φρύγανον (phruganon)
phruganon
brushwood
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun phruganon refers to dry sticks or brushwood used as fuel. Its meaning is rooted in the process of parching, indicating material that has been dried out until it is brittle and ready to burn. This lexical background distinguishes it from fresh green branches, emphasizing its role specifically as combustible matter rather than living plant life.
In the New Testament, this word appears only once, in Acts 28:3. The text describes a viper seizing the bundle of brushwood that Paul had gathered for the fire. This specific context highlights the practical necessity of collecting dry twigs to maintain heat, while also providing the setting for a dramatic event where the snake is shaken off into the flames.
Translators typically render phruganon as "bundle of sticks" or "brushwood" to convey the gathered nature of the fuel. The term underscores the mundane reality of survival in the wild, contrasting sharply with the supernatural danger that emerges from that ordinary pile of dry wood.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word phruganon describes dry brushwood, the kind of brittle sticks gathered for fuel. In Acts 28:3, Paul collects this wood to keep warm on Malta. This simple act of survival sets the stage for a startling encounter with a viper. The text highlights how ordinary tasks can intersect with divine protection in unexpected ways.
When the snake appears, it does not harm Paul. Instead, he shakes it off into the fire. This moment reminds us that God’s care often works through our daily routines. Even when danger seems to rise from the heat of a mundane task, we are held secure. The brushwood becomes part of a story where faith and physical reality meet.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- of sticks1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- φρυγάνων1×
Key Verses
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Acts 28:3
But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand.
This verse uniquely identifies phruganon as the specific bundle Paul gathered, linking the word directly to the context of his miraculous protection from the viper.