Exodus 25:4

Materials spun or woven.

blue more exactly, purple-blue (LXX. ὑάκινθος, ὑακίνθινος, -dark blue"), or violet (Esther 1:6 AV.), i.e. yarn or stump so coloured by means of a dye obtained from a shell-fish, found adhering to rocks in the Medit. Sea (cf. Ezekiel 27:7), and said to be the Helix Ianthina(Ges. Thes.1503; DB.i. 457 a). Both this and the next named stuff were highly prized in antiquity, on account of their costliness and brilliancy. Violet is mostly mentioned in connexion with the Tent of meeting: but see also Jeremiah 10:9; Ezekiel 23:7; Ezekiel 27:7; Ezekiel 27:24; Esther 1:6; Esther 8:15, Sir 6:30.

purple more exactly, purple-red (LXX. πορφύρα), a dye extracted from a small gland in the throat of two other species of shell-fish, the Murex brandarisand Murex trunculus, found on the coasts of Phoenicia (cf. Verg. - Tyrioque ardebat muricelaena"). Robes of this colour were particularly distinctive of wealth and royalty: comp. Judges 8:26; Ezekiel 23:6; Song of Solomon 3:10 1Ma 4:23; 1Ma 10:20, Mark 15:17; Luke 16:19; and the frequent mention of purpura, purpureusby Latin authors in connexion with royalty.

scarlet lit. -worm of shânî," i.e. probably (comp. the Arab, sanâ, to shine) -of brilliancy" (cf. Pliny, H.N.xxxiii. 40 -cocci nitor"). The -worm" is the cochineal insect, which resembles a berry, and is found attached to the leaves and twigs of the Syrian Holm-oak (whence its technical name of coccus ilicis): the colouring matter is obtained from the dried body of the female. (Our word -crimson" comes from ḳirmiz, the Arabic name of the same insect.) See further NHB.319, EB.i. 956, DB.iv. 416 b. For allusions to this colour (outside the following Chapter s), see Isaiah 1:18; Jeremiah 4:30; 2 Samuel 1:24; Proverbs 31:1.

fine linen Heb. shçsh, prob. of Egypt, origin (cf. Ezekiel 27:7; and Copt. shens= byssus): linen was much worn in Egypt by men of rank; see Erman, Index, or DB.s.v.; and cf. Genesis 41:42. LXX. βύσσος, βύσσινος, from bûẓ, the later Heb. syn. of shçsh(found exclusively in Chr., Est., as 1 Chronicles 15:27). The marg. cottonis less probable: see EB.iii. 2800. There was a superior quality of fine linen, called -fine twinedlinen" (Exodus 26:1; Exodus 26:31; Exodus 26:36; Exodus 27:9; Exodus 27:16; Exodus 27:18; Exodus 28:6; Exodus 28:8; Exodus 28:15; Exodus 39:28-29): this was made from yarn of which each thread was composed of many delicate strands. The Egyptians excelled in work of this kind: Amâsis (b.c. 564 526) was said to have sent to Rhodes a corslet of which each thread consisted of 360 separate strands (Hdt. iii. 47, cited by Kn.; cf. Wilkinson-Birch, ii. 166 f.).

goats"hair] This was spun by women into yarn (Exodus 35:26): the fabric woven from it formed the -tent," or first covering, over the curtains constituting the -Dwelling" (Exodus 26:7). See also Exo 1 Samuel 19:13.