שָׁחוֹר

Black

sha-KHOR

About “Black” in Hebrew

Black in Jewish culture is primarily associated with the ink used to write Torah scrolls, tefillin, and mezuzah parchments—the sacred letters must be written in black ink on white/cream parchment. Black is also the predominant color of traditional Hasidic and Orthodox men's clothing, symbolizing humility and the negation of vanity. The contrast of black letters on white parchment represents the interplay of divine wisdom and mystery.

Example

הַחָתוּל שָׁחוֹר כְּמוֹ הַלַּיְלָה.
The cat is black like the night.

Gematria of “Black” (שחור)

In Hebrew numerology (gematria), each letter has a numerical value. The word שחור (sha-KHOR) has a gematria value of 514.

300ש+
8ח+
6ו+
200ר
 =
total514

Black” in the Bible

Verses from the Torah and Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) mentioning “black”.

Amos 4:13עמוס 4:13

כי הנה יוצר הרים וברא רוח ומגיד לאדם מה שחו עשה שחר עיפה ודרך על במתי ארץ יהוה אלהי צבאות שמו

Behold the One who formed the mountains, And created the wind, And whose wishes have been made known to mortals, Who turns blackness into daybreak, And treads upon the high places of the earth, Whose name is GOD —the God of Hosts.

Amos 5:20עמוס 5:20

הלא חשך יום יהוה ולא אור ואפל ולא נגה לו

Surely the day of GOD shall be Not light, but darkness, Blackest night without a glimmer.

Deuteronomy 14:12דברים 14:12

וזה אשר לא תאכלו מהם הנשר והפרס והעזניה

The following you may not eat: the eagle, the vulture, and the black vulture;

English translation: THE JPS TANAKH, Revised Edition (2023) © Jewish Publication Society, via Sefaria. CC BY-NC 4.0

This word starts with the Hebrew letter shin.

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