2 Samuel 1:24

1:24 O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,

who clothed you in scarlet ¹  as well as jewelry,

who put gold jewelry on your clothes.

Proverbs 31:21

31:21 She is not ²  afraid of the snow ³  for her household,

for all of her household are clothed with scarlet. ⁴ 

Luke 16:19

The Rich Man and Lazarus

16:19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple ⁵  and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously ⁶  every day.

[1:24]  ¹ sn Clothing of scarlet was expensive and beyond the financial reach of most people.

[31:21]  ² tn The first word of the twelfth line begins with ל (lamed), the twelfth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

[31:21]  ³ sn “Snow” is a metonymy of adjunct; it refers to the cold weather when snow comes. The verse is saying that this time is not a concern for the wise woman because the family is well prepared.

[31:21]  ⁴ tn For the MT’s “scarlet” the LXX and the Latin have “two” or “double” – the difference being essentially the vocalization of a plural as opposed to a dual. The word is taken in the versions with the word that follows (“covers”) to means “double garments.” The question to be asked is whether scarlet would keep one warm in winter or double garments. The latter is the easier reading and therefore suspect.

[16:19]  ⁵ sn Purple describes a fine, expensive dye used on luxurious clothing, and by metonymy, refers to clothing colored with that dye. It pictures someone of great wealth.

[16:19]  ⁶ tn Or “celebrated with ostentation” (L&N 88.255), that is, with showing off. Here was the original conspicuous consumer.