Topical Encyclopedia The term "scarletworm" refers to the crimson or scarlet dye derived from the dried bodies of the female Kermes vermilio insect, which was historically used in ancient textiles. This dye is often associated with the biblical term "scarlet" and is significant in various scriptural contexts, symbolizing wealth, luxury, and sometimes sin.
Biblical References:
1. Exodus 25:4 · In the construction of the Tabernacle, God commands the Israelites to bring offerings, including "blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen." The scarlet yarn, likely dyed using the scarletworm, was a crucial component in the sacred textiles, signifying the richness and sanctity of the materials used in worship.
2. Isaiah 1:18 · The prophet Isaiah uses the imagery of scarlet to convey the depth of sin and the promise of redemption: "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." Here, the scarlet color represents the vividness and seriousness of sin, which can be cleansed and made pure through divine forgiveness.
3. Proverbs 31:21 · The virtuous woman is described as not fearing for her household when it snows, "for all her household are clothed in scarlet." This indicates not only the provision and care she extends to her family but also the use of high-quality, warm garments, possibly dyed with the scarletworm, reflecting her industriousness and resourcefulness.
Symbolism and Cultural Context:
In biblical times, the process of obtaining scarlet dye was labor-intensive and costly, making it a symbol of wealth and status. The dye was extracted from the bodies of the female scarletworm, which were collected, dried, and crushed to produce the vibrant color. This painstaking process underscores the value and rarity of scarlet-dyed fabrics.
Scarlet is also used symbolically in the Bible to represent sin and impurity, as seen in Isaiah 1:18. The contrast between the deep red of scarlet and the purity of white snow or wool serves as a powerful metaphor for transformation and redemption through God's grace.
Theological Implications:
The use of scarlet in the Tabernacle and priestly garments (Exodus 28:5-6) highlights its role in the worship and service of God, signifying the beauty and holiness required in approaching the divine. The color's association with sin and redemption in Isaiah 1:18 further emphasizes the transformative power of God's forgiveness, a central theme in Christian theology.
In summary, the scarletworm and its dye hold significant cultural, symbolic, and theological importance in the Bible. The color scarlet, derived from this humble insect, serves as a multifaceted symbol of wealth, sin, and redemption, woven into the fabric of biblical narrative and teaching.International Standard Bible Encyclopedia WORM; SCARLET-WORMwurm, skar'-let-wurm:
(1) tola`, tole`ah, tola`ath, tola`ath, from tala`; compare Arabic tala, "to stretch the neck"; usually with shani, "bright" (of Arabic sana, "a flash of lightning"), the term tola`ath shani being translated "scarlet" in English Versions of the Bible; also in the same sense the following: sheni tola`ath (Leviticus 14:4), tola` (Isaiah 1:18, English Versions of the Bible "crimson"), shanim (Proverbs 31:21 Isaiah 1:18, English Versions of the Bible "scarlet"), shani (Genesis 38:28 Joshua 2:18 Songs 4:3); also kokkos, and kokkinos (Matthew 27:23 Hebrews 9:19 Revelation 17:3, 4; Revelation 18:12, 16).
(2) rimmah, from ramam, "to putrefy" (Exodus 16:20); compare Arab ramm, "to become carious" (of bone).
(3) cac (only in Isaiah 51:8); compare Arabic sus, "worm"; ses, "moth" (Matthew 6:19).
(4) zochalim (Micah 7:17, the King James Version "worms," the Revised Version (British and American) "crawling things"), from zachal, "to crawl."
(5) skolex (Mark 9:48), skolekobrotos, "eaten of worms" (Acts 12:23).
Besides the numerous passages, mostly in Exodus, referring to the tabernacle, where tola`ath, with shani, is translated "scarlet," there are eight pasages in which it is translated "worm." These denote worms which occur in decaying organic matter or in sores (Exodus 16:20 Isaiah 14:11; Isaiah 66:24); or which are destructive to plants (Deuteronomy 28:39 Jonah 4:7); or the word is used as a term of contempt or depreciation (Job 25:6 Psalm 22:6 Isaiah 41:14). Rimmah is used in the same senses. It occurs with tola`ath as a synonym in Exodus 16:24 Job 25:6 Isaiah 14:11. In Job 25:6, English Versions of the Bible, rendering both tola`ath and rimmah by "worm," 'enosh and 'adham by "man," and introducing twice "that is a," makes a painfully monotonous distich out of the concise and elegant original, in which not one word of the first part is repeated in the second. Cac (Isaiah 51:8), English Versions of the Bible "worm," is the larva of the clothes-moth. See MOTH. In none of the cases here considered are worms, properly so called, denoted, but various insect larvae which are commonly called "worms," e.g. "silkworm," "apple-worm," "meal-worm," etc. These larvae are principally those of Diptera or flies, Coleoptera or beetles, and Lepidoptera or butterflies and moths.
Tola`ath shani, "scarlet," is the scarlet-worm, Cermes vermilio, a scale-insect which feeds upon the oak, and which is used for producing a red dye. It is called by the Arabs dudeh, "a worm," a word also used for various insect larvae. It is also called qirmiz, whence" crimson" and the generic name Cermes. This scarlet-worm or scale-insect is one of the family Coccidae of the order Rhynchota or Hemiptera. The female is wingless and adheres to its favorite plant by its long, sucking beak, by which it extracts the sap on which it lives. After once attaching itself it remains motionless, and when dead its body shelters the eggs which have been deposited beneath it. The males, which are smaller than the females, pass through a complete metamorphosis and develop wings. The dye is made from the dried bodies of the females. Other species yielding red dyes are Porphyrophora polonica and Coccus cacti. The last named is the Mexican cochineal insect which feeds on the cactus and which largely supplanted the others after the discovery of America. Aniline dyes have in turn to a great extent superseded these natural organic colors, which, however, continue to be unsurpassed for some purposes.
See COLORS.
Alfred Ely Day
Thesaurus Scarletworm/s/scarletworm.htm - 11kInsects (17 Occurrences)
... are: Hymenoptera, ant, bee, hornet; Lepidoptera, clothes-moth, silk-worm; Siphonaptera,
flea; Diptera, fly; Rhynchota, louse, scarletworm; Orthoptera, several ...
/i/insects.htm - 14k Scarlet-worm
Scarlet-worm. Scarletworm, Scarlet-worm. Scars . Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ...
Alfred Ely Day. Scarletworm, Scarlet-worm. Scars . Reference Bible.
/s/scarlet-worm.htm - 11k Scarlet-colour (1 Occurrence)
Scarlet-colour. Scarlet-colored, Scarlet-colour. Scarletworm . Multi-Version
Concordance ... Scarlet-colored, Scarlet-colour. Scarletworm . Reference Bible
/s/scarlet-colour.htm - 6k
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