πῦρ
"Fire" (literally or figuratively, specially, lightning)
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
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What does πῦρ (pŷr) mean in the Bible?
πῦρ (pŷr) is a Greek word meaning ""fire" (literally or figuratively, specially, lightning)". πῦρ genitive, πυρός, τό, [in LXX chiefly and very frequently for אֵשׁ ;] fire: Mrk. Represents purifying judgment inaugurated by Christ’s mission. This term runs through the canonical themes of Messiah.
Meaning
Fire as divine judgment and purification—literal destruction or testing that refines faith and character.
fire: Mrk.9:22, Luk.3:9, Jhn.15:6, Act.2:10, 1Co.3:13, Jas.3:5, Rev.8:5, al; π. καὶ θεῖον, Luk.17:29; κατακαίειν (ἐν) π., Mat.13:40, Rev.17:16 18:8; καίεσθαι πυρί, Heb.12:18, Rev.8:8 21:8; φλὸξ πυρός, Act.7:30, 2Th.1:8, Heb.1:7, Rev.1:14 2:18 19:12; λαμπάδες πυρός, Rev.4:5; στῦλοι πυρός, Rev.10:1; ἄνθρακες πυρός, Rom.12:20 (LXX); γλῶσσαι ὡσεὶ πυρός, Act.2:3; δοκιμάζειν (πυροῦσθαι) διὰ πυρός, 1Pe.1:7, Rev.3:18; ὡς διὰ. π. (Lft., Notes, 193), 1Co.3:15. Of the fire of hell (cf. Dalman, Words,161): Mrk.9:48 (LXX); τὸ π. τὸ αἰώνιον, Mat.18:8 25:41 (cf. 4Ma.12:12); ἄσβεστον, Mrk.9:43; πυρὸς αἰωνίου δίκην ὑπέχειν, Ju 7; γέεννα τοῦ π., Mat.5:22 18:9; κάμινος τοῦ π., Mat.13:42, 50; ἡ λίμνη τοῦ π., Rev.19:20 20:10, 14-15; πυρὶ τηρεῖσθαι, 2Pe.3:7; βασανισθῆναι ἐν π., Rev.14:10. Metaphorical: βαπτίζειν πυρί, Luk.3:16; of the tongue, Jas.3:5; of strife and discord, Luk.12:49; ἐκ π. ἁρπάζειν, Ju 23; πυρὶ αλίζεσθαι, Mrk.9:49; ζῆλος πυρός, Heb.10:27; of God, π, καταναλίσκον, Heb.12:29 (LXX)
Why This Word Matters
Represents purifying judgment inaugurated by Christ’s mission.
Symbolizes purification and judgment.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Additional Occurrences
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain