Lexical Summary (Not Used): (Not Used) (Not Used)Part of Speech: Transliteration: (Not Used) (Not Used) Topical Lexicon Numerical Context within Strong’s Index Strong’s numbers were assigned consecutively to the words of the Textus Receptus. When the compiler found that no corresponding Greek form belonged to a particular slot, he still kept the number so that the later sequence would remain stable. Strong’s 3261 is one of those “empty” placeholders—recorded in the concordance but unattested in any extant New Testament manuscript. Its presence therefore preserves the integrity of the entire numbering system and avoids the need to renumber thousands of subsequent entries. Absence from the Greek New Testament Because 3261 never occurs in the canonical Greek text, no verse can be cited to illustrate its use, grammar, or nuance. The silence is intentional rather than accidental: textual criticism has uncovered no variant reading, no marginal gloss, and no citation from the early church that would justify attaching an actual word to this number. The absence underscores both the remarkable completeness of the extant New Testament vocabulary and the care with which later editors have sifted the manuscript evidence. Possible Roots and Conjectures Older lexicographers occasionally speculated that 3261 might once have represented a form related to μείζων (“greater”), μέλει (“it concerns”), or a now-lost proper name. None of these suggestions is supported by manuscript data; they remain conjecture. In Koine literature beyond the New Testament—including the Septuagint, Josephus, Philo, and the Apostolic Fathers—no hapax legomenon has been found that would naturally slot into Strong’s 3261. Modern scholarship therefore treats the number as permanently vacant rather than awaiting discovery. Theological Reflection on Lexical Silence Scripture’s sufficiency (2 Timothy 3:16-17) is not diminished by the existence of an unused index number. Instead, the gap illustrates how providence has safeguarded the biblical text: we possess everything God intended to reveal (Deuteronomy 29:29). The missing entry reminds students that inspiration is tied to the words actually given, not to hypothetical reconstructions. As Ecclesiastes 3:7 notes, there is “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.” In this case, the inspired corpus has spoken fully without the need for an additional term. Ministry Significance 1. Humility in Study The blank spot warns against dogmatism where Scripture is silent. Teachers must avoid building doctrines on suppositions (1 Timothy 1:4). Every preacher who opens a Greek lexicon can testify that the words standing before him have been transmitted with extraordinary accuracy. The occasional vacant number accentuates, rather than undermines, that reliability. Though 3261 itself remains empty, its existence stimulates continued work in papyrology and lexicography, disciplines that repeatedly confirm the trustworthiness of the biblical record. Related Greek Terms Worth Studying • 3187 μείζων – “greater,” a comparative term that often highlights Christ’s supremacy (John 5:36). Practical Application for the Local Church • Bible study leaders can use the example of 3261 to show how concordances work, equipping believers to handle study tools responsibly. Conclusion Strong’s 3261 serves as a quiet but powerful testimony to the precision with which God’s Word has been maintained. Its very emptiness invites worshipers to praise the Lord for giving a fully sufficient revelation—and to handle that revelation with reverence, diligence, and joyful confidence. Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman'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. |
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