Ἵππος χλωρός (Rev 6.8): a Methodology for the Study of Colour Terms in the New Testament

Abstract

The meaning of χλωρός in Rev 6.8 has been given a variety of interpretations (green, yellow, pale, vigorous…) due to its polysemic character; that is, it possesses a chromatic as well as achromatic meaning and, in addition, if it denotes colour, can express a wide spectrum of hues. From this arises the need for a methodology that does not merely offer a translation, but rather a ‘meaning’. This methodology is based on: an analysis of the text; the use of the term; the concept of colour that existed in antiquity and the entity in which the colour was embodied; and the use of various lexicographical tools provided by the field of cognitive linguistics.