Classical Hebrew: אָמוֹץ

[shamsuddin]

Hello

וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָה הַשְּׁלִשִׁית סוּסִים לְבָנִים וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָה הָרְבִעִית סוּסִים בְּרֻדִּים אֲמֻצִּים.
וָאַעַן וָאֹמַר אֶל הַמַּלְאָךְ הַדֹּבֵר בִּי מָה אֵלֶּה אֲדֹנִי.
וַיַּעַן הַמַּלְאָךְ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָי אֵלֶּה אַרְבַּע רֻחוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹצְאוֹת מֵהִתְיַצֵּב עַל אֲדוֹן כָּל הָאָרֶץ.
אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ הַסּוּסִים הַשְּׁחֹרִים יֹצְאִים אֶל אֶרֶץ צָפוֹן וְהַלְּבָנִים יָצְאוּ אֶל אַחֲרֵיהֶם וְהַבְּרֻדִּים יָצְאוּ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַתֵּימָן.
וְהָאֲמֻצִּים יָצְאוּ וַיְבַקְשׁוּ לָלֶכֶת לְהִתְהַלֵּך בָּאָרֶץ וַיֹּאמֶר לְכוּ הִתְהַלְּכוּ בָאָרֶץ וַתִּתְהַלַּכְנָה בָּאָרֶץ.

In the first line and the last one (from זכריה ו) what is the meaning of אָמוֹץ? People say it is meaning "pied". But this meaning is not connected to אֹמֶץ (strength) so how can it be correct?

Thanks so much

 

[aavichai]

Those that connect this word to "pied" base it on the Arabic root ومض "w-m-D", which its meaning is "blink, spark (and so on).
So, it seems that this connection is very weak (IMO).
(The word ברדים has the meaning of "pied"/"spotted"


As for the meaning, it is not very clear.
The Aramaic translation translates it as ash colored.

Others link this אמוץ to חמוץ (with the meaning of the red color/shade).
(as in Isa. 63:1 in חמוץ בגדים).
And with that, verse 6 and 7 depart the ברדים from the אמצים.
And in verse 7 the אמצים is actually the אדמים in verse 2.


Others can see it as refer to "strength" (whether it is not referred to the colors at all, or as a description for the strength of the color (or the spots)).