The color burgundy has signficance in the Bible and is associated with certain themes and meanings in biblical contexts. In this article, we will explore the symbolic meaning and usage of the color burgundy throughout the Bible.
The Color Burgundy in the Bible
Burgundy is a reddish-purple color that is achieved by mixing red and blue color pigments. It’s a deep, rich, and intense shade that has carried important symbolic meanings throughout history.
In the Bible, burgundy is often associated with royalty, nobility, and luxury. This connects to its use among kings, nobles, and the wealthy in ancient times. Fine clothes and fabrics dyed in burgundy were seen as status symbols of the elite.
Several references are made to burgundy-colored fabrics and garments in describing the dress of honorees, royalty, and the wealthy in biblical accounts:
| Reference | Significance |
| Proverbs 31:22 | Describes virtuous women making coverings and fine linens in burgundy for themselves and their households |
| Esther 8:15 | Mordecai leaves the king’s presence wearing royal garments of blue and burgundy linen |
| Jeremiah 4:30 | A prophecy describes Israelites who are doomed attempting to adorn themselves in burgundy clothing |
| Revelation 17:4 | The woman called “Babylon the Great” is dressed in purple and burgundy, symbolic of luxury and wealth |
| Revelation 18:12 | Burgundy linens and fabrics are listed among the luxury goods traded by the wicked city |
As these examples illustrate, the color was associated with prestige, affluence, and high social standing. Wearing burgundy garments and fabrics was a way of conveying status and importance.
Burgundy in the Tabernacle and Temple
Beyond its connection to royalty, burgundy also carried sacred symbolism in the Bible related to the Tabernacle and Temple. Burgundy fabrics were used extensively in these holy spaces:
– The inner curtains dividing the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place were made of burgundy, blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics (Exodus 26:31)
– The veil covering the entrance to the Most Holy Place was made of burgundy and blue material and embroidered with cherubim (Exodus 26:31)
– The decorative screen for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting included burgundy dyed rams’ skins (Exodus 26:14)
– The covering over the Ark of the Covenant box was made from burgundy dyed acacia wood (Numbers 4:11)
– Solomon’s Temple had burgundy thread woven into the courtyard curtains (2 Chronicles 3:14)
The extensive use of burgundy fabrics connects it to the sacredness of these holy sites and objects. The color helped convey the majesty, glory, and reverence of the Tabernacle and Temple in ancient Israelite worship.
Symbolic Meanings of Burgundy in the Bible
Drawing from its various contexts of use in the Bible, burgundy takes on the following symbolic meanings:
– **Royalty and nobility** – The association with kings, queens, and the elite points to themes of leadership, prestige, inherited position
– **Wealth and luxury** – Burgundy dyed fabrics were prized possessions of the wealthy, conveying decadence and affluence
– **Sacredness and reverence** – In the Tabernacle/Temple, burgundy fabrics help set apart holy spaces and objects as sacred
– **Sin and indulgence** – In some prophetic contexts, donning burgundy clothing symbolizes sinful pride and indulgence
– **Beauty and finery** – The rich color connected burgundy fabrics and clothing to beauty, visual splendor, and decorated finery
– **Covering and protection** – As a fabric color, burgundy conveys the symbolic meaning of covering, protection, and hiddenness regarding what the fabrics covered
This range of symbolic meanings stems from how the color was biblically applied to garments, textiles, sacred spaces, and prophetic metaphors. The diverse symbolic connotations reflect the complex interplay between materiality, color, and meaning in biblical texts.
Burgundy in Broader Biblical Color Symbolism
Looking more broadly, burgundy forms part of a larger color palette with symbolic meaning in the Bible. The colors blue, purple, scarlet, and burgundy frequently appear together describing fabrics and textiles.
Each color carries significance:
– **Blue** – Heavens, divinity, revelation
– **Purple** – Royalty, luxury, passion
– **Scarlet** – Blood, sacrifice, sin
– **Burgundy** – Nobility, wealth, sacredness
Burgundy also fits within the category of “reds” more generally in the Bible. Biblical reds like crimson and scarlet symbolize blood, life, sacrifice, sin, passion, and war. Burgundy conveys many of these same connotations while also adding nuance with meanings of nobility and sacredness.
Contextual Analysis of Specific Burgundy Mentions
Looking more closely at a few specific passages, we can see how burgundy operates symbolically in context:
**Proverbs 31:22**
> *She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.*
– As one trait of the virtuous woman, making her own burgundy and fine linens displays industry and skill
– Burgundy here suggests wealth, beauty, and nobility as a woman of strong character
**Esther 8:15**
> *Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and purple linen, and with a great crown of gold and a robe of fine linen and purple.*
– Mordecai’s burgundy robe shows his new status as honored by the king, symbolizing prestige and nobility
– The color marks his elevated position and the favor he has found
**Jeremiah 4:30**
> *And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Though you dress in scarlet, Though you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Though you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you make yourself beautiful.*
– Here burgundy clothing ironically symbolizes the sinful pride and indulgence of the doomed nation of Israel
– The lavish dress in scarlet and gold is futile and vain, as judgment is coming
**Revelation 18:16**
> *saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!*
– The harlot Babylon’s burgundy dress represents her wealth, luxury, and vice
– But her indulgence in riches will culminate in judgment and destruction
Looking closely at the literary context illuminates how burgundy operated symbolically within each specific passage, whether positively or negatively.
Conclusion
In summary, the color burgundy carries important symbolic meanings in the Bible related to nobility, wealth, sacredness, indulgence, beauty, and finery. It frequently appears in descriptions of dress and fabrics associated with royalty, the elite, the virtuous, and the wicked. In the Tabernacle and Temple, burgundy fabrics helped demarcate sacred spaces and objects set apart for reverence and worship. The varied symbolic nuances of the color in different biblical contexts give it a rich and complex significance. When we understand the heritage of meaning associated with burgundy in the biblical era, it brings deeper dimension to our interpretation of the biblical texts today.
