Word Study for H7838 (שָׁחֹר)

shâchôr /shaw-khore'/ Ask about this word

Rootor שָׁחוֹר · from שָׁחַר

Meaningproperly, dusky, but also (absol.) jetty

KJV usageblack.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of shâchôr — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

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.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as an adjective across 6 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

שְׁחֹרִים
שָׁחֹר
שְׁחֹרוֹת
שְׁחוֹרָה

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 6 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Leviticus, Song of Solomon, and Zechariah (2 verses each); never once in the other 36.

Leviticus

Song of Solomon

Zechariah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.