שָׁנִי
sha.ni
scarlet
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredBased on the Strong's number H8144, the Hebrew word שָׁנִי (sha.ni) is defined as "scarlet." This word falls under the semantic domain of Clothing & Textile, suggesting its primary function is to describe a specific type of material or dye. Throughout the Bible, the word is used 42 times, indicating its significance to the ancient Hebrew authors. The frequency of use suggests that scarlet was a notable or valued item in ancient Hebrew culture. The word could be used to describe a range of contexts, from clothing to textiles, and possibly even other items dyed with the same pigment. While the exact shade of scarlet intended by the authors may be uncertain, its use implies a degree of luxury, prominence, or distinction associated with the color. Given its numerous occurrences, the word שָׁנִי holds an important place in the biblical narrative. Its consistent use allows the reader to infer the cultural and symbolic significance of scarlet in various contexts, providing a tangible connection to the world of the ancient Hebrews.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
42 total occurrences across the text
Your lips are like scarlet thread. Your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.
Isaiah 1:18“Come now, and let’s reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Jeremiah 4:30You, when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with makeup, you make yourself beautiful in vain. Your lovers despise you. They seek your life.
Proverbs 31:21She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
Genesis 38:28When she travailed, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This came out first.”
Genesis 38:30Afterward his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.
Exodus 25:4blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair,
Exodus 26:1“Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim. You shall make them with the work of a skillful workman.
Exodus 26:31“You shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. It shall be the work of a skillful workman.
Exodus 26:36“You shall make a screen for the door of the Tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer.
Exodus 27:16For the gate of the court shall be a screen of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer; their pillars four, and their sockets four.
Exodus 28:5They shall use the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.
Exodus 28:6“They shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skillful workman.
Exodus 28:8The skillfully woven band, which is on it, shall be like its work and of the same piece; of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exodus 28:15“You shall make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, you shall make it.
Exodus 28:33On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, all around its hem; with bells of gold between and around them:
Exodus 35:6blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair,
Exodus 35:23Everyone with whom was found blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair, rams’ skins dyed red, and sea cow hides, brought them.
Exodus 35:25All the women who were wise-hearted spun with their hands, and brought that which they had spun: the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen.
Exodus 35:35He has filled them with wisdom of heart to work all kinds of workmanship, of the engraver, of the skillful workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of those who do any workmanship, and of those who make skillful works.
Exodus 36:8All the wise-hearted men among those who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet. They made them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.
Exodus 36:35He made the veil of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. He made it the work of a skillful workman.
Exodus 36:37He made a screen for the door of the tent, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of an embroiderer;
Exodus 38:18The screen for the gate of the court was the work of the embroiderer, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. Twenty cubits was the length, and the height along the width was five cubits, like the hangings of the court.
Exodus 38:23With him was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a skillful workman, and an embroiderer in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen.
Exodus 39:1Of the blue, purple, and scarlet, they made finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
Exodus 39:2He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exodus 39:3They beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in with the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen, the work of the skillful workman.
Exodus 39:5The skillfully woven band that was on it, with which to fasten it on, was of the same piece, like its work: of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
Exodus 39:8He made the breastplate, the work of a skillful workman, like the work of the ephod: of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exodus 39:24They made on the skirts of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, scarlet, and twined linen.
Exodus 39:29the sash of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet, the work of the embroiderer, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
Leviticus 14:4then the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two living clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop.
Leviticus 14:6As for the living bird, he shall take it, the cedar wood, the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water.
Leviticus 14:49To cleanse the house he shall take two birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop.
Leviticus 14:51He shall take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times.
Leviticus 14:52He shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, with the living bird, with the cedar wood, with the hyssop, and with the scarlet;
Numbers 4:8They shall spread on them a scarlet cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.
Numbers 19:6The priest shall take cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the middle of the burning of the heifer.
Joshua 2:18Behold, when we come into the land, tie this line of scarlet thread in the window which you used to let us down. Gather to yourself into the house your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household.
Joshua 2:21She said, “Let it be as you have said.” She sent them away, and they departed. Then she tied the scarlet line in the window.
2 Samuel 1:24You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you delicately in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your clothing.