Blue is popular in the Bible and the favorite of most people around the world. More than half of the countries on earth have it in their national flags. This includes countries such as Australia, France, Israel, North Korea, Netherlands, the United States and others. Though representing a group of countries, the flag of the European Union has blue as its background.
Variations of blue exist in churches decorated during the period of the Byzantine Empire (395 to 1204 and 1261 to 1453 A.D.). In the Islamic world, it is second only to green in importance, which some believe to have been the favorite of Mohammed. It is the most common color found in the logos of modern corporations. It also designates, in many cultures, that the sex of a newborn baby is male.
Owing to its popularity, the major professional baseball, basketball, football and hockey leagues in the United States all have this coloration as part of the league's official logo.
Blue laws are rules enacted to hinder or forbid certain practices on Sunday. These type of laws, historically, have forbidden activities such as dancing, drinking or purchasing alcohol, buying cigarettes, or even working on the first day of the week. Although many have been lessened or outright appealed, such laws are still on the books in certain parts of the United States.
A person who is considered a "blue blood" is someone who comes from an upper-class family.
Appearances of the Color Blue
The English word "blue" appears 51 times in 50 King James translation verses. It is written the most in the book of Exodus (34 times) followed by Numbers (6) and then a three-way tie with 2Chronicles, Esther and Ezekiel (three each). The Hebrew word usually translated as this color is tekeleth (Strong's Concordance #H8504), which is a reference to the animal from which the dye is obtained.
This color can represent God or something dedicated to a holy purpose. It can also symbolize royalty or riches.
And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony (ark of the covenant) with it:
And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof (Numbers 4:5 - 6, KJV, see also Exodus 24:10, 25:3, 38:18, 2Chronicles 2:7 and Ezekiel 1:26).
And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king (of Persia) in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad (Esther 8:15, KJV, see also 1:6, Ezekiel 23:6 and Jeremiah 10:9).
Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee (Ezekiel 27:7, KJV, see also verse 24).
Blue can also mean or symbolize service to God and godly living.
Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue (Numbers 15:38, KJV, see also Exodus 28:6, 8, 13, 31 and Esther 8:15).
Dyeing
Several Biblical commentaries state that the liquid from which blue dye originated came from a shellfish native to the Mediterranean Sea. The possibly also exists it was extracted from the rind of pomegranates. The process of using it for dyeing entailed soaking clothe in dye vats and then letting them dry. This process was repeated several times until arriving at the desired color. The final step was soaking the cloth in a solution that would render the cloth colorfast.
More Info on Biblical Meaning of Blue
Moses, Aaron, two of Aaron's sons, and the seventy elders of Israel went up Mount Sinai to worship God before he gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments in stone (Exodus 24). They not only saw God but also noticed that under his feet was some sort of pavement made of Sapphires.
And they (Moses, Aaron and the elders) saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness (Exodus 24:10, KJV).
Sapphires, one of the many gemstrones mentioned in Scripture, is referenced nine times in God's word. The gem reflects a beautiful blue sky color.
Sapphires are also found on the "breastplate of judgment" sometimes worn by the High Priest (Exodus 28:18). This blue gem was one of several that God personally placed as ornamentation on Lucifer when he created him (Ezekiel 28:13). This stone, according to the Bible, will soon be used to decorate one of the twelve foundations God will create for the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:19).