πορφύρα (porphura)
porphura
purple cloth
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun porphura refers to purple cloth, specifically garments dyed with an expensive pigment derived from the murex sea snail. In the ancient world, this material was a visible marker of wealth and high status, often associated with royalty or immense commercial power. The sources note that while the word originally denoted the dye source itself, it came to signify the finished purple garment in later usage.
Scripture employs this term to highlight social contrast and divine judgment. In Luke 16:19, the rich man is described wearing porphura, underscoring his lavish lifestyle in stark opposition to the poverty of Lazarus. Similarly, Mark 15:17 and 20 record soldiers dressing Jesus in a purple robe during his mockery, using royal attire to ridicule his claim to kingship. Revelation 18:12 lists purple goods among the luxury items lost when Babylon falls, illustrating the temporary nature of earthly riches.
Its root is Latin in origin, reflecting the trade networks that supplied this costly dye to the Mediterranean world. Translators consistently render it as "purple" or "purple cloth," preserving the image of exclusive privilege. The word serves as a literary device to contrast human opulence with spiritual reality, whether in the parable of the beggar or the prophetic warning against imperial excess.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word porphura refers to purple cloth, a material so costly in the ancient world that it marked the wearer as wealthy or royal. In Luke’s account of the rich man and Lazarus, this vibrant fabric highlights a life of ease that ignored the suffering at his gate. It serves as a sobering reminder that earthly comfort does not guarantee spiritual readiness.
Later, Roman soldiers wrapped Jesus in a purple robe to mock His claim to kingship. This cruel irony reveals that true royalty is found in humility and sacrifice, not in expensive garments. The same cloth that signified power on earth became a tool of ridicule, showing how human status often clashes with divine truth.
Revelation lists purple among the goods lost when worldly systems fall. These verses invite us to examine what we value most. Are we holding tightly to temporary markers of success, or are we investing in the eternal kingdom that outlasts every empire?
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- purple3×
- of purple cloth1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- πορφύραν3×
- πορφύρας1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 16:19
“Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.
This verse uses purple to establish the stark contrast between the rich man’s daily luxury and Lazarus’s poverty, setting the stage for the parable’s lesson on stewardship.
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Mark 15:17
They clothed him with purple; and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him.
Here, soldiers use purple to mock Jesus’ identity as King, creating a bitter irony where royal attire highlights His humiliation rather than His glory.
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Revelation of John 18:12
merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet, all expensive wood, every vessel of ivory, every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble;
Purple appears in the inventory of Babylon’s trade goods, illustrating how the collapse of worldly power leaves even its most prized luxuries behind.