### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **shâchôr**, represented by `{{H7838}}`, is a descriptive term for **black**. Derived from a root meaning dusky, it is also used to mean jetty. It appears **6 times** across **6 unique verses** in the Bible, where it describes the color of hair, skin, and animals.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In scripture, `{{H7838}}` is used in several distinct contexts. In the Song of Solomon, it is used to describe physical appearance, with the speaker declaring, "I am **black**, but comely" [[Song of Solomon 1:5]], and later describing her beloved's locks as "**black** as a raven" [[Song of Solomon 5:11]]. In the Levitical laws concerning skin diseases, the presence of **black** hair is a key diagnostic sign; its growth within a scall indicates that the person is healed and clean [[Leviticus 13:37]]. The word also appears in the prophetic visions of Zechariah to describe the color of horses sent out from heaven ([[Zechariah 6:2]], [[Zechariah 6:6]]).
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide contrast and context to the meaning of **black**:
* `{{H122}}` **ʼâdôm** (red, ruddy): This word for **red** appears alongside `{{H7838}}` in Zechariah's vision of a chariot with **red** horses and a second chariot with **black** horses [[Zechariah 6:2]].
* `{{H3836}}` **lâbân** (white): Used as a contrasting color, this term describes the **white** horses that follow the **black** ones in their mission to the north country [[Zechariah 6:6]].
* `{{H5000}}` **nâʼveh** (comely, seemly): This word for beautiful or suitable is used in conjunction with `{{H7838}}` in the declaration, "I am **black**, but **comely**" [[Song of Solomon 1:5]].
* `{{H6158}}` **ʻôrêb** (raven): The raven's color is used as a direct simile for blackness, describing hair that is "**black** as a **raven**" [[Song of Solomon 5:11]].
### Theological Significance
The significance of `{{H7838}}` is tied directly to its context, whether describing physical attributes, ritual condition, or symbolic action.
* **A Mark of Beauty:** In the Song of Solomon, **black** is presented as a feature of beauty, both in skin tone [[Song of Solomon 1:5]] and in describing the beloved's hair as a desirable quality [[Song of Solomon 5:11]].
* **A Sign of Healing:** Within the Levitical code, the appearance of **black** hair in a previously afflicted area of skin is a positive sign, indicating that the scall is healed and the individual can be pronounced clean [[Leviticus 13:37]].
* **A Prophetic Symbol:** In Zechariah's vision, the **black** horses are active agents in a divine mission, tasked with going "forth into the north country" [[Zechariah 6:6]] as part of a heavenly patrol.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7838}}` is a specific and literal term for the color **black**. It is not an abstract concept but a direct descriptor used in contexts ranging from the poetic descriptions of human beauty in Song of Solomon to the precise diagnostic criteria in Levitical law. Its use in Zechariah's vision of colored horses further illustrates its role as a key visual element in biblical narrative, grounding symbolic events in tangible descriptions.
TRV