful occurrences and revolutions. The white, joyful. The red, bloody. The grizzled, various and mixed matters, partly joyful and partly sorrowful. But I easily subscribe to him that said, We must be content to be ignorant of the full meaning of this vision. Tanta est profunditas Christianarnm literarum, saith Austin so great is the depth of divine learning that there is no fathoming of it. Prophecy is…
Read John Trapp on Zechariah 6 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(2) Red.—Better, bay, as in Zechariah 1:8. “Red” is applicable to cows, but “bay” to horses.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Zechariah 6 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 2. In the first chariot were red horses] The empire of the Chaldeans, which overthrew the empire of the Assyrians. The second chariot black horses] The empire of the Persians founded by Cyrus, which destroyed the empire of the Chaldeans.
Read AdamClarke on Zechariah 6 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges2. red horses] The colours of the horses are not necessarily significant (see Zechariah 1:8, and note there). They have, however, been interpreted, as for example by Pusey: “Red, as the colour of blood, represented Babylon as sanguinary (Revelation 6:4).” “The colour black doubtless symbolises the heavy lot, inflicted by the Medo-Persians (Ib. 5, 6).” “White is a symbol of joy, gladness (Ecclesiastes 9:8), victory (Revelation 6:2), perhaps also, from its relation to light of acute intelligence.” “The grizzled, the Romans in their mingled character, so prominent in the fourth empire of Daniel (Daniel 2:41-43).”
Read Cambridge on Zechariah 6 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe symbol is different from that in the first vision. There Zechariah 1:8, they were horses only, with their riders, to go to and fro to enquire; here they are war-chariots with their horses, to
Read Albert Barnes on Zechariah 6 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses,
In the first chariot were red horses. In the second chariot were black horses.
The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses,
Harnessed to the first chariot were red horses, to the second black horses,
Tyndale line
In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
In the first charet were red horses, and in the second charet blacke horses,
Strictly literal
In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
In the first chariot [are] red horses, and in the second chariot brown horses,
In the first chariot [are] red horses, and in the second chariot brown horses,
In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot, black horses:
The first chariot had red horses, the second chariot had black horses,
From the Latin
In the first chariot were red horses, and in the second chariot black horses.
Simplified
The first chariot was pulled by red horses, the second by black horses,
In the first war-carriage were red horses; and in the second, black horses;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in the wording of this verse, with all eight words matched in the Septuagint's translation. The Dead Sea Scrolls provide a partially restored text, with some words supplied by an editor, but the essential meaning remains consistent with the Masoretic Text.
בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה הָרִֽאשֹׁנָ֖ה סוּסִ֣ים אֲדֻמִּ֑ים וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית סוּסִ֥ים שְׁחֹרִֽים׃
8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
במרכבה [הראשנה] [סוסים] [אדמים] [ובמרכבה] [השנית] [סוסים] [שחרים]
nothing on the leather here — 1 partly restored, 7 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Zechariah 6:2
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
מֶרְכָּבָה (merkabah) means 'chariot' in Hebrew. It is a feminine noun derived from the related word for chariot, מֶרְכָּב (merkav). The entries consistently define it as a chariot, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.
מֶרְכָּבָה n.f. chariot
base
H4818 מֶרְכָּבָה chariot
4818 merkabah mer-kaw-baw'
feminine of 4817; a chariot:--chariot. See also 1024.
see HEBREW for 04817
see HEBREW for 01024
מֶרְכָּבָה (mer.ka.vah) — chariot.
chariot
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHRd/Ncfsa
char'-i-ot (merkabh, merkabhah, "riding-chariot," rekhebh, "war-chariot"; harma):
1. Chariots of Egypt
2. Chariots of the Canaanites
3. Chariots of Solomon and Later Kings
4. Chariots of the Assyrians
5. Chariots of Chaldeans, Persians, Greeks
6. In the New Testament
7. Figurative Use
LITERATURE
1. Chariots of Egypt:
It is to the chariots of ancient Egypt that reference is first made in Scripture. Joseph was honored by being made to ride in the second chariot of King Pharaoh (Ge 41:43). Joseph paid honor to his father on his arrival in Goshen by meeting him in his chariot (Ge 46:29). In the state ceremonial with which the remains of Jacob were escorted to Canaan, chariots and horsemen were conspicuous (Ge 50:9). In the narrative of the…
Chariot
A vehicle generally used for warlike purposes. Sometimes, though but rarely, it is spoken of as used for peaceful purposes.
The first mention of the chariot is when Joseph, as a mark of distinction, was placed in Pharaoh’s second state chariot (Gen. 41:43); and the next, when he went out in his own chariot to meet his father Jacob (46:29). Chariots formed part of the funeral procession of Jacob (50:9). When Pharaoh pursued the Israelites he took 600 war-chariots with him (Ex. 14:7). The Canaanites in the valleys of Palestine had chariots of iron (Josh. 17:18; Judg. 1:19). Jabin, the king of Canaan, had 900 chariots (
a vehicle used either for warlike or peaceful purposes, but most commonly the former. The Jewish chariots were patterned after the Egyptian, and consisted of a single pair of wheels on an axle, upon which was a car with high front and sides, but open at the back. The earliest mention of chariots in Scripture is in Egypt, where Joseph, as a mark of distinction, was placed in Pharaoh’s second chariot. (Genesis 41:43) Later on we find mention of Egyptian chariots for a warlike purpose. (Exodus 14:7) In this point of view chariots among some nations of antiquity, as elephants among others, may be regarded as filling the place of heavy artillery in modern times, so that the military power of a nation might be estimated by the number of its chariots. Thus Pharaoh in pursuing Israel…
The Hebrew word רִאשׁוֹן (*ri'shown*) means 'first' and can refer to something that is primary, former, or chief. It encompasses meanings related to time, rank, and location, indicating ancestors or previous things. The entries consistently emphasize its use as an adjective and adverb, with no significant disagreement noted among the lexicons.
רִאשׁוֹן 182 adj. former, first, chief
base
H7223 רִאשׁוֹן former, first, chief
7223 ri'shown ree-shone'
or riishon {ree-shone'}; from 7221; first, in place, time or
rank (as adjective or noun):--ancestor, (that were)
before(-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore(-father)
(-most), former (thing), of old time, past.
see HEBREW for 07221
רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) — first.
: first
adj
1) first, primary, former
1a) former (of time)
1a1) ancestors
1a2) former things
1b) foremost (of location)
1c) first (in time)
1d) first, chief (in degree)
adv
2) first, before, formerly, at first
רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) — first: previous.
: previous
adj
1) first, primary, former
1a) former (of time)
1a1) ancestors
1a2) former things
1b) foremost (of location)
1c) first (in time)
1d) first, chief (in degree)
adv
2) first, before, formerly, at first
רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) — first: chief.
: chief
adj
1) first, primary, former
1a) former (of time)
1a1) ancestors
1a2) former things
1b) foremost (of location)
1c) first (in time)
1d) first, chief (in degree)
adv
2) first, before, formerly, at first
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Aofsa
furst ('echadh, ri'shon; proton, to proton, protos):
Of these words, which are those most frequently used for "first," ri'shon is from rosh, "the head, and is used for the highest, chief, etc.; also of time, the beginning, e.g. Ge 8:13, in the first month"; in Isa 44:6; 48:12, it is used of Yahweh as Eternal and solely Supreme--the First and the Last (compare Isa 41:4). Special usages are in connection with "firstborn," "first- fruit," etc.; proton is used of that which is first in order; but also of that which is first or chief in importance, etc. (Mt 6:33; Jas 3:17). In
סוּס (sus) refers to both a 'swallow' and a 'horse,' derived from a root meaning to skip or leap. The word captures the swift nature of both the bird and the animal, often associated with chariot horses in the context of the Old Testament. There is a note in the entries about a comparison with another Hebrew word, but no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
סוּס n.[m.] swallow or swift
base
סוּס 138 n.m. horse
base
H5483a סוּס swallow or swift H5483b סוּס horse
5483 cuwc soos
or cuc {soos}; from an unused root meaning to skip (properly,
for joy); a horse (as leaping); also a swallow (from its rapid
flight):--crane, horse((-back, -hoof)). Compare 6571.
see HEBREW for 06571
סוּס (sus) — swallow.
swallow, swift
סוּס (sus) — Horse (Gate).
This name means horse
סוּס (sus) — horse.
1) horse
1a) chariot horses
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
Were anciently less used for labor, in Bible land, than oxen and asses. They were used by princes and warriors, both with and without chariots, Ex 14:9,23 Es 6:8 Ec 10:7. The finest description of the war-horse ever written is found in one of the most ancient books, Job 39:19-25. Horses were common in Egypt, Ge 47:17 50:9 So 1:9; but the Jews were at first forbidden to go there for them, De 17:16, or the keep any large number, Jos 11:6
אָדֹם (adom) is an adjective meaning 'red' or 'ruddy,' used to describe various things like people, animals, and objects. The noun form אֱדֹם (edom) refers to a type of condiment. The word is built from the root associated with the color red, as indicated in the entries.
אָדֹם adj. red.
base
אֱדֹם n.[m.] name of a condiment.
base
H122a אָדֹם red.H122b אֱדֹם name of a condiment.
122 'adom aw-dome'
from 119; rosy:--red, ruddy.
see HEBREW for 0119
אָדֹם (a.dom) — red.
red, ruddy (of man, horse, heifer, garment, water, lentils)
אֱדֹם (e.dom) — red stuff.
name of a condiment
Adj — AdjHAampa
מֶרְכָּבָה (merkabah) means 'chariot' in Hebrew. It is a feminine noun derived from the related word for chariot, מֶרְכָּב (merkav). The entries consistently define it as a chariot, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.
מֶרְכָּבָה n.f. chariot
base
H4818 מֶרְכָּבָה chariot
4818 merkabah mer-kaw-baw'
feminine of 4817; a chariot:--chariot. See also 1024.
see HEBREW for 04817
see HEBREW for 01024
מֶרְכָּבָה (mer.ka.vah) — chariot.
chariot
HC/Rd/Ncfsa — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHC/Rd/Ncfsa
char'-i-ot (merkabh, merkabhah, "riding-chariot," rekhebh, "war-chariot"; harma):
1. Chariots of Egypt
2. Chariots of the Canaanites
3. Chariots of Solomon and Later Kings
4. Chariots of the Assyrians
5. Chariots of Chaldeans, Persians, Greeks
6. In the New Testament
7. Figurative Use
LITERATURE
1. Chariots of Egypt:
It is to the chariots of ancient Egypt that reference is first made in Scripture. Joseph was honored by being made to ride in the second chariot of King Pharaoh (Ge 41:43). Joseph paid honor to his father on his arrival in Goshen by meeting him in his chariot (Ge 46:29). In the state ceremonial with which the remains of Jacob were escorted to Canaan, chariots and horsemen were conspicuous (Ge 50:9). In the narrative of the…
Chariot
A vehicle generally used for warlike purposes. Sometimes, though but rarely, it is spoken of as used for peaceful purposes.
The first mention of the chariot is when Joseph, as a mark of distinction, was placed in Pharaoh’s second state chariot (Gen. 41:43); and the next, when he went out in his own chariot to meet his father Jacob (46:29). Chariots formed part of the funeral procession of Jacob (50:9). When Pharaoh pursued the Israelites he took 600 war-chariots with him (Ex. 14:7). The Canaanites in the valleys of Palestine had chariots of iron (Josh. 17:18; Judg. 1:19). Jabin, the king of Canaan, had 900 chariots (
a vehicle used either for warlike or peaceful purposes, but most commonly the former. The Jewish chariots were patterned after the Egyptian, and consisted of a single pair of wheels on an axle, upon which was a car with high front and sides, but open at the back. The earliest mention of chariots in Scripture is in Egypt, where Joseph, as a mark of distinction, was placed in Pharaoh’s second chariot. (Genesis 41:43) Later on we find mention of Egyptian chariots for a warlike purpose. (Exodus 14:7) In this point of view chariots among some nations of antiquity, as elephants among others, may be regarded as filling the place of heavy artillery in modern times, so that the military power of a nation might be estimated by the number of its chariots. Thus Pharaoh in pursuing Israel…
שֵׁנִי (sheniy) means 'second' and can also imply 'again' or 'another.' It is an ordinal number used to denote position or sequence, as well as to indicate repetition. The word is derived from a root meaning 'double' and appears in various contexts in the Old Testament.
שֵׁנִי m. שֵׁנִית f. 157 adj.num.ord. second
base
H8145 שֵׁנִי m. שֵׁנִית f. adj. num. ord. second
8145 sheniy shay-nee'
from 8138; properly, double, i.e. second; also adverbially,
again:--again, either (of them), (an-)other, second (time).
see HEBREW for 08138
שֵׁנִי (she.ni) — second.
1) second
1a) second (the ordinal number)
1b) again (a second time)
1c) another, other (something as distinct from something else)
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Aofsa
סוּס (sus) refers to both a 'swallow' and a 'horse,' derived from a root meaning to skip or leap. The word captures the swift nature of both the bird and the animal, often associated with chariot horses in the context of the Old Testament. There is a note in the entries about a comparison with another Hebrew word, but no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
סוּס n.[m.] swallow or swift
base
סוּס 138 n.m. horse
base
H5483a סוּס swallow or swift H5483b סוּס horse
5483 cuwc soos
or cuc {soos}; from an unused root meaning to skip (properly,
for joy); a horse (as leaping); also a swallow (from its rapid
flight):--crane, horse((-back, -hoof)). Compare 6571.
see HEBREW for 06571
סוּס (sus) — swallow.
swallow, swift
סוּס (sus) — Horse (Gate).
This name means horse
סוּס (sus) — horse.
1) horse
1a) chariot horses
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
Were anciently less used for labor, in Bible land, than oxen and asses. They were used by princes and warriors, both with and without chariots, Ex 14:9,23 Es 6:8 Ec 10:7. The finest description of the war-horse ever written is found in one of the most ancient books, Job 39:19-25. Horses were common in Egypt, Ge 47:17 50:9 So 1:9; but the Jews were at first forbidden to go there for them, De 17:16, or the keep any large number, Jos 11:6
שָׁחֹר (shachor) means 'black' and is derived from a root that suggests a dusky color. The term is used to describe something that is jet black or dark in appearance. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning as a color without significant disagreement.
שָׁחֹר adj. black
base
H7838 שָׁחֹר, שָׁחוֹר
7838 shachor shaw-khore'
or shachowr {shaw-khore'}; from 7835; properly, dusky, but
also (absol.) jetty:--black.
see HEBREW for 07835
שָׁחֹר (sha.chor) — black.
black
Adj — AdjHAampa
See COLORS.
Black
Properly the absence of all colour. In Prov. 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 Deut. 32:10; Ps. 17:8; Prov. 7:2. It is a different word which is rendered “black” in Lev. 13:31,37; Cant. 1:5; 5:11; and Zech. 6:2, 6. It is uncertain what the “black marble” of Esther 1:6 was which formed a part of the mosaic pavement.