Dream symbols: The colour silver – and what it means

The biblical symbolism of silver in dreams, what that means in practice, with real dream examples.

Have you ever wondered what silver means as a dream symbol?

In this article we will take inspiration from the bible to investigate the spiritual meaning of silver in dreams, and what that means for us in practical terms.

We will explore its meaning in positive and negative contexts, with some real dream examples too!

I approach dream interpretation from a biblical perspective. My belief is that our dreams can come from God, and understanding them is best understood within the context of an ongoing relationship with Him.

The symbolic nature of dreams

Firstly, if you have just come across this post and are new to dream interpretation, it is worth mentioning that dreams are symbolic in nature. You might find it helpful to read the following articles: Understand your dreams: A bible-based introduction to dream language and Beginner’s guide to biblical dream interpretation.

Secondly, remember that dreams are personal, so the meanings that I suggest may not apply to your specific dream. But please feel free to use my ideas as a springboard to thinking and praying about dreams yourself. Don’t take my ideas as gospel, but rather let them help you start to think metaphorically.

Introducing the colour silver

Silver is an elegant and sophisticated colour with a modern feel and cool undertones. In some ways it is like grey – but metallic. The colour gets its name from the precious metal, which is valued for its beauty, shine, value, and electrical conductivity.

Despite its popularity, silver is often seen as second best to gold – a trait that is echoed in our Olympic medal system, where silver represents second place.

As with any dream symbol, silver can have both positive and negative meanings. The context, feeling and atmosphere of a dream will give us clues to help us determine whether to interpret it in a positive or negative way.

Silver in the bible

The bible is full of imagery and can help us understand dream symbols. I carried out a search for ‘silver’ in the bible, and the following is what I found. Silver objects could be used in dreams to represent any of these concepts:

Silver as currency and wealth

By far the greatest number of references to silver relate to its use as currency; it has been used for making coins since ancient times. Even today, many coins have a silver appearance, even if not made from silver metal.

In the bible they used silver shekels and talents. These were used for many purposes, for example:

• To buy goods (Genesis 23:16)
• To buy land (Jeremiah 32:9-10)
• To buy slaves (Genesis 37:28)
• For redemption (Numbers 18:16)
• As financial gifts and offerings (Exodus 35:5)
• For wages (Judges 17:10)

Therefore, silver has become associated with trade. money and finances.

One of the most infamous uses of silver is the 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas Iscariot, which was the price paid for him to betray Jesus Christ.

• Matthew 26:15, NASB “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.

Silver as something valuable

Possessing silver suggests richness, wealth, and prosperity (Genesis 13:2). Things that are worth pursuing are compared to silver:

• God’s words are like silver (Psalm 12:6)
• Wisdom is compared to silver (Proverbs 2:4)
• Understanding is to be chosen above silver (Proverbs 16:16)
• A good name and favour are better than silver (Proverbs 22:1)
• Good and helpful words are like silver (Proverbs 10:20)

In Jesus’ parable of the lost coin, a lady was depicted as searching her house high and low until she found one lost coin – because it was so valuable. This was to illustrate how valuable each one of us is to God.

• Luke 15:8, NASB “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?…”

Silver as something special

Due to its value, items made from silver are generally seen as set apart for special purposes.

Tableware made from silver is still known as ‘silverware’ and is mostly used on special occasions (unless you are wealthy!). King Solomon was so wealthy that silver became commonplace – but that was a notable exception to the norm!

• 1 Kings 10:27, NASB And the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem…

Silver was also used in the biblical tabernacle and temple for things that were holy and consecrated to God – i.e. set apart as special.

• 2 Samuel 8:11, NASB King David also consecrated… the silver and gold… from all the nations which he had subdued…

Silver is also used for other special items, like jewellery and ornaments.

Silver as a refining process

Gold is more often used to represent a refining process, but silver can represent this too.

• Psalm 66:10, NASB For You have put us to the test, God; You have refined us as silver is refined.

Silver as idols

Again, this is more often associated with gold, but silver can represent idols.

• Psalm 115:4, NASB Their idols are silver and gold, The work of human hands

Positive meaning of silver in dreams

Silver as grace and favour

Most commonly, when silver appears in dreams in a positive context, it represents God’s grace. The best way to understand this is to say ‘power of Christ’ whenever you read the word ‘grace’.

For example, grace includes:

• The power/ability to do something.
• The anointing of God’s Spirit to do something.
• God’s favour for doing something.

Red can also represent grace, but silver particularly conveys the sense that God has provided everything we need. It is the opposite of trying to do something in our own strength and independently from God – which the bible calls ‘works’ or legalism.

Grace is a free gift (it comes from the same root as gracia which means thankyou). It stems from the death and resurrection of Christ, and all we have to do is say ‘thankyou’. We can do nothing to earn it, we just need to believe it so it can become a real experience for us. The following bible verses illustrate this:

• Philippians 4:13, NASB I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
• 2 Corinthians 9, NASB And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
• Ephesians 2:8, NASB For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
• Corinthians 12:9, NASB And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Practically speaking, in this context, silver in a dream indicates that we have God’s grace and favour in the area that the silver item represents.

Silver as redemption

Grace and redemption are closely connected. Essentially, redemption means ‘buying back’, which relates to the primary biblical image of silver as trade currency/money.

Just like silver was used to ‘redeem’ slaves at the marketplace (i.e. buy back their freedom), so Jesus paid the price on the cross to buy back our freedom: freedom from sin, but also freedom from having to do things by our own effort (works).

• Ephesians 1:7, NASB In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace.
• Galatians 5:1, NASB It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
• 1 Peter 1:18-19 NASB … you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. …

This weekend is Easter: the time when the church celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. What better time to share the final post in my series of individual colour articles: the colour silver! Silver speaks of grace and redemption.

Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver! Yet, he willingly gave His life to purchase for us new life, freedom and hope.

Jesus paid the price on the cross to buy back our freedom: freedom from sin, but also freedom from having to do things by our own effort (works).

In a dream, silver can indicate that we have been set free through Jesus Christ from the burden of our own effort in the area that the dream is about. It is an invitation to walk with God and experience the reality of His grace through the power of Christ.

Real dream examples: Silver as grace

DREAM	INTERPRETATION	EXPLANATION
I dreamed our family kitchen had won a free refit, and had been redecorated for a family with kids. There were smart red units and and silver/chrome appliances.	This was preparing me for a time when our church would have new families with children, and we would have to adapt. God’s grace and favour was available for this.	A family can be a church family. The silver ties in with it being free. so this would be by God’s grace. Red also speaks of grace and God’s power to do it.
I dreamed I had a silver high-heeled shoe on my left foot, but a black flat shoe on my right foot, so it was difficult to walk.	This was about something I was trying to do in my own effort and was failing (leading to frustration), but in the future I would have the ability to do it by God’s grace.	Right is normally about the current time, and left indicates something in the future. The high-heeled shoe suggests a ‘higher’ position.
My friend dreamed they were walking barefoot and looked at the soles of their, feet thinking they were dirty – but they were actually covered in silver glitter.	The next day, when they woke up, they had forgiveness in their heart towards someone that they felt the exact opposite about the night before. It was a miracle.	The silver represented God’s grace. They were unable to forgive the person in their natural ability (works), but God’s grace had empowered them to do it as they slept!

Negative meaning of silver in dreams

Silver as legalism

Legalism is the opposite of grace, and is often linked to religious activity (which appears to be godly but isn’t). It involves excessive adherance to a particular rule or formula – with the belief that something can be earned as a result. The bible says this is like trying to follow the Old Testament Law.

Legalism is trying to gain something through excessive adherance to a particular rule or formula.

Essentially, this is trying to achieve something through our own works, rather than relying on the power of God which comes through relationship with Jesus Christ.

• John 1:17, NASB For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

So when silver appears in a negative context, it can indicate that we are stuck in activities trying to achieve something – and God is trying to set us free!

Real dream example: Silver as legalism

DREAM	INTERPRETATION	EXPLANATION
I dreamed my mum had ordered a new floor with silver grid tiles on the top. I hated it, and said, “It’s got to go”, even though that would be a waste of the time and money spent. The workers started pulling up the floor.	This was about something I was trying very hard to achieve by my own effort, by following daily prayer disciplines. But it was actually legalistic, and God wanted to set me free from feeling I had to keep doing it to succeed.	Mum was reflecting me. The time and money wasted reflected the hours I had invested in doing this activity. We can see that this was a negative context by my reaction to the silver tiles!

More possible meanings of silver

• Objects that are normally silver: If you dream of objects that are normally silver, it’s worth asking yourself the following question: Is it in the dream because it is silver (i.e. is silver the main point), or is it is there for another reason – and it just happens to be silver?
• Silver coins/money: Money can represent favour wirh God, or favour with other people, as well as being about provision or grace/redemption. Depending on the dream context, it also carries the idea of paying a price, investing time and effort into something, or counting the cost.
• Silver medal: Something that is secondary, or second place.
• Silver tableware: These are usually set aside for special occasions, so can represent being holy, special, or set apart.
• Silver tongue: This is an English phrase used to describe elegant/persuasive words, so could represent that in a dream. In a positive context, it could be about good/pure words (Psalm 12:6), or having God’s grace to speak.

Conclusion

In a positive context silver often represents grace, redemption, or something valuable. It can also represent finances, or going through a testing/refining process.

In a negative context, silver can represent legalism or works (which is trying to achieve something through our own effort apart from God). Depending on the context, silver could also represent an idol.

Some closing thoughts:

• The colour silver in a dream could represent any number of things. The above ideas should give you a good starting point. 
• I believe that only God can tell us what the colour means in a specific dream, so you could try asking Him!
• Consider the atmosphere and context of the dream to see whether the silver is being used in a positive or negative sense.
• In addition to the meanings that I have shared, remember that it could mean something personal or culturally significant to you, that isn’t mentioned here.

And finally… dreams are a great tool for developing our relationship with God – so we can learn to walk in His grace and favour rather than relying on our own independent effort.

Jesus paid the price for us to be restored in our relationship with God – and connecting with Him through dreams is part of our inheritance.

Have fun interpreting those silver dreams! If this article has helped you interpret a dream, please leave a comment!

I hope you have found this article helpful. If you want to know more, do subscribe to my emails below to receive regular dream interpretation tips.

The purpose of this blog is to provide solid biblical foundations for interpreting dreams, change mindsets in the church, and encourage others to make their own dream journey with God. I am primarily a writer and bible teacher – who loves dreams, and I hope you will be inspired to learn to interpret your own dreams.

It is not currently my aim to routinely engage in dream interpretations or provide training, except through writing blog posts. You can read my most up to date position on interpreting dreams here: Requests for dream interpretations.

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