Lexical Definition

‎אַרְגָּמָן‎ ʼargâmân (ar-gaw-mawn') purple ^H:N-M
of foreign origin

purple.

• purple (the color or the dyed stuff)

1) purple, red-purple

See Greek: πορφύρα · πορφυροῦς

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎אַרְגָּמָן‎ noun [masculine] purple, red-purple, i.e. purple thread & cloth (Assyrian argamannu COT Exod 25:4, Arabic , Aramaic , compare ‎אַרְגְּוָן‎ above; etymology dubious; possibly Sanskrit râgaman, adjective red, reddish, from râga, red colour, so Benary compare Thes Add¹¹¹ Rob-Ges; see MV; Thes earlier, from ‎רגם‎; but probably loan-word, compare also Lag^{BN 205}; Persian is also cited by PS) — form always as above —

1. purple thread, compare especially Exod 35:25; Exod 39:3; Esth 1:6
a. mostly Exodus (P) with reference to the hangings of tabernacle, the ephod, etc.; seldom alone; with ‎תְּכֵלֶת‎, violet (q. v.), ‎תּוֺלַעַת שָׁנִי‎, (‎מָשְׁזָב‎) ‎שֵׁשׁ‎, (also ‎עִזִּים‎) Exod 25:4; Exod 26:1; Exod 26:31; Exod 26:36; Exod 27:16; Exod 35:8; Exod 35:25; Exod 35:35; Exod 36:8; Exod 36:35; Exod 36:37; Exod 38:18; Exod 38:23; Exod 39:24 (on text see Di) vExod 39:29 with these + ‎זָהָב‎ Exod 28:5; Exod 28:6; Exod 28:8; Exod 28:15; Exod 39:2; Exod 39:3; Exod 39:5; Exod 39:8 omitted ‎׳‎‎שֵׁשׁ מ‎ Exod 28:33; Exod 39:1 also of temple-hangings, with ‎תְּכֵלֶת‎, ‎בּוּץ‎ & ‎כַּרְמִיל‎ 2Chr 3:14 compare 2Chr 2:13* (see also 2Chr 2:6* see below ‎אַרְגְּוָן‎).
b. as indicating wealth & luxury of Tyre, c. ‎שֵׁשׁ‎, ‎רִקְמָה‎, ‎תְּכֵלֶת‎ Ezek 27:7 with ‎רִקְמָה‎ & ‎בּוּץ‎ vEzek 27:16 (as articles of commerce); also in Persia, with ‎בּוּץ‎ Esth 1:6.

2. purple cloth, chiefly of garments, ‎׳‎‎בֶּגֶד א‎ Num 4:13; Judg 8:26 ‎׳‎‎וְתַכְרִיךְ בּוּץ וְא‎ Esth 8:15, ‎לְבוּשָׁהּ‎ ‎׳‎‎שֵׁשׁ וְא‎ Prov 31:22 ‎לְבוּשָׁם‎ ‎׳‎‎תְּכֵלָת וְא‎ Jer 10:9 also ‎׳‎‎מֶרְכָּבוֺ א‎ Song 3:10 in simile, of woman's hair Song 7:6*.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References