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shebanq

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.

Brenner 1982
Brenner, A. Colour Terms in the Old Testament (Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Supplement Series 21). Sheffield: JSOT Press.
McCarter 1980
P. Kyle McCarter, 1 Samuel (AB), Garden City NY: Doubleday.
Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database