In biblical literature, the concept of "whiteness" often symbolizes purity, holiness, and divine presence. Throughout the Scriptures, whiteness is used metaphorically and literally to convey spiritual truths and divine attributes.

Symbolism of Purity and Holiness

Whiteness is frequently associated with purity and holiness in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah uses the imagery of whiteness to describe the cleansing power of God: "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall become like wool" (Isaiah 1:18). This verse highlights the transformative power of God's forgiveness, turning the stain of sin into the purity of snow.

In the New Testament, the Book of Revelation often uses whiteness to depict the holiness and righteousness of God's people. The saints are described as wearing white robes, symbolizing their purity and victory over sin: "Then one of the elders addressed me: 'These in white robes,' he asked, 'who are they, and where have they come from?' So I replied, 'Sir, you know.' And he told me, 'These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb'" (Revelation 7:13-14).

Divine Presence and Glory

Whiteness is also used to describe the divine presence and glory of God. In the account of the Transfiguration, Jesus' appearance is transformed, and His clothes become dazzlingly white: "There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light" (Matthew 17:2). This event reveals the divine nature of Christ and His glory, witnessed by Peter, James, and John.

Similarly, in the vision of the Ancient of Days in the Book of Daniel, God's clothing is described as white as snow, emphasizing His eternal purity and majesty: "As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool" (Daniel 7:9).

Judgment and Righteousness

Whiteness is also associated with judgment and righteousness. In Revelation, the imagery of a white horse is used to depict Christ as the righteous judge: "Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war" (Revelation 19:11). The white horse symbolizes victory and the purity of Christ's judgment.

Leprosy and Whiteness

In the Old Testament, whiteness is also associated with leprosy, a disease that rendered individuals ceremonially unclean. Leviticus 13 provides detailed instructions for diagnosing leprosy, noting that the appearance of white spots on the skin could indicate the disease: "When a man has a swelling or a rash or a bright spot on his skin that could become an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest" (Leviticus 13:2). While leprosy was a physical ailment, it also served as a symbol of sin and impurity, requiring cleansing and restoration.

Conclusion

In summary, the concept of whiteness in the Bible is rich with symbolic meaning, representing purity, holiness, divine presence, and righteous judgment. It serves as a powerful metaphor for the transformative work of God in the lives of His people, illustrating the cleansing from sin and the ultimate victory of righteousness.1. (n.) The quality or state of being white; white color, or freedom from darkness or obscurity on the surface.

2. (n.) Want of a sanguineous tinge; paleness; as from terror, grief, etc.

3. (n.) Freedom from stain or blemish; purity; cleanness.

4. (n.) Nakedness.

5. (n.) A flock of swans.

5474. chalkolibanon -- chalcolibanus (fine copper, bronze or brass ...
... Neuter of a compound of chalkos and libanos (in the implied mean of whiteness or
brilliancy); burnished copper, an alloy of copper (or gold) and silver having ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5474.htm - 6k6713. tsachar -- reddish-gray, tawny
... 1). Whiteness. From an unused root meaning to dazzle; sheen, ie Whiteness --
white. 6712, 6713. tsachar. 6714 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6713.htm - 5k

2361. Churam -- a Benjamite, also two Arameans (Syrians)
... Huram. Probably from chuwr; whiteness, ie Noble; Churam, the name of an Israelite
and two Syrians -- Huram. Compare Chiyram. see HEBREW chuwr. see HEBREW Chiyram ...
/hebrew/2361.htm - 6k

3843. lebenah -- brick, tile
... altar of brick, tile. From laban; a brick (from the whiteness of the clay) -- (altar
of) brick, tile. see HEBREW laban. 3842, 3843. lebenah. 3844 . ...
/hebrew/3843.htm - 6k

7894. Shisha -- father of Solomon's scribes
... Shisha. From the same as shayish; whiteness; Shisha, an Israelite -- Shisha. see
HEBREW shayish. 7893, 7894. Shisha. 7895 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7894.htm - 6k

8405. Tebets -- a city near Shechem
... Taberah. From the same as buwts; whiteness; Tebets, a place in Palestine -- Thebez.
see HEBREW buwts. 8404, 8405. Tebets. 8406 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/8405.htm - 6k

3828. lebonah -- frankincense
... frankincense. Or lbonah {leb-o-naw'}; from laban; frankincense (from its whiteness
or perhaps that of its smoke) -- (frank-)incense. see HEBREW laban. ...
/hebrew/3828.htm - 6k

7950. sheleg -- snow
... snowy. From shalag; snow (probably from its whiteness) -- snow(-y). see HEBREW
shalag. 7949, 7950. sheleg. 7951 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7950.htm - 6k

7884. Shichor Libnath -- a stream in Asher
... Shihor-libnath. From the same as Shiychowr and laban; darkish whiteness;
Shichor-Libnath, a stream of Palestine -- Shihor-libnath. see HEBREW Shiychowr. ...
/hebrew/7884.htm - 6k

7799. shushan -- probably lily (or any lily-like flower)
... Or showshan {sho-shawn'}; or shoshan {sho- shawn'}; and (feminine) showshannah
{sho-shan-naw'}; from suws; a lily (from its whiteness), as a flower of arch. ...
/hebrew/7799.htm - 6k

6714. Tsochar -- a Hittite, also two Israelites
... NASB Word Usage Zohar (4). Zohar. From the same as tsachar; whiteness; Tsochar,
the name of a Hittite and of an Israelite -- Zohar. Compare Yitschar. ...
/hebrew/6714.htm - 6k

Whether the Soul is in Each Part of the Body?
... except perhaps accidentally; and then only to those forms, which have an indifferent
relationship to a quantitative whole and its parts; as whiteness, as far ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the soul is in.htm

Third Tractate. Problems of the Soul (1).
... is mentioned in respect of things whose members are alike, it refers to mass and
not to ideal-form [specific idea]: take for example, whiteness: the whiteness ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/third tractate problems of the.htm

Whether the Resurrection of Christ is the Cause of Our ...
... For instance, if a white man beget a white man, the whiteness of the begetter is
not the principle of active generation, and yet the whiteness of the begetter ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the resurrection of christ.htm

Sixth Tractate. Quality and Form-Idea.
... The distinction may be seen in the [constitutive] whiteness of a swan or
of ceruse and the whiteness which in a man is an accidental. ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/sixth tractate quality and form-idea.htm

Let us Now Consider the Category of Relation, to which all the ...
... On the other hand, though you suppress the term whiteness, you do not suppress some
white thing, [22] though, of course, if the particular whiteness inhere as ...
/.../boethius/the trinity is one god not three gods/v let us now consider.htm

Whether a Circumstance is an Accident of a Human Act?
... First, from being in that thing: thus, whiteness is said to be an accident
of Socrates. Secondly, because it is together with that ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether a circumstance is an.htm

Whether it is Necessary that Every Being be Created by God?
... For there is nothing to prevent a thing from being without that which does not
belong to its essence, as a man can be found without whiteness. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether it is necessary that.htm

Whether all Sorrow is Contrary to all Pleasure?
... Because, just as whiteness and blackness are contrary species of color, so pleasure
and sorrow are contrary species of the soul's passions. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether all sorrow is contrary.htm

Whether a Habit Can Diminish?
... take an accident in the abstract, it implies relation to a subject, which relation
begins in the accident and terminates in the subject: for "whiteness is that ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether a habit can diminish.htm

Whether Our Intellect Understands by Composition and Division?
... For the above composition of the intellect does not imply that "man" and "whiteness"
are identical, but the assertion, "the man is white," means that "the man ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether our intellect understands by.htm

Whiteness (1 Occurrence)
...Whiteness (1 Occurrence). Mark 9:3 His garments also became dazzling with brilliant
whiteness--such whiteness as no bleaching on earth could give. (WEY). ...
/w/whiteness.htm - 7k

Libnah (18 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Transparency; whiteness. (1.) One of the stations
of the Israelites in the wilderness (Numbers 33:20, 21). ...
/l/libnah.htm - 15k

Linen (111 Occurrences)
... 40:3), napkins (Luke 24:12; John 20:7), turbans (Ezek. 44:18), and lamp-wicks (Isaiah
42:3). (2.) Hebrews buts, "whiteness;" rendered "fine linen" in 1 ...
/l/linen.htm - 50k

Garments (232 Occurrences)
... (ASV YLT NAS RSV). Mark 9:3 His garments also became dazzling with brilliant
whiteness--such whiteness as no bleaching on earth could give. ...
/g/garments.htm - 37k

Wool (34 Occurrences)
... The wool of Damascus, famous for its whiteness, was of great repute in the
Tyrian Market (Ezek. 27:18). Noah Webster's Dictionary. ...
/w/wool.htm - 21k

Dazzling (7 Occurrences)
... Dazzling (7 Occurrences). Mark 9:3 His garments also became dazzling with brilliant
whiteness--such whiteness as no bleaching on earth could give. (WEY NIV). ...
/d/dazzling.htm - 8k

Poplar (4 Occurrences)
... pop'-lar (libhneh, "whiteness"; sturakinos, "storax" (Genesis 30:37), leuke, "poplar"
(Hosea 4:13) (libhneh is so similar to the Arabic libna, the storax, that ...
/p/poplar.htm - 10k

Bleaching (1 Occurrence)
... Bleaching (1 Occurrence). Mark 9:3 His garments also became dazzling with brilliant
whiteness--such whiteness as no bleaching on earth could give. (WEY). ...
/b/bleaching.htm - 6k

Brilliant (5 Occurrences)
... WEY). Mark 9:3 His garments also became dazzling with brilliant whiteness--
such whiteness as no bleaching on earth could give. (WEY). ...
/b/brilliant.htm - 9k

Bleach (1 Occurrence)
... Bleach (1 Occurrence). Mark 9:3 His garments also became dazzling with brilliant
whiteness--such whiteness as no bleaching on earth could give. ...
/b/bleach.htm - 6k

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