πορφύρα
porphýra
G4209 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A species of marine mollusk (murex) producing a reddish-purple dye; by extension, the dye itself; and further, any cloth or garment colored with this dye (especially a costly or prestigious one, such as those worn by elites). Core meaning relates to the shellfish and its valuable dye; by metonymy, to textiles colored with it.
Semantic Range
(1) the murex shellfish; (2) the purple dye from this shellfish; (3) costly garments dyed purple, signifying luxury or rank; (4) (rarely) the color purple itself
Root / Etymology
Borrowed from Latin purpura, itself derived from a Mediterranean non-Indo-European source (likely the Phoenician 'porpora'), ultimately referring to the murex shellfish used for purple dye. Root is not native Greek.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic contexts, πορφύρα primarily denoted the murex shellfish or the valuable dye produced from it, a hallmark of royal and aristocratic attire throughout the Mediterranean. By the Roman period, the term extended to any garment dyed in this style, often signifying status and authority due to the expense of production. In the New Testament and Septuagint, πορφύρα often points to luxurious, prestigious garments rather than merely the color purple. English translations using 'purple' may obscure the strong associations with wealth, nobility, and luxury inherent in the term. Unlike modern usage of 'purple' to denote a specific color, ancient πορφύρα covered a red-to-blue spectrum and was tightly connected to social distinction. Other Greek terms for colors (e.g., ἰόν 'violet', φοινίκινος 'crimson') were distinct, making πορφύρα semi-technical in its reference to murex-derived dye and status-symbol textiles.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Latin origin; the "purple" mussel, i.e. (by implication) the red-blue color itself, and finally a garment dyed with it:--purple.
Root Family
πορφύρ- (porphýra) — murex shellfish producing purple dye, purple dye, cloth dyed purple
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4209-01 |
πορφύραν | porphuran | N ACC F SG |
purple | purple-dyed garment | purple-dyed garment | 3 |
G4209-02 |
πορφύρας | porphuras | N GEN F SG |
of purple | of purple dye | of purple fabric | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4209-01 |
Mark 15:17 | πορφύραν | porphuran | N ACC F SG |
purple | purple-dyed garment | purple-dyed garment |
G4209-01 |
Mark 15:20 | πορφύραν | porphuran | N ACC F SG |
purple robe | purple-dyed garment | purple-dyed garment |
G4209-01 |
Luke 16:19 | πορφύραν | porphuran | N ACC F SG |
purple | purple-dyed garment | purple-dyed garment |
G4209-02 |
Revelation 18:12 | πορφύρας | porphuras | N GEN F SG |
of purple | of purple dye | of purple fabric |