3188. melan

Lexicon

melan: Black, dark

Original Word: μέλας
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: melan
Pronunciation: MEH-las
Phonetic Spelling: (mel'-an)
Definition: Black, dark
Meaning: ink.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

ink.

Neuter of melas as noun; ink -- ink.

see GREEK melas

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
neut. of melas, q.v.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3188: μέλαν

μέλαν, μέλανος, τό, see the following word.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: A primary word

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • H380: אָפֵל (afel) • dark, gloomy
• H2821: חָשַׁךְ (chashak) • to be dark, grow dim
• H6937: קָדַר (qadar) • to be dark, mourn

These Hebrew terms similarly convey the concept of darkness or blackness, both in a literal and metaphorical sense, aligning with the Greek μέλας in their thematic usage across the biblical texts.

Usage: The term μέλας is used in the New Testament to describe the color black or something that is dark in appearance. It can be used both literally and metaphorically.

Context: The Greek word μέλας appears in the New Testament to denote the color black. It is used in contexts that describe physical appearances, such as the color of hair or other objects. In a metaphorical sense, μέλας can also imply darkness or a lack of light, often symbolizing sin, evil, or mourning.

In Matthew 5:36, Jesus uses the term in the Sermon on the Mount: "Nor shall you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black." Here, μέλας is used to illustrate human limitations in altering natural attributes, emphasizing the futility of swearing by one's own head.

The word also appears in Revelation 6:5, describing the third horse of the apocalypse: "Then I looked, and behold, a black horse, and its rider had a pair of scales in his hand." In this apocalyptic vision, the black horse is often interpreted as symbolizing famine or economic hardship, with the color black representing scarcity and deprivation.

The use of μέλας in the New Testament reflects a broader biblical theme where darkness often contrasts with light, symbolizing the struggle between good and evil, knowledge and ignorance, or life and death. This duality is a recurring motif throughout Scripture, where light is associated with God's presence and truth, while darkness often signifies separation from God and moral corruption.

Forms and Transliterations

μελάνθιον μελανι μέλανι μελανος μέλανος μελανωμένη melani mélani melanos mélanos

Englishman's Concordance

2 Corinthians 3:3 Adj-DNS
GRK: ἐνγεγραμμένη οὐ μέλανι ἀλλὰ πνεύματι
KJV: not with ink, but
INT: having been inscribed not in ink but with [the] Spirit

2 John 1:12 Adj-GNS
GRK: χάρτου καὶ μέλανος ἀλλὰ ἐλπίζω
KJV: paper and ink: but I trust
INT: paper and ink but hope

3 John 1:13 Adj-GNS
GRK: θέλω διὰ μέλανος καὶ καλάμου
KJV: not with ink and pen
INT: I desire with ink and pen

Strong's Greek 3188
3 Occurrences

μέλανι — 1 Occ.
μέλανος — 2 Occ.