πυρά
pyrá
G4443 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An arrangement or heap of burning fuel—a fire, often specifically referring to a campfire or hearth fire prepared for warmth, cooking, or other communal purposes. The term primarily denotes a physically assembled fire, as distinct from the element of fire in the abstract.
Semantic Range
a constructed fire (campfire, cooking fire), hearth fire, fire as a gathering place, (later/classical: funeral pyre)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the noun πῦρ ('fire'), with the suffix -ᾶ indicating an assembly or grouping, thus 'a fire' in the sense of an arranged fire or heap of burning material. Cognate with Latin 'pyra' (funeral pyre), though the New Testament usage is typically more domestic or communal than funerary.
Historical & Contextual Notes
πυρά is found in both classical and Hellenistic Greek, most commonly denoting a fire deliberately constructed for a specific purpose—such as cooking, warmth, or signal. In the New Testament (e.g., John 18:18), it denotes the charcoal fire around which people gather, reflecting social or practical domesticity rather than ritual. In contrast to πῦρ, which refers to fire as an element or phenomenon, πυρά focuses on the fire as an object or location with a social or functional dimension. In later Greek and in some classical writings, πυρά could also refer to a funeral pyre, but this funerary meaning is not present in Septuagint or New Testament contexts. Most English translations render πυρά as 'fire' or 'fireplace,' but may overlook communal, domestic, or specific kinds of assembled fires implied in Greek usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from πῦρ; a fire (concretely):--fire.
Root Family
πυρ- (pyrá) — to burn, fire, to ignite
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G4445 | πυρέσσω | burning with fever |
| G4446 | πυρετός | with fever |
| G4447 | πύρινος | fiery ones |
| G4448 | πυρόω | having been made fiery-hot |
| G4450 | πυῤῥός | fiery red |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4443-01 |
πυρὰν | puran | N ACC F SG |
a fire | a constructed fire | a constructed fire | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences