Lexical Summary onikos: Of a donkey, pertaining to a donkey Original Word: ὀνικός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of or for a donkeyFrom onos; belonging to a ass, i.e. Large (so as to be turned by a ass) -- millstone. see GREEK onos NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom onos Definition of or for a donkey NASB Translation heavy (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3684: ὀνικόςὀνικός, ὀνικη, ὀνικον (ὄνος), of or for an ass: μύλος ὀνικός i. e. turned by an ass (see μύλος, 1), Mark 9:42 L T Tr WH; Luke 17:2 Rec.; Matthew 18:6. Not found elsewhere. Topical Lexicon Definition and Literal Background Strong’s 3684 describes the type of great millstone that was so large it had to be turned by a donkey. In village life the smaller hand-mill was commonly operated by women (Matthew 24:41), but the ὀνικὸς “donkey-driven” stone stood for an industrial-sized weight that only animal power could move. Because it could weigh hundreds of pounds, it became a ready image for an inescapable, catastrophic judgment. Occurrences in the New Testament Matthew 18:6 and Mark 9:42 preserve Jesus’ identical warning. Matthew 18:6: “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Mark 9:42: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a large millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” Historical and Cultural Insights 1. Capital punishment by drowning was used by some Gentile powers, but it was abhorrent to first-century Jews. Jesus chose an image that His hearers would recognize as both terrifying and foreign, heightening the moral seriousness of leading the vulnerable astray. Thematic Significance in Scripture • Protection of the weak: The “little ones” are believing children or young disciples. Christ’s standard of care is so high that any harm is met with the severest analogy. Wider Biblical Echoes Revelation 18:21 pictures a “millstone” hurled into the sea to dramatize Babylon’s final ruin, echoing the same motif of irreversible judgment. Though the word group differs, the imagery parallels the ὀνικὸς warning: when sin reaches its full measure, downfall is sudden and unrecoverable. Applications for Discipleship and Ministry • Child discipleship: Prioritize environments that nurture faith and guard innocence, knowing that negligence invites divine censure. The donkey-driven millstone thus stands as a vivid, weighty symbol: God’s kingdom cherishes its smallest members, and heaven’s King will personally avenge any who make them fall. Forms and Transliterations ονικος ονικός ὀνικὸς onikos onikòsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 18:6 Adj-NMSGRK: κρεμασθῇ μύλος ὀνικὸς περὶ τὸν NAS: it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone INT: should be hung a millstone heavy upon the Mark 9:42 Adj-NMS |
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