Pelos refers to mud or clay — soft, moist earth that can be molded or spread. While the word had wide application in classical Greek (potter's clay, mortar, even muddy wine lees), every New Testament occurrence belongs to a single vivid narrative: Jesus making clay from saliva and earth, anointing a blind man's eyes, and sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam (John 9:6-15). The dual translations in several languages are revealing: Spanish offers both 'lodo' (mud) and 'barro' (clay), and English toggles between 'mud' and 'clay,' reflecting the substance's dual nature as both raw earth and something deliberately shaped.