4209. porphura
Lexical Summary
porphura: purple, purple robe

Original Word: πορφύρα
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: porphura
Pronunciation: por-FOO-rah
Phonetic Spelling: (por-foo'-rah)
KJV: purple
NASB: purple, purple robe
Word Origin: [of Latin origin]

1. the "purple" mussel
2. (by implication) the red-blue color itself, and finally a garment dyed with it

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
purple

Of Latin origin; the "purple" mussel, i.e. (by implication) the red-blue color itself, and finally a garment dyed with it -- purple.

HELPS Word-studies

4209 porphýra – purple, symbolic of "royal status" (L & N, 1, 79.38). There were three familiar shades of purple in the ancient world: deep violet, deep scarlet (or crimson), and deep blue (WP, 2, 220).

Prov 31:22 associates purple with "godly (ideal) femininity," i.e. "righteous femaleness."

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
probably from a redupl. derivation of phuró (to mix dry with wet)
Definition
purple fish, purple dye, purple cloth
NASB Translation
purple (3), purple robe (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4209: πορφύρα

πορφύρα, πορφύρας, , the Sept. for אַרְגָמָן;

1. the purple-fish, a species of shell-fish or mussel: (Aeschylus, Sophocles), Isocrates, Aristotle, others; add 1 Macc. 4:23, on which see Grimm; (cf. B. D., under the word 1).

2. a fabric colored with the purple dye, a garment made from purple cloth (so from Aeschylus down): Mark 15:17, 20; Luke 16:19; Revelation 17:4 Rec.; .

Topical Lexicon
Historical and Cultural Background

In the first-century Mediterranean world, the dye extracted from the murex shellfish produced a fabric of deep, royal hue that commanded extraordinary value. Purple garments signified political authority (as in the Roman imperium), immense wealth, and at times priestly dignity. Possession of such cloth required both substantial resources and social status, so the term became a shorthand for power and luxury.

Usage in the Synoptic Gospels

1. Mark 15:17, 20

In the praetorium the soldiers “dressed Him in a purple robe” (Mark 15:17) and later “took off the purple robe and put His own clothes on Him” (Mark 15:20). Here, πορφύρα becomes an instrument of mockery. Roman troops parody the royal claims of Jesus by adorning Him with the most recognizable symbol of imperial majesty, only to strip it away. The text exposes their ironic testimony: even in ridicule they unwittingly affirm His kingship.

2. Luke 16:19

“Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor”. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the purple garment epitomizes self-indulgent opulence. By pairing it with daily feasting, Jesus frames the rich man’s lifestyle as the antithesis of covenantal compassion, setting the stage for divine reversal after death.

Eschatological Perspective in Revelation

Revelation 18:12 places πορφύρα among the luxury cargos of Babylon: “cargo of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet.” The collapse of the worldly economy reveals the futility of treasures once deemed indispensable. Purple, formerly a badge of prominence, is catalogued with commodities condemned to perish along with the city that trafficked in them.

Theological Themes

• Kingship of Christ: The mock-royal robe in Mark accentuates the paradox of the cross—apparent humiliation masking the enthronement of the Messiah (cf. Psalm 2; Philippians 2:8-11).
• Wealth and Stewardship: Luke 16 contrasts temporal luxury with eternal accountability, pressing disciples toward generosity and mercy (see 1 Timothy 6:17-19).
• Judgment on Worldly Systems: Revelation 18 warns that economic structures exalting material splendor over righteousness will face sudden ruin, urging believers to “come out” from Babylon’s sins (Revelation 18:4).

Old Testament Parallels

Exodus 26 and 28 describe tabernacle curtains and priestly garments woven with purple, signaling holiness and nearness to God. Esther 8:15 portrays Mordecai in royal purple after deliverance. These precedents enrich New Testament usage: what once graced the sanctuary or throne is now placed on the suffering Servant, worn by a self-indulgent man, and traded by a doomed city.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Humility before Honor: Followers of Christ should anticipate that true exaltation often arrives through sacrificial service rather than outward trappings (Mark 10:42-45).
• Ethical Use of Resources: Purple in Luke 16 challenges believers to evaluate spending through the lens of eternity, practicing hospitality and justice.
• Separation from Corrupt Wealth: Revelation’s imagery calls congregations to resist complicity with exploitative economies, investing instead in treasures that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28; Matthew 6:19-21).

Summary

Strong’s 4209, πορφύρα, threads through the New Testament as a vivid marker of royalty, affluence, and, ultimately, divine verdict. Whether mocking, flaunting, or merchandising purple, humanity reveals its heart; and in every setting Scripture reorients readers to Christ’s unassailable lordship, the stewardship of possessions, and the coming judgment that will expose the true value of all things.

Forms and Transliterations
πορφύρα πορφυραν πορφύραν πορφυρας πορφύρας πορφυρίδων πορφυρίωνα πορφυρού porphuran porphuras porphyran porphýran porphyras porphýras
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Englishman's Concordance
Mark 15:17 N-AFS
GRK: ἐνδιδύσκουσιν αὐτὸν πορφύραν καὶ περιτιθέασιν
NAS: They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting
KJV: him with purple, and
INT: they put on him purple [garment] and placed on

Mark 15:20 N-AFS
GRK: αὐτὸν τὴν πορφύραν καὶ ἐνέδυσαν
NAS: Him, they took the purple robe off
KJV: they took off the purple from him,
INT: him the purple [garment] and put on

Luke 16:19 N-AFS
GRK: καὶ ἐνεδιδύσκετο πορφύραν καὶ βύσσον
NAS: and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen,
KJV: was clothed in purple and
INT: and he was clothed in purple and fine linen

Revelation 18:12 N-GFS
GRK: βυσσίνου καὶ πορφύρας καὶ σιρικοῦ
NAS: and fine linen and purple and silk
KJV: fine linen, and purple, and silk,
INT: of fine linen and of purple and of silk

Strong's Greek 4209
4 Occurrences


πορφύραν — 3 Occ.
πορφύρας — 1 Occ.

4208
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