Greek word · G1714

ἐμπρήθω

emprēthō

to burn

To set on fire, burn up; especially of buildings and cities in war.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 21, 2026

What it means

ἐμ-πίπρημι,

ἐμπρήθω (for the form, see: ἐμπίπλημι, and cf. Veitch, see word πίμπρημι), [in LXX chiefly for שָׂרַף ;]

to set on fire: πόλιν, Matthew 22:7; pass., of the body, to become inflamed: Acts 28:6 (T; πίμπρημι WH, which see).†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

Range of meaning: To set on fire, burn up; especially of buildings and cities in war.
Against the English: "Burned" (BSB, WEB), "burned up" (KJV), "set on fire" (YLT). All are accurate.
Used elsewhere in the period: Only here in the New Testament. In the Greek Old Testament it is used for burning conquered cities: Jerusalem in Judges 1:8, Laish in Judges 18:27, and Nebuzaradan burning the house of the LORD and the houses of Jerusalem in 2 Kings 25:9. The same verb family appears in Greek historians, including Josephus, for burning towns and buildings in war.

Range of meaning: 'Set on fire, burn up'. The extra 'with fire' copies the Hebrew idiom śaraf ba'esh, 'burn with fire'.
Against the English: 'Burned the city with fire' (KJV, Brenton, WEB) keeps the redundancy, which is faithful. Modern paraphrases often drop 'with fire'.
Used elsewhere in the period: The burning of conquered towns: Joshua 6:24; 8:19, 28; 11:11; Judges 18:27; Deuteronomy 13:16 (an idolatrous town burned). Matthew 22:7 has the same verb: the king 'burned their city'.

Range of meaning: Empimprēmi: to set on fire, burn up (a city, a building, crops). Adding pyri ('with fire') reflects the Hebrew idiom saraph ba'esh, 'burn with fire'.
Against the English: 'Burnt it with fire' (KJV, Brenton) and 'burned it with fire' (WEB) keep the Hebrew-style doubling. Modern paraphrases often drop it.
Used elsewhere in the period: Joshua 6:24, 8:28 and 11:11 (Israel burns Jericho, Ai and Hazor). Judges 18:27 and 20:48. Matthew 22:7 uses empimprēmi for the king who 'burned their city'. In 1 Maccabees the same ending closes the Bosora account (5:28).

Matthew · 1

Matthew 22:7 ἐνέπρησεν.¶ he burned.

The king was enraged, and he sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city.

Here: "He set on fire." This is the only place the verb appears in the New Testament. It is the standard Greek word for torching a captured city, used in the Greek Old Testament for the burning of Jerusalem and its Temple (Judges 1:8; 2 Kings 25:9).

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.