πορφύρ-α G4209
Purple cloth or garment; the expensive dye or fabric associated with royalty and wealth.
Refers to the costly purple-dyed fabric extracted from the murex sea snail, a luxury item throughout the ancient Mediterranean. In Mark's passion narrative, soldiers dress Jesus in purple as a mocking robe of kingship (Mark 15:17, 20). In the parable of the rich man, Lazarus's counterpart is clothed in purple daily (Luke 16:19). Revelation lists purple among Babylon's extravagant trade goods (Rev 18:12). Each occurrence links the fabric to displays of power, wealth, or their ironic subversion.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Purple cloth, purple fabric, or a purple garment -- the luxurious dye and textile signifying royalty, wealth, or high status. Mark 15:17 and 15:20 describe soldiers dressing Jesus in purple to mock his kingship, inverting the symbol of imperial power. Luke 16:19 characterizes the rich man by his daily wearing of purple, a sign of extravagant wealth. Revelation 18:12 catalogs purple among Babylon's doomed commerce. Spanish 'púrpura' and French 'pourpre' both preserve the Latin-rooted loan, reflecting how deeply this luxury item pervaded Mediterranean culture. The word always carries connotations of costly status. 4×
AR["أُرْجُوانٍ", "أُرْجُوَانًا", "أُرْجُوَانَ"]·ben["বেগুনি", "বেগুনির"]·DE["Purpur", "πορφύραν"]·EN["in-purple", "of-purple", "purple"]·FR["pourpre"]·heb["אַרְגָּמָן"]·HI["बैंगनी", "बैंगनी-का"]·ID["kain-ungu", "ungu"]·IT["porphuran", "porphuras"]·jav["jubah-wungu", "wungu"]·KO["자주색-옷과", "자주색-옷을", "자주색의"]·PT["de-púrpura", "púrpura"]·RU["в-порфиру", "порфиру", "пурпура"]·ES["de-púrpura", "púrpura"]·SW["urujuani", "zambarau", "zambarau,"]·TR["erguvan", "mor", "moru", "morun"]·urd["ارغوانی", "ارغوانی-کا"]
Related Senses
H2719 1. sword, weapon of war (410×)H4196 1. altar (place of sacrifice) (403×)H7393 1. chariot, chariotry (117×)H7198 1. bow (weapon) (72×)H7979 1. table (71×)H7782 1. ram's horn trumpet (69×)H4294 2. staff, rod, scepter (63×)H4043 1. shield, defensive weapon (60×)H0646 1. ephod (priestly garment) (49×)H8504 1. blue (violet-blue yarn/fabric) (49×)H2595 1. spear, lance (48×)H2671 1. arrow, projectile weapon (46×)H4818 1. chariot, war-chariot (44×)H3658 1. lyre, harp (stringed instrument) (42×)H1537 1. Gilgal (place name) (41×)H0713 1. purple (fabric/dye) (38×)H0905 3. poles, staves (37×)H7392 1. Qal participle: rider, charioteer (37×)H4501 1. cultic lampstand (menorah) (36×)H0212 1. wheel (35×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πορφύρ-α [ῠ], Ionic dialect πορφύρ-η, ἡ, purple-fish, Murex trunculus and Purpura haemastoma, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II purple dye obtained from it, Refs 7th c.BC+; used as an application, βρέξαντες ἐν [τῷ νάρδῳ] τὴν π. ἐπιτιθέναι Refs 4th c.AD+ __III ={πορφυρίς} 1, Refs 1st c.AD+: in plural, cloths of purple, πορφύρας πατῶν Refs 4th c.BC+: collectively in singular, κωμῳδοῖς.. πορφύραν εἰσφέρων, ὥσπερ…