"a female seller of purple cloths, Acts 16:4*"
Definition and meaning
a female seller of purple cloths, Acts 16:4*
In the original Greek the word is written: πορφυρόπωλις
Historical context
The Roman Empire provided infrastructure no previous civilization had built — roads, sea routes, a common language in Greek, and relative peace across the Mediterranean. Jewish synagogues existed in every major city, giving Paul a starting point everywhere he traveled. The early church had no buildings, no political power, no social standing — and spread faster than any movement in ancient history.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of porphyropolis (G4211) across the King James Bible.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
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Common questions
Strong's G4211 (porphyropolis) is a Greek word that means: a female seller of purple cloths, Acts 16:4* It appears 1 times in the King James Bible.
The word porphyropolis (G4211) appears 1 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G4211 is porphyropolis, a Greek word defined as: a female seller of purple cloths, Acts 16:4*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
porphyropolis is a Greek word found in the New Testament.