אָמֹץ ʾāmoṣ – reddish-white(?)
Semantic Fields:
Colours
Author(s):
John E. Hartley
First published: 2026-05-20
Citation: John E. Hartley, אָמֹץ ʾāmoṣ – reddish-white(?),
Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database (sahd-online.com), 2026
Introduction
Grammatical type: adjective.
Occurrences: 2x HB (0/2/0); 0x Sir; 0x Qum; 0x Inscr. (Total: 2x).
- Nebiim: Zech 6:3, 7.
A.1 Some interpreters like Brenner view אמצים as a colour lexeme in Zech 6:3, 7, possibly referencing ‘reddish-white’ dust colour (Brenner 1982:113-14), while others as Haupt, Horst, and Rudolph delete this term from Zech 6:3, since the collocation ברדים אמצים is the only case of two asyndetic adjectives standing together as modifiers of horses in Zechariah’s first and eighth visions (1:8; 6:2-3, 6-8) (Haupt 1913:108-9 n. 6; Horst 1954:234; Rudolph 1976:122 n. 3a). Chary likewise deletes it, considering it to be a gloss inserted to specify the sense of ברדים (Chary 1969:106). Brenner (1982:113-14), however, keeps אמצים, glossing it as ‘light reddish brown’, and deletes ברדים in order to have a text containing a series of four solid colour lexemes, a text that corresponds to the vision of four horses of differing solid colours in the vision report in Rev 6:2-7, an account that is dependent on Zech. McHardy 1968:176 also takes this position). Nevertheless, its deletion lacks textual support except for the Pesh. Since the primary sense of the root אמץ ‘strong’ fits this context sufficiently well, the MT is followed.
A.2 Brenner views אמצים to be a secondary addition in Zech 6:7, postulating that אמצים and ברדים were added by an editor after an original אדמים had dropped out of Zech 6:6 (Brenner 1982:113). A better alternative finds that אמצים is original in Zech 6:7, having the sense of ‘strong ones, steeds’ (Myers and Myers 1987:326; Chary 1969:106, 108; Hanhart 1998:386-87; Willi-Plein 2007:112-13) (cf. 6.A.1 below).
7. Conclusion
A.1 The only two existing collocations in which אמץ may function as a possible colour lexeme in ancient Heb. occur in Zechariah’s eighth vision (6:3, 7). In that case אמץ is a colour lexeme used for identifying the team of horses drawing one of the chariots as ‘chestnut’ (Brenner 1982:114). However, it is possible to achieve a sound reading in both texts by exegeting אמצים as a form of the well-attested root אמץ, ‘strong ones’. In that case one does not need to postulate the existence of אמץ as a homonym to that root with the sense ‘red’ and, thus, as an overlapping synonym of אדם.
For this entry, see further John E. Hartley, The Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Colour Lexemes (2010), 214-217 (Printed publications).
Bibliography
For the abbreviations see the List of Abbreviations.
Athalya Brenner, Colour Terms in the Old Testament (JSOTSup, 21), Sheffield: JSOT Press.
Chary, T. Commentary on Haggai-Malachi (Sources bibliques). Paris: J. Gabalda et Cie.
Hanhart, R. Commentary on Zechariah (Biblischer Kommentar Altes Testament 14.7, 1). Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag.
Haupt, P. "The visions of Zechariah," Journal of Biblical Literature 32: 107-22.
Horst, F. and Robinson, T.H. Commentary on the Twelve Prophets (Handbuch zum Alten Testament). Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck).
McHardy, W. D. "The horses in Zechariah," in In Memoriam Paul Kahle (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 103), edited by M. Black and G. Fohrer, pp. 174-79. Berlin: Verlag Alfred Töpelmann.
Myers, C. and Myers, E. Commentary on Haggai, Zechariah 1-8 (Anchor Bible 25B). Garden City, NY: Doubleday.
Rudolph, W. Commentary on Haggai, Zechariah 1-8, Zechariah 9-14, and Malachi (Kommentar zum Alten Testament 13.4). Gütersloh: G. Mohn.
Willi-Plein, I. Commentary on Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi (Zürcher Bibelkommentare: Altes Testament 24.4). Zürich: Theologischer Verlag.