πῠρόω G4448
To burn with fire; to burn with passion or anguish; to refine or purify by fire; to set ablaze.
Pyroō draws its force from pyr ('fire') and carries the full spectrum of fire's effects — destructive, purifying, and passionate. Paul uses it figuratively for burning with unfulfilled desire (1 Cor 7:9) and for the anguish of pastoral care (2 Cor 11:29). In Revelation, it becomes a metallurgical image: Christ's feet are like bronze 'refined in a furnace' (Rev 1:15), and he counsels Laodicea to buy gold 'refined by fire' (Rev 3:18). Spanish captures the distinction beautifully — quemarse for passionate burning versus refinado for purifying fire. The eschatological use in 2 Pet 3:12, where the heavens are 'set on fire,' returns to fire's raw destructive power.
Senses
1. burn with passion or distress — To burn figuratively with intense emotion — whether sexual desire or emotional distress. Paul advises in 1 Cor 7:9 that it is better to marry than 'to burn' (pyrousthai) with uncontrolled passion; in 2 Cor 11:29 he asks 'who is caused to stumble, and I do not burn?' — sharing others' pain as if on fire. Spanish quemarse ('to burn oneself') and German glühen ('to glow') both preserve this internalized, consuming quality. 2×
AR["أَلْتَهِبُ", "أَنْ-يَحْتَرِقوا"]·ben["জ্বলনা।", "জ্বলি"]·DE["gluehen"]·EN["burn", "to-burn"]·FR["embraser"]·heb["בּוֹעֵר", "לִבְעֹר"]·HI["जलता-हूं", "जलना"]·ID["membara.", "terbakar"]·IT["bruciare"]·jav["kobong.", "kula-murub"]·KO["불타기", "불타는가"]·PT["arder.", "ardo"]·RU["возгораюсь", "разжигаться."]·ES["me-quemo", "quemarse"]·SW["kuwaka.", "ninawaka?"]·TR["yanmaktan", "yanıyorum"]·urd["جلتا-ہوں", "جلنے"]
2. refine by fire — To refine or purify by fire — a metallurgical metaphor for divine testing and purification. In Rev 1:15, the glorified Christ's feet resemble bronze 'having been refined' (pepyrōmenēs) in a furnace, and in Rev 3:18 he counsels buying gold 'refined by fire' (pepyrōmenon). Spanish refinado and refinada exactly capture the smelting image, distinguishing this sense sharply from mere burning. 2×
AR["مُحَمّاةٍ", "مُصَفّىً"]·ben["পরিশোধিত", "পুড়ে-তপ্ত"]·DE["gluehen"]·EN["having-been-refined"]·FR["brûler"]·heb["מְלֻבֶּנֶת", "מְצֻרָף"]·HI["तपाया-हुआ", "तपाया;"]·ID["dimurnikan", "yang-dimurnikan;"]·IT["pepurōmenon", "pepurōmenēs"]·jav["ingkang-dipunbesmèl", "ingkang-murub"]·KO["단련된"]·PT["refinado"]·RU["очищенное", "раскалённой;"]·ES["refinada", "refinado"]·SW["iliyosafishwa", "iliyowashwa;"]·TR["-dan", "arıtılmış"]·urd["تایا-ہوا", "تپائے-ہوئے"]
3. set on fire, be ablaze — To set on fire, to be ablaze — describing physical combustion or eschatological conflagration. In Eph 6:16, the evil one's arrows are 'having been set on fire' (pepyrōmena) — flaming projectiles; in 2 Pet 3:12, the heavens 'being set on fire' (pyroumenoi) will dissolve in the final judgment. Spanish encendidos ('ignited') and siendo-encendidos ('being ignited') mark the literal, physical nature of this burning. 2×
AR["المُلتَهِبَةَ", "مُشتَعِلَةً"]·ben["জ্বলন্ত", "পুড়ে-যাওয়া"]·DE["gluehen"]·EN["being-set-on-fire", "having-been-set-on-fire"]·FR["brûler"]·heb["בּוֹעֲרִים,", "נִבְעָרִים"]·HI["जलअये-हुए", "जलते-हुए"]·ID["terbakar,", "yang-menyala,"]·IT["pepurōmena", "puroumenoi"]·jav["kobong,", "murub,"]·KO["불붙은", "타며,"]·PT["em-chamas", "inflamados,"]·RU["горящие", "раскалённые,"]·ES["encendidos", "siendo-encendidos"]·SW["yenye-moto", "zikiwaka-moto"]·TR["sondurmeye", "yakılarak"]·urd["جلتے-ہوئے", "جلتے-ہوئے،"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)H5553 1. rock, cliff (physical feature) (43×)H6965b 4. Hifil: to establish, confirm (covenant/kingdom/word) (40×)H1197a 1. burn, be on fire (39×)H4306 1. rain, showers (38×)H1653 1. rain, precipitation (34×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πῠρόω, (πῦρ) burn with fire, burn up, τὰς Ἀθήνας Refs 5th c.BC+; burn as a burnt sacrifice, ὀσφῦν Refs 5th c.BC+; burn on a pyre, ἣν πεπύρωκαν (sic) ἐγώ Refs; π. Κύκλωπος ὄψιν burn out his eye, Refs 5th c.BC+ —middle, παῖδα πυρωσαμένη having placed my son on the pyre, Refs 1st c.AD+:—passive, to be set on fire, to be burnt, πυρωθέντων Τρώων Refs 5th c.BC+ __b π. τὴν γεῦσιν, τὴν γλῶσσαν, seem hot…