---
title: אַרְגָּמָן — purple · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אַרְגָּמָן (713), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 38 times: purple. BDB 1906: purple, red-purple purple thread & cloth. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אַרְגָּמָן

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«אַרְגָּמָן» in the Tanakh dictionary: **purple** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 38 times · **Key:** 713 · **BDB:** אַרְגָּמָן

### Glosses

purple (35); of.purple.cloth (1); purple.wool (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

purple [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/713/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

purple, red-purple purple thread \& cloth [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/713/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.\[m.\] purple, red-purple, i.e. purple thread \& cloth (Assyrian argamannu COT Ex 25:4, Arabic أَرْجَوَانٌ, Aramaic ܐܰܪܓܘܳܢܳܐ, cf. אַרְגְּוָן supr.; etym. dub.; possibly Skr. râgaman, adj. red, reddish, from râga, red colour, so Benary cf. Thes Add 111 RobGes; vid. MV; Thes earlier, from רגם; but prob. loan-word, cf. also LagBN 205; Pers. ارغوان is also cited by PS)—form always as above— purple thread, cf. especially Ex 35:25; 39:3; Est 1:6; mostly Ex (P) with ref. to the hangings of tabernacle, the ephod, etc.; seld. alone; c. תְּכֵלֶת, violet (q.v.), תּוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי, (מָשְׁזָר) שֵׁשׁ, (also עִזִּים) Ex 25:4; 26:1, 31, 36; 27:16; 35:6, 25, 35; 36:8, 35, 37; 38:18, 23; 39:24 (on text v. Di) v 29; with these + זָהָב 28:5, 6, 8, 15; 39:2, 3, 5, 8; om. שֵׁשׁ מ׳ 28:33; 39:1; also of temple-hangings, with תְּכֵלֶת, בּוּץ \& כַּרְמִיל 2 Ch 3:14; cf. 2:13 (v. also 2:6 v. sub אַרְגְּוָן). as indicating wealth \& luxury of Tyre, c. שֵׁשׁ, רִקְמָה, תְּכֵלֶת Ez 27:7; c. רִקְמָה \& בּוּץ v 16 (as articles of commerce); also in Persia, c. בּוּץ Est 1:6. purple cloth, chiefly of garments, בֶּגֶד א׳ Nu 4:13; Ju 8:26; וְתַכְרִיךְ בּוּץ וְא׳ Est 8:15, שֵׁשׁ וְא׳ לְבוּשָׁהּ Pr 31:22; תְּכֵלֶת וְא׳ לְבוּשָׁם Je 10:9; also מֶרְכָּבוֹ א׳ Ct 3:10; in simile, of woman’s hair Ct 7:6.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 37 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (1 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «אַרְגָּמָן» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/713/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 31:22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.31.22/)

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מַרְבַדִּ֥ים עָֽשְׂתָה־לָּ֑הּ שֵׁ֖שׁ וְאַרְגָּמָ֣ן לְבוּשָֽׁהּ׃

*Word for word:* coverings she.makes for herself \[is\].fine.linen and purple clothing her

*JPS 1917:* She maketh for herself coverlets; her clothing is fine linen and purple.

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[Exodus 25:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/EXO.25.4/)

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וּתְכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ וְעִזִּֽים׃

*Word for word:* and violet.stuff and purple and scarlet.stuff of.scarlet and fine.linen and goat.hair(s)

*JPS 1917:* and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair;

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