Exodus 25:4

And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,

Blue, х uwtkeelet (H8504)] - from a shellfish, Helix Ianthina (Linnoeus), a species of mussel found in the Mediterranean, with a cerulean shell; whence was obtained the dark-blue purple dye; Septuagint, huakinthon.

Purple, х wª'argaamaan (H713)] - a reddish-purple, procured from a different species of Mediterranean shellfish (Ezekiel 27:7; Ezekiel 27:16). [The etymology of this word, and of the Chaldee cognate, 'argªwaan (2 Chronicles 2:6; Daniel 5:7; Daniel 5:16), has been traced with great probability in the Sanskrit. The form, 'argaamaan, is Sanskrit ragaman; and 'argªwaan is Sanskrit ragavan, 'tinged with a red colour' (Gesenius); Septuagint, porfuran].

Scarlet, х wªtowla`at (H8438) shaaniy (H8144)] - a crimson or beautiful red dye, extracted from an insect, Kermes, coccus ilicis (Linnoeus), so called from its depositing its eggs in rows on the holly-the cochineal. [Septuagint, kokkinon diploun.

Fine linen, х sheesh (H8337)] - a name applied to it from its whiteness. Septuagint, busson kekloosmeneen, fine-spun byssus. According to the received opinion in Europe, this manufacture was, until a comparatively recent period, believed to have been cotton. But the accurate experiments made with the microscope (see Ure's 'Philosophy of Manufactures,' p. 95; Thomson, 'On the Mummy Cloth of Egypt'), have decided the fact (what no modern Egyptian ever doubted) that it was linen.

'Considerable difficulty, however, presents itself, owing to the Hebrew shesh being translated byssus in the Septuagint version, and in our own, "fine linen;" and to shesh being the name applied at this day by the Arabs to fine muslin, which is of cotton, and not of linen; because the similarity of the words in these cognate languages argues in favour of the same meaning. On the other hand, Herodotus says the mummy cloths were of "byssine Sindon" (linen); and they are found to be invariably linen' (Rawlinson's 'Herodotus, b. 2:, ch. 86: see further, 'Egypt's Testimony to the Truth,' pp. 182-191).

Goats' hair, х `iziym (H5795)] - goats, ellipsis for goats' hair, woven into cloth-camlet, used chiefly as covering for tents (cf. Exodus 36:14; 1 Samuel 19:13). [Septuagint, trichas aigeias].