Crimson and Scarlet: The Importance of Colours in the Bible

​The New International Version of the Bible frequently uses the words “crimson” and “scarlet” when other newer versions may simply use “red”. In the original Hebrew text, there were even more ways of describing a reddish hue. Three of these words have been translated as “crimson”. They are karmity, which means deep red; tola, the maggot from which the dye is derived; and shaniy. The term “scarlet” is a translation of the Greek word Kokkinos, which refers to the shape of the insect that dye is extracted from.
 
Crimson is a strong red colour that slightly inclines towards purple on the colour wheel. The colour was originally produced using the dried bodies of the kermes insect, which could be found in Mediterranean countries. 

In Polish, crimson or karmazyn is another name for a nobleman. People of high nobility often wore crimson robes. In Denmark, the Grand Hussar Regiment wears a crimson jacket as part of their ceremonial uniform. The King’s Royal Hussars in the British Army still wear crimson trousers, giving themselves the nickname “Cherrypickers”. Likewise, in the USA crimson is the colour of the Ordnance Corps.
 
Poland is also one of two countries that have the colour crimson on their national flags. The other country is Nepal. 

The plant rhubarb has been poetically referred to as “crimson stalks” for obvious reasons. The crimson sunbird is the national bird of Singapore. In Australia, there is a species of parrot known as the crimson rosella. Occasionally, in places such as Mexico and Florida, a crimson tide occurs when certain algae turn the water red.
 
In some religions, such as the Bahá’í Faith, crimson stands for tests and sacrifice. Let’s have a look at where it appears in the Bible.
 
The Second Book of Chronicles, chapter two tells us about King Solomon’s plans to build a temple in Jerusalem. He requested the help of King Hiram of Tyre, with whom he wished to continue the friendly relationship King David had established. The people of Tyre were known for their dyeing industry, particularly for using crimson and purple dyes. Solomon requested Hiram to send him a man who could assist with the decoration of the temple.

• 2 Chronicles 2:7: Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled workers, whom my father David provided.
• 2 Chronicles 2:14: whose mother was from Dan and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your skilled workers and with those of my lord, David your father.
• 2 Chronicles 3:14: He made the curtain of blue, purple and crimson yarn and fine linen, with cherubim worked into it.

Thus, the colour crimson is associated with the Temple and praising God.
 
There are only two other mentions of the word “crimson” in the NIV Bible and they can both be found in the book of Isaiah. In chapter 63, Isaiah writes about God’s day of vengeance and redemption. The first verse says: “Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendour, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? ‘It is I, proclaiming victory, mighty to save.’” 
 
In this verse, crimson is a sign of splendour and of victory, however, in an earlier chapter, crimson means something entirely different. It is also an example that distinguishes crimson and scarlet as two separate colours – some theologians argue that they are one and the same.

• Isaiah 1:18 (NIV): “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson,they shall be like wool.

In this example, both crimson and scarlet represent sin. It may not be the colours themselves that denote sin but the fact they have obscured the purity of the original whiteness of the snow and wool. 
 
This leads me on to investigating the use of “scarlet” in the Bible. Scarlet lies somewhere between red and orange on the colour wheel, making it less strong than crimson. Nonetheless, the same insects originally produced the scarlet dye. Synthetic scarlet is often called cadmium red and was the standard red of many artists during the 19thand 20thcenturies. 
 
In the 20thcentury, scarlet became associated with revolution. It has been used on revolutionary emblems as a symbol of the blood of martyrs in the French Revolution. It also became the colour of communism, which was used on the Soviet Union’s flag and is still used on the Chinese flag. In China, red is also a symbol of happiness.
 
Scarlet is the colour of the traditional academic dress of doctorate students in the United Kingdom. The Foot Guards and Life Guards also wear scarlet for ceremonial purposes. Army regiments across the world use the colour scarlet on their uniforms too. The countries that do this include Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand, Fiji, Canada, Kenya, India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Brazil and the USA. 
 
In the Roman Catholic Church, scarlet symbolises the blood of Christ and Christian martyrs. In Lutheran tradition, scarlet is used in decorations from Palm Sunday until Maundy Thursday. Other Christians, however, often associate scarlet with prostitution. This is partly due to the description of an adulterous woman in the Book of Revelations, who is sometimes referred to as the Great Scarlet Whore.

• Revelation 17:3-4: Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.

As a result, cities in which prostitutes work have been named “red-light districts” and sex worker organisations have titles such as the Scarlet Alliance. The scandalous novel The Scarlet Pimpernel by Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the colour to denote adultery. 
 
Other negative connotations of scarlet in the book of Revelation include:

• Revelation 18:12: cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble
• Revelation 18:16: and cry out: “‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!

 
The first time the word “scarlet” is used in the NIV is in Genesis 38 when Tamar gave birth to twins. A scarlet thread was tied around the wrist of the eldest so that they could differentiate between the two.

• Genesis 38:28 (NIV): As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.”
• Genesis 38:30 (NIV): Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.

 
The colour is most frequently used in the book of Exodus in relation to the construction of the Tabernacle. This connects scarlet with God, giving it an entirely different meaning in comparison to the final book of the New Testament. Between Exodus 25 and Exodus 39, the colour scarlet is mentioned over 25 times. Examples include:

• Exodus 26:1: Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by a skilled worker.
• Exodus 26:31: Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker.
• Exodus 28:15: Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions—the work of skilled hands. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen.
• Exodus 35:25: Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun—blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen.

 
Leviticus 14 mentions scarlet yarn at least five times in the instructions for the cleansing of defiling skin diseases:

• Leviticus 14:4: the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the person to be cleansed.
• Leviticus 14:6: He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.
• Leviticus 14:49: To purify the house he is to take two birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop.
• Leviticus 14:51: Then he is to take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarletyarn and the live bird, dip them into the blood of the dead bird and the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times.
• Leviticus 14:52: He shall purify the house with the bird’s blood, the fresh water, the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop and the scarlet yarn.

 
Twice, scarlet is mentioned in the book of Numbers:

• Numbers 4:8: They are to spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover that with the durable leather and put the poles in place.
• Numbers 19:6: The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer.

The second of these is also referenced in Hebrews:

• Hebrews 9:19: When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.

 
Potentially the most famous mention of scarlet in the Bible occurs during the story of Rahab and the Spies. This is found in the second chapter of the book of Joshua. Rahab was a prostitute but in this story, the colour scarlet is not a reflection on her occupation. Rahab helped Joshua’s spies escape and in return, they told her to tie a scarlet cord in her window so that when Joshua’s soldiers attack the city, she will be spared.

• Joshua 2:18: unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house.
• Joshua 2:2: “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

 
Other mentions of the colour scarlet in the Bible are:

• 2 Samuel 1:24: “Daughters of Israel,weep for Saul,who clothed you in scarlet and finery,who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.
• Proverbs 31:21: When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
• Song of Songs 4:3: Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; our mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate.
• Jeremiah 4:30: What are you doing, you devastated one? Why dress yourself in scarlet and put on jewels of gold? Why highlight your eyes with makeup? You adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise you; they want to kill you.
• Nahum 2:3: The shields of the soldiers are red; the warriors are clad in scarlet. The metal on the chariots flashes on the day they are made ready; the spears of juniper are brandished.

 
Generally, scarlet is a colour associated with wealth and opulence. This meaning is supported with the only mention of the colour in the Gospels:

• Matthew 27:28: They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him

The “him” in this verse is Jesus and the soldiers in the Praetorium are mocking him. They dressed him in a scarlet robe to make him look like a king. As we all know, the soldiers then crowned him with a crown of thorns and put a staff in his right hand whilst jeering, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 
 
Despite the unfortunate connection to prostitution, both crimson and scarlet are most representative of wealth and power, both politically and religiously. Even the verses in Revelation refer to this. By the end of times, people were worshipping their wealth and power rather than God. 
 
According to surveys across Europe and the UK, scarlet is also associated with courage, force, passion and joy. Combining this with Biblical meaning, it can be ascertained that scarlet is a powerful, positive colour – crimson, too.