4450. purrhos
Lexical Summary
purrhos: Red, fiery red

Original Word: πυρρός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: purrhos
Pronunciation: poor-HROS
Phonetic Spelling: (poor-hros')
KJV: red
Word Origin: [from G4442 (πῦρ - fire)]

1. fire-like
2. (specially), flame- colored

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
fiery red

From pur; fire-like, i.e. (specially), flame- colored -- red.

see GREEK pur

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4450: πυρρός

πυρρός, πυρρά, πυρρόν (from πῦρ), from Aeschylus and Herodotus down, having the color of fire, red: Revelation 6:4; Revelation 12:3. The Sept. several times for אָדֹם.

STRONGS NT 4450: ΠύρροςΠύρρος ('fiery-red'; Fick, Griech. Personennamen, p. 75), Πύρρου, , Pyrrhus, the proper name of a man: Acts 20:4 G L T Tr WH.

Topical Lexicon
Overview of the Term

Strong’s Greek 4450, πυρρός, denotes a fiery-red color and, by extension, is used once as a proper name, Pyrrhus. The hue evokes the look of flame, blood, and burning heat, creating vivid imagery that underscores divine revelation concerning conflict, judgment, and spiritual warfare.

Occurrences in the New Testament

1. Revelation 6:4 – fiery red horse.
2. Revelation 12:3 – great red dragon.
3. Acts 20:4 – Pyrrhus, father of Sopater of Berea.

The Fiery Red Horse – Revelation 6:4

“And another horse went forth, fiery red, and its rider was granted to take peace from the earth, and to make men slay one another, and a great sword was given to him.” (Revelation 6:4)

The second seal introduces a rider who personifies warfare. The color stresses the bloodshed that follows his mission. Throughout prophetic Scripture, red frequently signals violence (for example, Isaiah 63:2-3). In the unfolding judgment sequence of Revelation, this horseman affirms the righteous sovereignty of the Lamb: history moves at Christ’s command, even when human sin brings war.

The Fiery Red Dragon – Revelation 12:3

“Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven royal crowns on his heads.” (Revelation 12:3)

Here πυρρός shifts from earthly conflict to cosmic opposition. The dragon’s color recalls the murderous intent of Satan, who was “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). The hue unites the dragon’s nature (fiery hostility) with his works (shedding the blood of saints). By portraying him in the same color that marks the horse of war, Revelation links satanic activity with the turmoil that erupts on earth, emphasizing Scripture’s consistent teaching that spiritual realities underlie human events.

Pyrrhus, Father of Sopater – Acts 20:4

“He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea…” (Acts 20:4)

The lone personal use of the root may appear incidental, yet it highlights the gospel’s advance into Hellenistic contexts. Berea’s believers were commended for examining the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11). Sopater, a representative of that congregation, traveled with Paul during a season of heightened opposition (Acts 20:3). His father’s name, derived from the same fiery-red root, reminds readers that the kingdom gathers people of diverse backgrounds into one body. While Revelation’s uses warn of Satanic and military violence, Acts quietly testifies to redemption transcending cultural labels—even those bearing “fiery” connotations.

Theological Themes Associated with Fiery Red

• Judgment and Bloodshed: Both Old and New Testament passages employ red imagery to depict divine judgment or human violence (Numbers 19:2; Nahum 2:3; Revelation 6:4).
• Satanic Opposition: The dragon’s color signals aggressive hostility toward God’s people, anticipating the martyrdoms described later (Revelation 12:11; 13:7).
• Divine Sovereignty: Whether governing the seal judgments or safeguarding missionaries, the Lord remains in control, ensuring that evil never exceeds divinely fixed limits.
• Purification by Blood: While πυρρός often signals destructive bloodshed, Scripture also presents blood as the means of cleansing (Hebrews 9:14). This tension invites believers to trust the atoning power of Christ even amid red-hued scenes of wrath.

Old Testament Background

Hebrew color terms for scarlet and crimson (e.g., שָׁנִי, תּוֹלָע) prepare readers for the Greek πυρρός. In prophetic literature, red uniforms and weaponry signal invading armies (Nahum 2:3). The vision of a man on a red horse (Zechariah 1:8) prefigures Revelation’s horseman, tying together God’s patterned dealings with nations.

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Teaching on Spiritual Warfare: The vividness of the red dragon can anchor lessons on resisting the devil through the blood of the Lamb and the word of testimony (Revelation 12:11).
2. Eschatological Hope: The fiery horse reminds congregations that wars and rumors of wars fulfill Christ’s predictions but cannot thwart His ultimate victory (Matthew 24:6).
3. Missions Perspective: Acts 20:4 encourages churches to nurture believers capable of traveling alongside gospel workers, regardless of their cultural heritage or family names.
4. Pastoral Counseling: When believers face violent or chaotic circumstances, passages employing πυρρός assure them that even fiery trials sit within God’s prophetic framework (1 Peter 4:12-13).

Summary

Strong’s 4450 spans apocalyptic symbolism and everyday biography, uniting the cosmic and the personal. Fiery red points to judgment and conflict, yet in Acts it also stands beside faithful ministry. Together the occurrences declare that God both judges unrighteousness and preserves His people, guiding history toward the consummation foreseen in Revelation.

Forms and Transliterations
πυρρά πυρράν πυρροί πυρρόν πυρρος πυρρός Πυρρου πυρρού Πύρρου πυρσεύσαισαν πυρσεύσει πυρσόν πυρσός πυρφόρου purros Purrou pyrros pyrrós Pyrrou Pýrrou
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Englishman's Concordance
Acts 20:4 N-GMS
GRK: αὐτῷ Σώπατρος Πύρρου Βεροιαῖος Θεσσαλονικέων
NAS: of Berea, [the son] of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus
INT: him Sopater Pyrrhus a Berean of thessalonians

Revelation 6:4 Adj-NMS
GRK: ἄλλος ἵππος πυρρός καὶ τῷ
NAS: And another, a red horse, went
KJV: horse [that was] red: and
INT: another horse red and to him

Revelation 12:3 Adj-NMS
GRK: δράκων μέγας πυρρός ἔχων κεφαλὰς
NAS: and behold, a great red dragon having
KJV: behold a great red dragon, having
INT: a dragon great red having heads

Strong's Greek 4450
3 Occurrences


πυρρός — 2 Occ.
Πύρρου — 1 Occ.

4449
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