Greek word · G3192

μέλι

meli

honey

Meli is honey, usually bees' honey. Ancient writers also used the word for other sweet syrups such as date syrup or tree sap. Agrios means growing or living untended in open country: wild, not domesticated.

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

μέλι, -τος, τό

[in LXX frequently (Genesis 43:11, al.) for דְּבַשׁ; for נֹפֶת, Proverbs 5:3 ;]

honey: Revelation 10:9-10; ἄγριον (which see), Matthew 3:4, Mark 1:9.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Matthew 3:4

Range of meaning

Meli is honey, usually bees' honey. Ancient writers also used the word for other sweet syrups such as date syrup or tree sap. Agrios means growing or living untended in open country: wild, not domesticated.

Against the English

'Wild honey' (BSB, KJV, NIV, ESV, NASB, WEB) is accurate. YLT's 'honey of the field' brings out the link with agros, 'field, countryside'. The Vulgate's mel silvestre means 'honey of the woods'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Bees nested in the wild in Israel's landscape. Samson found honey in a carcass (Judges 14:8). Jonathan ate honey in a wood (1 Samuel 14:25–27). God gives 'honey from the rock' (Deuteronomy 32:13; Psalm 81:16). Josephus calls the Jericho plain, near where John baptised, good bee country (Jewish War 4.468–469). On the other side, Diodorus Siculus (19.94.10) says the Nabataeans east of the Jordan drank with water a sweet tree exudation 'called wild honey' (meli agrion).

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 3:4 μέλι honey

    John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

    Here: Honey. It most likely means bees' honey taken from wild hives in rocks or trees, though some ancient writers also used the term for sweet tree sap (see debates).

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 1:6 μέλι honey

    John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

Revelation · 2

  1. Revelation 10:9 μέλι.¶ honey.

    And I went to the angel and said, “Give me the small scroll.” “Take it and eat it,” he said. “It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.”

    Here: Honey was the sweetest food the ancient world had. Scripture repeatedly uses it as a picture of God's word (Psalms 19:10; 119:103), and the phrase repeats Ezekiel 3:3 almost word for word.

  2. Revelation 10:10 μέλι honey

    So I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach turned bitter.

    Here: Honey was the sweetest thing the ancient world knew. It recalls Ezekiel's scroll, 'like honey for sweetness' (Ezek 3:3), and the psalms that call God's words sweeter than honey (Ps 19:10; 119:103).

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.