3234

Lexical Summary

(Not Used): (Not Used)

(Not Used)
Part of Speech:
Transliteration: (Not Used)
(Not Used)

Topical Lexicon

Overview

Strong’s Greek Number 3234 is a vacant place in James Strong’s original concordance. No Greek lemma in the printed editions or in the critical editions of the New Testament occupies this slot, and therefore no verse in Scripture cites the form. Yet its very absence invites reflection on the process of lexical indexing, the preservation of the biblical text, and the discipline of word study.

Strong’s Numbering Framework

James Strong assigned consecutive numbers to every distinct Greek and Hebrew lexical item he found in the canonical text then available to him (Textus Receptus for Greek; Masoretic for Hebrew). When later scholarship discovered that some forms were duplicates, redundant, or wrongly divided, certain numbers were left empty rather than renumber the entire system. These gaps—including 3234—protect the stability of decades of scholarly and devotional tools that rely on Strong’s references.

Possible Reasons for Omission

1. Duplicate Entry Removed: Strong or a later editor apparently identified that an earlier draft had counted a word twice.
2. Text-Critical Revision: A form once thought original may have been judged a later scribal gloss and excluded from the critical Greek text.
3. Editorial Consolidation: Two orthographic variants may have been merged under a single principal entry, rendering one number unnecessary.

Comparative Gaps

Other unused Greek numbers (for example, 3203, 3674, 4482) illustrate the same editorial restraint. The unchanged numbering system underscores scholarly honesty: instead of retrofitting data, editors acknowledge past missteps while maintaining consistent referencing.

Textual Reliability and Divine Providence

The blank number does not signal a flaw in God’s Word, but rather testifies to the care with which human stewards handle the sacred text. Scripture assures, “Every word of God is flawless” (Proverbs 30:5). The absence of 3234 reminds students that the inspired text itself—not any concordance—is inerrant. Tools may change; the Word remains. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

Practical Use in Exegesis

• Bible software or printed concordances may still list 3234 as “not used.” Researchers simply move to the next valid number.
• Teachers can leverage the gap to illustrate how to check primary sources instead of relying solely on secondary numbers.
• The vacancy underscores the importance of examining context when performing word studies. A missing Strong’s number prevents superficial proof-texting and steers the learner back to the passage itself.

Pastoral and Devotional Insights

1. Humility in Study: Even the finest scholarly systems have limits, calling believers to depend on the Spirit for illumination (1 Corinthians 2:13).
2. Diligence: Paul exhorts, “Present yourself approved to God… rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Knowing why a number is absent models careful handling.
3. Confidence in Scripture: A numerical gap cannot unsettle faith because “the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

Ministry Application

• Sermon Illustration: The unused number can introduce a message on God’s unchanging Word amid human imperfection.
• Bible-study Training: Leaders may use 3234 to teach proper use of concordances, lexicons, and critical apparatuses.
• Apologetics: When confronted with claims that textual criticism undermines Scripture, point to such editorial transparency as evidence for, not against, integrity.

Conclusion

Strong’s Greek 3234 serves as a silent witness. It speaks not through lexical data but through its conspicuous silence, urging Bible students to pursue accuracy, to appreciate the labor invested in preserving Scripture, and to rest in the certainty that “the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25).

Englishman's Concordance

μελῶν — 2 Occ.
μέλος — 5 Occ.
Μελχὶ — 2 Occ.
Μελχισεδέκ — 8 Occ.
ἔμελεν — 2 Occ.
μέλει — 7 Occ.
μελέτω — 1 Occ.
μεμβράνας — 1 Occ.
μέμφεται — 1 Occ.
μεμφόμενος — 1 Occ.
μὲν — 182 Occ.
Μενοῦν — 1 Occ.
μενοῦνγε — 2 Occ.
μέντοι — 8 Occ.
ἐμείναμεν — 2 Occ.
ἔμειναν — 2 Occ.
ἔμεινεν — 10 Occ.
ἔμενεν — 3 Occ.
ἔμενον — 1 Occ.
μεῖναι — 6 Occ.