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כַּרְמִיל

𐤊𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤋

karmîyl

H3758 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A deep red color material or dye, specifically carmine or crimson, likely referring to a costly textile or pigment used in Israelite tabernacle and temple furnishings. In biblical context, often denotes a luxurious or ritually significant red fabric or thread.

Semantic Range

deep red color, crimson dye, carmine, costly red fabric or yarn, ritual or royal textiles

Root / Etymology

Likely of foreign origin, not derived from a clear Hebrew root. The form כַּרְמִיל resembles words for red or scarlet dyes in neighboring Semitic and Anatolian languages, potentially borrowed due to commercial or trade contact. Etymology uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

כַּרְמִיל appears in late biblical texts (e.g., Chronicles and Esther), consistently in the context of luxury textiles, particularly those associated with temple or royal regalia. It is distinct from related Hebrew terms such as שָׁנִי (shani, "scarlet") and תּוֹלַעַת (tola‘at, "worm, crimson"), which refer to other processes or shades of red dye made from different organic sources. The usage of כַּרְמִיל may indicate cultural exchange or Persian-era influence, as crimson dyes were highly valued in the ancient Near East. Standard English translations as "crimson" or "carmine" convey the general color but do not capture the precise commercial or ritual connotations present in the original context. The term does not appear in the earlier books of the Torah, suggesting its introduction to the Hebrew lexicon in the late monarchic or post-exilic period.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably of foreign origin; carmine, a deep red; crimson.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

כרמל (uncertain) (k-r-m-l (uncertain)) — deep red color, crimson dye, costly red textile

Root uncertain (root uncertain), to be red

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3758-02 וְ/כַרְמִ֣יל vekharemil HC/Ncmsa and crimson crimson dye crimson dye 2
H3758-01 וּ/בַ/כַּרְמִ֔יל uvakaremil HC/Rd/Ncmsa and in crimson carmine-red fabric and in crimson 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3758-02 2 Chronicles 2:6 וְ/כַרְמִ֣יל vekharemil HC/Ncmsa and crimson crimson dye crimson dye
H3758-01 2 Chronicles 2:13 וּ/בַ/כַּרְמִ֔יל uvakaremil HC/Rd/Ncmsa and in crimson carmine-red fabric and in crimson
H3758-02 2 Chronicles 3:14 וְ/כַרְמִ֣יל vekharemil HC/Ncmsa and crimson crimson dye crimson dye
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