πύρωσις (purōsis)
purōsis
burning
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun purōsis literally denotes a burning, but in Scripture it carries the specific weight of refining or trial by fire. It appears only three times, linking the destruction of Babylon in Revelation with the suffering of believers in 1 Peter.
In Revelation 18:9 and 18, the word describes the literal conflagration that consumes the fallen city, a terrifying spectacle for onlookers. Yet in 1 Peter 4:12, Peter uses it metaphorically for the fiery trials Christians face. Here, purōsis is not merely destruction but a process that tests character, much like metal purified in a furnace.
This dual usage highlights a key theological point: while the fire of judgment destroys, the fire of testing refines. The same word captures both the end of an evil system and the painful but purposeful suffering of God’s people, reminding readers that trials have a distinct, purifying aim.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Greek word purōsis describes a burning, but in Scripture it carries the specific weight of refining or trial by fire. It appears only three times, linking the destruction of Babylon in Revelation with the suffering of believers in 1 Peter.
In Revelation 18:9 and 18, the word describes the literal conflagration that consumes the fallen city, a terrifying spectacle for onlookers. Yet in 1 Peter 4:12, Peter uses it metaphorically for the fiery trials Christians face. Here, purōsis is not merely destruction but a process that tests character, much like metal purified in a furnace.
This dual usage highlights a key theological point: while the fire of judgment destroys, the fire of testing refines. The same word captures both the end of an evil system and the painful but purposeful suffering of God’s people, reminding readers that trials have a distinct, purifying aim.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- burning2×
- fire1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- πυρώσεως2×
- πυρώσει1×
Key Verses
-
I Peter 4:12
Beloved, don’t be astonished at the fiery trial which has come upon you to test you, as though a strange thing happened to you.
Peter uses this term to describe the fiery trials Christians face, framing suffering not as random destruction but as a process that tests character.
-
Revelation of John 18:9
The kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived wantonly with her will weep and wail over her, when they look at the smoke of her burning,
The kings of the earth weep over the smoke of her burning, illustrating the finality and terror of divine judgment on evil systems.
-
Revelation of John 18:18
and cried out as they looked at the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like the great city?’
This verse captures the awe-inspiring destruction of the great city, contrasting the temporary power of worldly systems with eternal truth.