Hebrew word · H119

אָדֹם

me'adamim

to redden

From the root ʾ-d-m, 'to be red' (related to ʾādôm 'red', dām 'blood', and Edom). This passive form means 'reddened' or 'dyed red'. The same form is used for the 'rams' skins dyed red' of the tabernacle covering (Exodus 25:5; 26:14).

Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to be red, red

1a) (Qal) ruddy (of Nazarites)

1b) (Pual)

1b1) to be rubbed red

1b2) dyed red

1b3) reddened

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to show red

1c2) to glare

1c3) to emit (show) redness

1d) (Hithpael)

1d1) to redden

1d2) to grow red

1d3) to look red

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Nahum 2:3

Range of meaning

From the root ʾ-d-m, 'to be red' (related to ʾādôm 'red', dām 'blood', and Edom). This passive form means 'reddened' or 'dyed red'. The same form is used for the 'rams' skins dyed red' of the tabernacle covering (Exodus 25:5; 26:14).

Against the English

KJV/WEB 'is made red' keeps the passive sense; BSB 'are red' gives a plain colour. Neither says how they became red, and the Hebrew doesn't either.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exodus 25:5 uses this same form for red-dyed leather, which supports reading red-dyed leather shield facings here. Ezekiel 23:14–15 describes Chaldean (Babylonian) soldiers portrayed 'in vermilion' with dyed headgear, showing that red was linked with Mesopotamian soldiers. Much later, Xenophon (Cyropaedia 6.4.1) describes Persian-period troops in bronze armour and crimson tunics.

Where it appears

Exodus · 6

  1. Exodus 25:5 מְאָדָּמִ֛ים dyed red

    ram skins dyed red and fine leather; acacia wood;

  2. Exodus 26:14 מְאָדָּמִ֑ים dyed red

    Also make a covering for the tent out of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather.

  3. Exodus 35:7 מְאָדָּמִ֛ים dyed red

    ram skins dyed red and fine leather; acacia wood;

  4. Exodus 35:23 מְאָדָּמִ֛ים dyed red

    Everyone who had blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen, goat hair, ram skins dyed red, or articles of fine leather, brought them.

  5. Exodus 36:19 מְאָדָּמִ֑ים dyed red

    Additionally, he made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather.

  6. Exodus 39:34 הַמְאָדָּמִ֔ים that was dyed red

    the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of fine leather, and the veil of the covering;

Proverbs · 1

  1. Proverbs 23:31 יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם it will be red

    Do not gaze at wine while it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.

Isaiah · 1

  1. Isaiah 1:18 יַאְדִּ֥ימוּ they are red

    “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.

    Here: "They show red" or "glow red". It is the same verb form as "turn white" above, so red and white face each other. The root is the root of 'adam (human) and dam (blood) is close in sound. After v.15's "your hands are full of blood" a hearer would think of bloodguilt.

Lamentations · 1

  1. Lamentations 4:7 אָ֤דְמוּ they were red

    Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires.

Nahum · 1

  1. Nahum 2:3 מְאָדָּ֗ם [is] dyed red

    The shields of his mighty men are red; the valiant warriors are dressed in scarlet. The fittings of the chariots flash like fire on the day they are prepared, and the spears of cypress have been brandished.

    Here: A passive form, 'made red' or 'reddened': the shields have been coloured red, most likely by dyed leather facing or paint, possibly with the glint of copper or bronze. The first image the watcher on the wall sees is a wall of red.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.