paint, painting

A medium for and a means of applying color to surfaces, formed with various pigments in a liquid or paste matrix. In biblical usage it applied to cosmetic decoration of the eye (Jer 4:30; 2Kgs 9:30; Ezek 23:40) as well as to the normal modern practice of decorating a home (Jer 22:14). Israelite mention of painting is sparse, possibly due to the legal prohibition against making images (Exod 20:4; Deut 5:8).