μέλῐ G3192
Honey; the sweet natural substance produced by bees, also used of wild honey.
A straightforward term for honey, appearing in the New Testament exclusively in vivid, concrete contexts. In Matthew 3:4 and Mark 1:6, wild honey (meli agrion) is part of John the Baptist's austere wilderness diet of locusts and honey, painting a picture of prophetic simplicity. In Revelation 10:9-10, the little scroll that tastes sweet as honey in the mouth but turns bitter in the stomach becomes a powerful image of prophetic calling. The perfect consistency across translations -- Spanish 'miel,' French 'miel,' German 'Honig' -- reflects the word's stable, unambiguous meaning.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Honey, the naturally sweet substance produced by bees, sometimes specified as wild honey. Every translation language renders it identically: Spanish and French 'miel,' German 'Honig,' English 'honey.' In Matthew 3:4 and Mark 1:6 it describes the wild honey eaten by John the Baptist in the Judean wilderness. In Revelation 10:9-10 it serves as a simile for the initial sweetness of God's prophetic word before its bitter implications unfold. 4×
AR["عَسَلًا", "عَسَلٍ"]·ben["মধু", "মধু।"]·DE["Honig"]·EN["honey"]·FR["miel"]·heb["דְּבַשׁ", "מָתוֹק"]·HI["मधु", "शहद", "शहद।"]·ID["madu", "madu."]·IT["meli", "miele"]·jav["madu"]·KO["꿀", "꿀-을"]·PT["mel"]·RU["мёд", "мёд."]·ES["miel"]·SW["asali", "asali."]·TR["bal", "balı"]·urd["شہد"]
Related Senses
H8081 1. oil (substance) (180×)H3196 1. wine (fermented grape juice) (141×)H1706 1. honey (54×)H4682 1. unleavened bread/cakes (53×)H2461 1. milk (42×)H8492 1. new wine / must (38×)H0400 1. food, nourishment (36×)G3631 1. wine (34×)H3978 1. food, nourishment (30×)H1314 1. spice / perfume / balsam (29×)H7416 1. pomegranate (fruit/ornament) (28×)H3323 1. fresh oil, olive oil (23×)H2964 1. prey, torn flesh (19×)H3899 2. food, sustenance (19×)G1033 1. food (17×)G5160 1. food (16×)H5561 1. spices, aromatic substances (16×)H0402 1. food, nourishment (14×)G2219 1. leaven (13×)H4478a 1. manna (13×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μέλῐ, τό, genitive ῐτος, etc.; dative μέλι Refs 5th c.BC+:—honey, Refs 8th c.BC+; said to be made from the palm (φοῖνιξ), Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 in comparisons, of anything sweet, especially of eloquence, μέλιτος γλυκίων ῥέεν αὐδή Refs 8th c.BC+, of those who refuse to take 'the rough with the smooth', Refs 7th c.BC+ __II sweet gum collected from certain trees, manna, Refs 4th c.BC+; μ. ἄγριον, μαινόμενον, Refs 1st c.BC+. (Cf. Gothic milip, Latin mel.)