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אַדְמוֹנִי ʾadmōnī – reddish-brown

Semantic Fields: Colours   
Author(s): John E. Hartley
First published: 2026-05-20
Citation: John E. Hartley, אַדְמוֹנִי ʾadmōnī – reddish-brown,
               Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database (sahd-online.com), 2026

Introduction

Grammatical type: adjective.
Occurrences: 3x HB (1/2/0); 0x Sir; 0x Qum; 0x Inscr. (Total: 3x).

  • Torah: Gen 25:25;
  • Nebiim: 1 Sam 16:12; 17:42.

A.1 In 1 Sam 17:42 McCarter deletes ואדמני עם יפה מראה, judging it to be a later addition drawn from the text in 1 Sam 16:12 (McCarter 1980:288-89). This position is not followed since the MT is supported by the versions. Nevertheless, there is evidence that during its transmission history the text of 1 Sam 17:42 has been influenced by the wording in 1 Sam 16:12 as is apparent in LXX’s reading πυρράκης μετὰ κάλλους ὀφταλμῶν in 1 Sam 17:42, wording that is in accord with the MT אדמני עם יפה עינים of 1 Sam 16:12 ( יפה עינים also appears in Gen 39:6). Vg appears to read יפה מראה in both references. The MT is preferred in both texts since it is the tendency for texts after being copied numerous times to conform to a singular reading.

7. Conclusion

A.1 אדמוני represents a ‘reddish-brown’ or ‘auburn’ colour; it also conveys the ‘glowing’ quality of this colour. In its few occurrences this lexeme describes the colour of a person’s complexion and/or hair. Brenner proposes that אדמדם served as a synonym or a substitute for אדמוני; and by exilic times אדמדם had displaced אדמוני (Brenner 1982:128). That these terms are overlapping synonyms is supported by the fact that TgPsJ glosses both אדמדם in Lev 13:42 and אדמוני in Gen 25:25 with סמקריי.

For this entry, see further John E. Hartley, The Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Colour Lexemes (2010), 119-122 (Printed publications).

Bibliography

For the abbreviations see the List of Abbreviations.

McCarter 1980
P. Kyle McCarter, 1 Samuel (AB), Garden City NY: Doubleday.
Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database