![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_67594c09c0acd.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a36becd76.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a35e8e3a8.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a36eed25e.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a333b8820.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a362568a0.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a335efdf2.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a34c9dc60.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_630757e351196.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2f97b409.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2e628193.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2f4269f6.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2ecaae45.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2e41afe9.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a30673fca.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2dd522ef.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_630757e5586cc.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2d85b6b0.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2d96e9a1.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2c61249b.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2d865bf9.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2de596df.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2c112c39.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2b8e45f5.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2ab7f09c.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2a8248c3.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2aed17ae.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6728d225caf99.jpg)
![The meaning of colors in the Bible](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6303a2c858574.jpg)
See Also
See Again
© Getty Images
0 / 29 Fotos
Red
- Oudem is translated in the Old Testament as “red clay.” The color is linked with the roots of humankind. Adam, being formed from dust on the ground (Genesis 2:7), confirms this.
© Getty Images
1 / 29 Fotos
Red
- According to Genesis 25:25, Esau, the eldest son of Isaac, was born red, confirming red as a metaphor for humanity.
© Getty Images
2 / 29 Fotos
Red
- But red is most usually associated with blood. There is a reference to animal sacrifices in Leviticus 17:11, which says, “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.”
© Getty Images
3 / 29 Fotos
Red
- Red is also associated with the Passover lamb, whose blood was put on the door frames of the Jews' homes, according to Exodus 12:1-13.
© Getty Images
4 / 29 Fotos
Red
- The color is also heavily associated with the blood of Jesus Christ, “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:20).
© Getty Images
5 / 29 Fotos
Red
- Red is also one of the liturgical colors of the Catholic Church. It’s used during important celebrations, such as Good Friday, Palm Sunday, and Pentecost. Catholic cardinals famously wear it, too.
© Getty Images
6 / 29 Fotos
Blue
- Blue has a celestial connotation. The color is all about the power of God and heaven. Exodus 24:10 described the moment when Moses and others witnessed that the God of Israel had under his feet “something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.”
© Getty Images
7 / 29 Fotos
Blue
- Blue was also worn by the priests (Exodus 28:5-6, 8, 15), and was present in both the tabernacle (Exodus 25:4; 26:1, 4) and in the temple (2 Chronicles 2:7, 14).
© Getty Images
8 / 29 Fotos
Blue
- The color is often associated with the purity and divinity of the Virgin Mary. Many images depict the mother of Jesus wearing blue garments.
© Getty Images
9 / 29 Fotos
Yellow
- Yellow, which is the color of gold, represents God’s holiness and power. An example includes the Temple of Solomon, which was built using gold (1 Kings 6).
© Getty Images
10 / 29 Fotos
Yellow
- Gold was brought to baby Jesus as a gift (Matthew 2:11). In addition, New Jerusalem, as per Revelation 21:18-21, is made of pure gold.
© Getty Images
11 / 29 Fotos
White
- White is all about purity. The color is used to depict the redemption from sin. Psalm 51:7 reads: “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”
© Getty Images
12 / 29 Fotos
White
- God’s purity is mentioned in Daniel 7:9. “[...]the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool [...]” Then there's God’s throne in Revelation 20:11-15: “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it.”
© Getty Images
13 / 29 Fotos
White
- God’s triumph over evil is also 'painted' in white, as per Zechariah 6:3, which reads: “And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.”
© Getty Images
14 / 29 Fotos
White
- White is also mentioned in Revelation 6:2: “And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”
© Getty Images
15 / 29 Fotos
White
- Mark 16:5 makes reference to the white robe worn by Jesus. White remains a color used in special celebrations by the Catholic Church, including Easter and Christmas.
© Getty Images
16 / 29 Fotos
Green
- Being the color of vegetation on earth, green symbolizes life. The first reference can be found in Genesis 1:30. It reads: “And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground-everything that has the breath of life in it-I give every green plant for food.”
© Getty Images
17 / 29 Fotos
Green
- Jesus told people to sit on the green grass as groups, according to Mark 6:39. Psalms 1:3 makes an allusion to the color’s connection with life, saying that “the leaf shall not wither.”
© Getty Images
18 / 29 Fotos
Amber
- Amber is connected with the glory of God. Ezekiel 1:4 (NKJ) reads: “Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.”
© Getty Images
19 / 29 Fotos
Purple
- The color symbolizes priesthood and royalty. According to Exodus 26:1 and 28:15-33, both the tabernacle and Aaron’s garments were purple.
© Getty Images
20 / 29 Fotos
Bronze
- Bronze is strong and durable. It is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 15:19 that various objects in the tabernacle and temple were made out of bronze. In Revelation 1:14-15, Jesus’ feet were described as being made out of this alloy, too.
© Getty Images
21 / 29 Fotos
Silver
- Silver is connected to salvation and divinity. Psalm 66:10 reads: “For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.”
© Getty Images
22 / 29 Fotos
Brown
- Brown is a symbol for earth, commonly associated with devotion (i.e. monks’ robes). And being the color of wood, it is very present in some of the holiest objects in the Bible, namely Noah’s Ark and the Cross.
© Getty Images
23 / 29 Fotos
Black
- Black is darkness, and it has connotations of sin, death, and judgment. Zephaniah 1:15 is a good example. It reads: “That day will be a day of wrath- a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness.”
© Getty Images
24 / 29 Fotos
Black
- Other examples can be found in Lamentations 4:8 (“Their visage is blacker than a coal”), and Micah 3:6-7 (“Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination”).
© Getty Images
25 / 29 Fotos
Black
- Revelation 6:5 also gives us a doomy perspective of the color: “When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, 'Come!' I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.”
© Getty Images
26 / 29 Fotos
Black
- Hell itself is described as the “blackest darkness” in both Jude 13 and 2 Peter 2:17.
© Getty Images
27 / 29 Fotos
The rainbow
- The rainbow is a symbol of renewal and covenant with God. God himself sends a rainbow after the Flood, as per Genesis 9:13. Sources: (Christianity.com) (CrossExamined.org) (Colors Explained) See also: What the colors you wear say about you
© Getty Images
28 / 29 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 29 Fotos
Red
- Oudem is translated in the Old Testament as “red clay.” The color is linked with the roots of humankind. Adam, being formed from dust on the ground (Genesis 2:7), confirms this.
© Getty Images
1 / 29 Fotos
Red
- According to Genesis 25:25, Esau, the eldest son of Isaac, was born red, confirming red as a metaphor for humanity.
© Getty Images
2 / 29 Fotos
Red
- But red is most usually associated with blood. There is a reference to animal sacrifices in Leviticus 17:11, which says, “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.”
© Getty Images
3 / 29 Fotos
Red
- Red is also associated with the Passover lamb, whose blood was put on the door frames of the Jews' homes, according to Exodus 12:1-13.
© Getty Images
4 / 29 Fotos
Red
- The color is also heavily associated with the blood of Jesus Christ, “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:20).
© Getty Images
5 / 29 Fotos
Red
- Red is also one of the liturgical colors of the Catholic Church. It’s used during important celebrations, such as Good Friday, Palm Sunday, and Pentecost. Catholic cardinals famously wear it, too.
© Getty Images
6 / 29 Fotos
Blue
- Blue has a celestial connotation. The color is all about the power of God and heaven. Exodus 24:10 described the moment when Moses and others witnessed that the God of Israel had under his feet “something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.”
© Getty Images
7 / 29 Fotos
Blue
- Blue was also worn by the priests (Exodus 28:5-6, 8, 15), and was present in both the tabernacle (Exodus 25:4; 26:1, 4) and in the temple (2 Chronicles 2:7, 14).
© Getty Images
8 / 29 Fotos
Blue
- The color is often associated with the purity and divinity of the Virgin Mary. Many images depict the mother of Jesus wearing blue garments.
© Getty Images
9 / 29 Fotos
Yellow
- Yellow, which is the color of gold, represents God’s holiness and power. An example includes the Temple of Solomon, which was built using gold (1 Kings 6).
© Getty Images
10 / 29 Fotos
Yellow
- Gold was brought to baby Jesus as a gift (Matthew 2:11). In addition, New Jerusalem, as per Revelation 21:18-21, is made of pure gold.
© Getty Images
11 / 29 Fotos
White
- White is all about purity. The color is used to depict the redemption from sin. Psalm 51:7 reads: “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”
© Getty Images
12 / 29 Fotos
White
- God’s purity is mentioned in Daniel 7:9. “[...]the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool [...]” Then there's God’s throne in Revelation 20:11-15: “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it.”
© Getty Images
13 / 29 Fotos
White
- God’s triumph over evil is also 'painted' in white, as per Zechariah 6:3, which reads: “And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.”
© Getty Images
14 / 29 Fotos
White
- White is also mentioned in Revelation 6:2: “And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”
© Getty Images
15 / 29 Fotos
White
- Mark 16:5 makes reference to the white robe worn by Jesus. White remains a color used in special celebrations by the Catholic Church, including Easter and Christmas.
© Getty Images
16 / 29 Fotos
Green
- Being the color of vegetation on earth, green symbolizes life. The first reference can be found in Genesis 1:30. It reads: “And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground-everything that has the breath of life in it-I give every green plant for food.”
© Getty Images
17 / 29 Fotos
Green
- Jesus told people to sit on the green grass as groups, according to Mark 6:39. Psalms 1:3 makes an allusion to the color’s connection with life, saying that “the leaf shall not wither.”
© Getty Images
18 / 29 Fotos
Amber
- Amber is connected with the glory of God. Ezekiel 1:4 (NKJ) reads: “Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.”
© Getty Images
19 / 29 Fotos
Purple
- The color symbolizes priesthood and royalty. According to Exodus 26:1 and 28:15-33, both the tabernacle and Aaron’s garments were purple.
© Getty Images
20 / 29 Fotos
Bronze
- Bronze is strong and durable. It is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 15:19 that various objects in the tabernacle and temple were made out of bronze. In Revelation 1:14-15, Jesus’ feet were described as being made out of this alloy, too.
© Getty Images
21 / 29 Fotos
Silver
- Silver is connected to salvation and divinity. Psalm 66:10 reads: “For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.”
© Getty Images
22 / 29 Fotos
Brown
- Brown is a symbol for earth, commonly associated with devotion (i.e. monks’ robes). And being the color of wood, it is very present in some of the holiest objects in the Bible, namely Noah’s Ark and the Cross.
© Getty Images
23 / 29 Fotos
Black
- Black is darkness, and it has connotations of sin, death, and judgment. Zephaniah 1:15 is a good example. It reads: “That day will be a day of wrath- a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness.”
© Getty Images
24 / 29 Fotos
Black
- Other examples can be found in Lamentations 4:8 (“Their visage is blacker than a coal”), and Micah 3:6-7 (“Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination”).
© Getty Images
25 / 29 Fotos
Black
- Revelation 6:5 also gives us a doomy perspective of the color: “When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, 'Come!' I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.”
© Getty Images
26 / 29 Fotos
Black
- Hell itself is described as the “blackest darkness” in both Jude 13 and 2 Peter 2:17.
© Getty Images
27 / 29 Fotos
The rainbow
- The rainbow is a symbol of renewal and covenant with God. God himself sends a rainbow after the Flood, as per Genesis 9:13. Sources: (Christianity.com) (CrossExamined.org) (Colors Explained) See also: What the colors you wear say about you
© Getty Images
28 / 29 Fotos
The meaning of colors in the Bible
Did you know that colors in the Bible carry special meanings?
© Getty Images
Colors are an important element of life. They can affect our mood and emotions, and indeed they have different meanings, depending on the context. This is also the case with the Bible; colors have different meanings, connotations, and are used to symbolize different things in both the Old and New Testaments.
In this galley, we delve into the colors in the Bible to find out what they mean. Click on for a real course on colors.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
![Questions to reflect on for a meaningful life in 2025](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677fd2c71c493.jpg)
![Key climate events to watch out for in 2025](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677fba051e40b.jpg)
![Historical military conflicts between the US and Canada](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_678112c803381.jpg)
![Mapping Antarctica: The journey to charting the frozen continent](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_67571c505ad40.jpg)
![Toxic butterflies, blob-headed fish, and other new wildlife discovered in Peru's Amazon](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677d4f8e4f6fe.jpg)
![How much do NATO member states spend on defense?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677e55d7863a0.jpg)
![The deadliest wars of the 21st century](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_676944076c941.jpg)
![Deadly LA fires: At least 10 dead, thousands upon thousands evacuated](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_67811046d985f.jpg)
![In pictures: Mountain Fire ravages Southern California](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_672caa76124dc.jpg)
![Uruguay’s former President José Mujica reveals he has terminal cancer](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_67810687ddd01.jpg)
![Top tips for switching to a carbon-neutral diet](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677ae70e75525.jpg)
![Traditional footwear from around the world](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677bcc8b220ed.jpg)
![What to expect from La Niña in 2025](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_6780f9e65266b.jpg)
![Scientists confirm 2024 breached 1.5°C global warming limit](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_6780ed51a010f.jpg)
![What the polar night can teach us about sleep](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677d84599dcbe.jpg)
![Madam C. J. Walker: America's first self-made female millionaire](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_67725c9f630ce.jpg)
![Greenland among the most important US military bases in the world](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677ff86e94bef.jpg)
![Are our homes ever truly clean?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_6554afe5428c9.jpg)
![What predictions did Nostradamus and Baba Vanga make for 2025?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677feb623ac4e.jpg)
![Space congestion: What is Kessler syndrome?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677aa2bf66f9e.jpg)
![Perilous military jobs over the course of history](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_6758105acdb73.jpg)
![How AI is transforming online dating](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_676ae47851440.jpg)
![How did the Maya choose sacrifice victims?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_675af1a7eec3a.jpg)
![What is the tabernacle?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_67641c47b78d5.jpg)
![What are the seven species of Israel?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_6762933137b24.jpg)
![Experts debate AI and humanity’s future](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_67405d3cedc95.jpg)
![Tall poppy syndrome: what it is, and why you should care](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677c256499e93.jpg)
![Simone de Beauvoir's most inspiring quotes](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677d0404575c1.jpg)
![Friluftsliv: The Nordic concept of getting outdoors](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677bc1b25bee5.jpg)
![The best lines to deter a spam caller](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677d7476a8e64.jpg)
![What is the US president's nuclear football?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677cc211a394e.jpg)
![The cultural code that has shaped Scandinavian society](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_672de93d96e0f.jpg)
![What does the vice president actually do?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677bc5da830eb.jpg)
![Mozart mysteries: the truth behind 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' and more](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677c0b3a929e3.jpg)
![The countries with the best (and worst) pension systems](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677becf414e8c.jpg)
![Mystery in the UN: what really happened to Secretary-General Hammarskjöld?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_677bfd09a9ab6.jpg)
MOST READ
- Last Hour
- Last Day
- Last Week