Lexical Summary pur: Fire Original Word: πῦρ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fiery, fire. A primary word; "fire" (literally or figuratively, specially, lightning) -- fiery, fire. HELPS Word-studies 4442 pýr – fire. In Scripture, fire is often used figuratively – like with the "fire of God" which transforms all it touches into light and likeness with itself God's Spirit, like a holy fire, enlightens and purifies so that believers can share more and more in His likeness. Indeed the fire of God brings the uninterrupted privilege of being transformed which happens by experiencing faith from Him. Our lives can become true offerings to Him as we obey this imparted faith from God by His power. [This is illustrated by God's fire burning continuously at the entrance of the Tabernacle where the priests made sweet-savor offerings. Compare Lev 6:12,13 with 1 Pet 2:5,9.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition fire NASB Translation burning (2), fiery (2), fire (69). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4442: πῦρπῦρ, genitive πυρός, τό (probably from Sanskritpu, 'to purify' (cf. German fever); Vanicek, p. 541; Curtius, § 385), from Homer down; Hebrew אֵשׁ; fire: Matthew 3:10, 12; Matthew 7:19; Matthew 17:15; Mark 9:22; Luke 3:9, 17; Luke 9:54; John 15:6; Acts 2:19; Acts 28:5; 1 Corinthians 3:13; Hebrews 11:34; James 3:5; James 5:3; Revelation 8:5, 7; Revelation 9:17, 18; Revelation 11:5; Revelation 13:13; Revelation 14:18; Revelation 15:2; Revelation 16:8; Revelation 20:9; ά῾πτειν πῦρ, to kindle a fire, Luke 22:55 (T Tr text WH περιαψάντων); ἔβρεξε πῦρ καί θεῖον, Luke 17:29; κατακαίειν τί ἐν (T omits; WH brackets ἐν) πυρί, Revelation 17:16; Revelation 18:8; καίομαι πυρί, Matthew 13:40 (R L T WH κατακαίεται); Hebrews 12:18 (Winer's Grammar, § 31, 7 d.); Revelation 8:8; Revelation 21:8; φλόξ πυρός, a fiery flame or flame of fire, Acts 7:30; 2 Thessalonians 1:8 L text Tr text; Hebrews 1:7; Revelation 1:14; Revelation 2:18; Revelation 19:12 (Exodus 3:2, the Alex. manuscript; Isaiah 29:6); πῦρ φλογός, a flaming fire or fire of flame, 2 Thessalonians 1:8 R G L marginal reading T Tr marginal reading WH (Exodus 3:2, the Vaticanus manuscript; Sir. 45:19); λαμπάδες πυρός, lamps of fire, Revelation 4:5; στῦλοι πυρός, Revelation 10:1; ἄνθρακες πυρός coals of fire, Romans 12:20 (see ἄνθραξ); γλῶσσαι ὡσεί πυρός, which had the shape of little flames, Acts 2:3; δοκιμάζειν διά πυρός, 1 Peter 1:7; πυροῦσθαι (see πυρόω, b.) ἐκ πυρός, Revelation 3:18; ὡς διά πυρός, as one who in a conflagration has escaped through the fire not uninjured, i. e. dropping the figure, not without damage, 1 Corinthians 3:15; מֵאֵשׁ מֻצָּל, Zechariah 3:2, cf. Amos 4:11. of the fire of hell we find the following expressions — which are to be taken either tropically (of the extreme penal torments which the wicked are to undergo after their life on earth; so in the discourses of Jesus), or literally (so apparently in the Apocalypse): τό πῦρ, Mark 9:44, 46,(T WH omit; Tr brackets both verses),48; τό πῦρ τό αἰώνιον, Matthew 18:8; Matthew 25:41, cf. 4 Macc. 12:12; ἄσβεστον, Mark 9:43, 45 (G T Tr WH omit; L brackets the clause); πυρός αἰωνίου δίκην ὑπέχειν, Jude 1:7; γηννα τοῦ πυρός, Matthew 5:22; Matthew 18:9; Mark 9:47 (R G Tr brackets); κάμινος τοῦ πυρός, Matthew 13:42, 50 (Daniel 3:6); ἡ λίμνη τοῦ πυρός, Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10, 14, 15; πυρί τηρεῖσθαι, 2 Peter 3:7; βασανισθῆναι ἐν πυρί, Revelation 14:10 (cf. Luke 16:24); βαπτίζειν τινα πυρί (see βαπτίζω, II. b. bb.), Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16. the tongue is called πῦρ, as though both itself on fire and setting other things on fire, partly by reason of the fiery spirit which governs it, partly by reason of the destructive power it exercises, James 3:6; since fire disorganizes and sunders things joined together and compact, it is used to symbolize dissension, Luke 12:49. Metaphorical expressions: ἐκ πυρός ἁρπάζειν, to snatch from danger of destruction, Jude 1:23; πυρί ἁλίζεσθαι (see ἁλίζω), Mark 9:49; ζῆλος πυρός, fiery, burning anger (see ζῆλος, 1), Hebrews 10:27 (πῦρ ζήλου, Zephaniah 1:18; Zephaniah 3:8); God is called πῦρ καταναλίσκον, as one who when angry visits the obdurate with penal destruction, Hebrews 12:29. The word regularly designates ordinary fire, the created element that gives light, heat, and consumes material objects. Such mundane use appears in Luke 22:55, where servants huddle “around a fire in the middle of the courtyard,” and in Acts 28:5, when Paul, bitten by a viper, “shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.” Yet even these everyday settings remind readers that the same element is under God’s sovereign control; Jesus can rescue a demon-tormented boy often cast “into the fire” (Mark 9:22), and the apostle can survive flames unharmed, echoing earlier deliverance narratives (Daniel 3). Divine Judgment—Present Warnings and Final Reality Fire most frequently functions as the emblem and instrument of God’s holy wrath. John the Baptist warns, “Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). Jesus intensifies the note of permanence: “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). The picture culminates in Revelation, where the ungodly are finally consigned to “the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14–15). The same motif supplies stern interim cautions. “Unquenchable fire” (Mark 9:43) makes sin’s seriousness vivid, while Hebrews 10:27 depicts “a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire” for deliberate apostasy. These texts collectively affirm that God’s justice will not be thwarted; His judgments are sure, righteous, and everlasting. Purification, Refinement, and Reward Fire does not only destroy; it also purifies. Peter compares the testing of faith to gold “refined by fire” (1 Peter 1:7), yielding praise at Christ’s revelation. Paul explains that believers’ works will be “revealed with fire” (1 Corinthians 3:13). The image is never punitive for the faithful; rather, it removes what is worthless and discloses what is eternal. Accordingly, the risen Lord counsels the Laodiceans to “buy from Me gold refined by fire” (Revelation 3:18), calling them to a tested, authentic discipleship. The Manifest Presence of God God’s self-disclosure is often accompanied by fire. On Pentecost “tongues that looked like fire” rested on each disciple (Acts 2:3), signifying the Spirit’s empowering presence. In vision, Jesus’ eyes are “like blazing fire” (Revelation 1:14; 2:18), and the heavenly throne emits “flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder” joined with “seven torches of fire” (Revelation 4:5). Such scenes underline His majesty and penetrative knowledge: nothing is hidden from the One whose gaze is fiery and pure. Christ’s Mission and Apostolic Authority Jesus declares, “I have come to ignite a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49). The saying points both to His purifying work and the division the gospel inevitably brings. Echoing Elijah, James and John once sought literal fire upon a Samaritan village (Luke 9:54); Christ rebuked them, reserving judgment for His timing. Later, eschatological witnesses “will devour their enemies with fire from their mouths” (Revelation 11:5), a prophetic sign that apostolic testimony carries God’s unassailable authority. Zeal, Speech, and Moral Responsibility James employs fire to expose the destructive potential of unbridled speech: “The tongue is a fire… it sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” (James 3:6). Conversely, righteous zeal is commended; believers are urged to be “fervent,” literally “boiling” in spirit (cf. Romans 12:20 where benevolence “heaps burning coals” that may lead an enemy to repentance). Fire thus illustrates both holy passion and the peril of sinful excess. Eschatological Renewal of Creation The Apostle Peter explains that “the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire” (2 Peter 3:7). Far from teaching annihilation of creation, the passage anticipates its cleansing and transformation, paralleling the flood in Noah’s day. The new creation emerges only after the purgative flames remove every trace of corruption. Worship and Heavenly Liturgy Fire also belongs in priestly and apocalyptic scenes of worship. In Revelation 8:3–5 an angel fills a golden censer with incense and fire from the altar, mingling with the prayers of the saints before casting it to the earth—symbolizing God’s answer to intercession and the merging of worship with judgment. Hebrews 12:29, quoting Deuteronomy, reminds worshipers that “our God is a consuming fire,” calling for reverence and awe. Pastoral and Missional Implications 1. Preaching and teaching must faithfully present both the mercy and the fiery justice of God. Thus, throughout the New Testament, πῦρ portrays a multifaceted reality: literal flame under divine governance, a metaphor of judgment and purification, a symbol of God’s presence, and a catalyst for mission and holiness. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 3:10 N-ANSGRK: καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται NAS: is cut down and thrown into the fire. KJV: cast into the fire. INT: and into [the] fire is thrown Matthew 3:11 N-DNS Matthew 3:12 N-DNS Matthew 5:22 N-GNS Matthew 7:19 N-ANS Matthew 13:40 N-DNS Matthew 13:42 N-GNS Matthew 13:50 N-GNS Matthew 17:15 N-ANS Matthew 18:8 N-ANS Matthew 18:9 N-GNS Matthew 25:41 N-ANS Mark 9:22 N-ANS Mark 9:43 N-ANS Mark 9:44 Noun-NNS Mark 9:45 Noun-ANS Mark 9:46 Noun-NNS Mark 9:48 N-NNS Mark 9:49 N-DNS Luke 3:9 N-ANS Luke 3:16 N-DNS Luke 3:17 N-DNS Luke 9:54 N-ANS Luke 12:49 N-ANS Luke 17:29 N-ANS Strong's Greek 4442 |
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