Bible Dictionary
Cotton
Cotton was likely the fabric or plant described in Esther 1:6 by a Persian-derived word. The term may also have been used broadly for fine cloth such as muslin or calico.
Definition
Cotton is the product of the cotton plant, and the term in Esther 1:6 is probably the rendering of a Persian-derived word. The related words originally denoted muslin or calico and were later extended to include linen.
Biblical Usage
Cotton is probably intended by the Hebrew word in Esther 1:6, where the Authorized Version and Revised Version have “green” and the Revised Version margin gives “cotton.”
Historical Background
The plant is identified with Gossypium herbaceum, originally from India and later cultivated in many lands. Cotton was grown and manufactured in Syria and Palestine, although the Hebrews may not have known it as distinct from linen before contact with Persia.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Cotton is now both grown and manufactured in various parts of Syria and Palestine; but there is no proof that, till they came in contact with Persia, the Hebrews generally knew of it as a distinct fabric from linen. [Linen]
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>kot'-'-n (karpac is the better translation, as in the Revised Version, margin, where the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) have "green" in Es 1:6): The Hebrew karpac is from the Persian kirpas and the Sanskrit karpasa, "the cotton plant." The derived words originally meant "muslin" or "calico," but in classical times the use of words allied to karpac--in Greek and Latin--was extended to include linen. The probability is in favor of "cotton" in Es 1:6. This is the product of Gossypium herbaceum, a plant originally from India but now cultivated in many other lands.</p>