Lexical Summary makellon: Market, marketplace Original Word: μακέλλον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance a meat market, food marketOf Latin origin (macellum); a butcher's stall, meat market or provision-shop -- shambles. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof foreign origin Definition a meat market NASB Translation meat market (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3111: μάκελλονμάκελλον, μακελλου, τό, a Latin word,macellum (probably akin to μάχη; Vanicek, p. 687 (cf. Plutarch, as below)), a place where meat and other articles of food are sold, meat-market, provision-market, (A. V. shambles): 1 Corinthians 10:2, 5. (Dio Cassius, 6 1, 18 τήν ἀγοράν τῶν ὀψων, τό μάκελλον; (Plutarch, ii., p. 277 d. (quaest. Rom. 54)).) Topical Lexicon Meat Market (makellon, Strong’s Greek 3111) Biblical occurrence The noun appears once in the New Testament: “Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience” (1 Corinthians 10:25). Paul uses the everyday setting of the Corinthian makellon to address the larger question of eating food that may have been associated with idol sacrifice. Historical background in the Greco-Roman world In major cities of the first century, a makellon was a public hall or arcade where butchers prepared and sold cuts of meat. Temples dedicated to Greco-Roman deities frequently slaughtered animals for ritual purposes; the choice portions were burned, some meat was eaten in temple dining rooms, and the surplus was sent to the makellon. Consequently, most meat for sale had at least a nominal link to idolatrous worship. Corinth, famed for its temples to Aphrodite, Apollo, and others, boasted a bustling commercial district in which the meat market formed a central feature. Pagans shopped there for household meals, civic banquets, and festival celebrations, while visitors and resident Jews and Christians navigated its stalls in search of sustenance and hospitality. Relation to food sacrificed to idols Paul addresses the same broad issue in 1 Corinthians 8 and 10. He distinguishes between: 1. Meat consumed within an idol’s temple precincts (10:21), By mentioning the makellon explicitly, he recognizes that not every piece of meat has a verifiable history. Instead of compelling believers to interrogate each vendor, Paul instructs, “for ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness’” (10:26, quoting Psalm 24:1). Thus the freedom to purchase and eat is affirmed unless a brother’s conscience or an unbeliever’s explicit warning (“this was offered to an idol,” 10:28) introduces a stumbling block. Paul’s teaching on Christian freedom of conscience Three principles emerge from the apostle’s guidance: Implications for fellowship and mission First-century believers often accepted invitations to dine with neighbors, clients, or patrons. Paul’s counsel equips them to remain socially engaged without falling into compromise. It models a balanced approach: neither separatism that withdraws from society nor syncretism that erodes distinct Christian identity. In missions today, analogous questions arise over cultural ceremonies, festival foods, or marketplace products with religious associations. The makellon passage invites churches to: Lessons for contemporary ministry 1. Discernment is situational. What is permissible in one context may become harmful in another if it hinders evangelism or discipleship. Related Scripture Acts 15:29; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; 1 Corinthians 10:18-33; Romans 14:13-21; Revelation 2:14, 20. Forms and Transliterations μακελλω μακέλλω μακέλλῳ makello makellō makélloi makéllōiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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