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μύλος

mýlos

G3458 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A mill; a device or structure for grinding grain or other substances, typically composed of two circular stones. In particular, refers to the millstone, the large circular stone that grinds material in conjunction with a stationary or moving counterpart. In wider contexts, used metonymically for the product or action of milling, or by extension for the burden or weight of such a stone.

Semantic Range

mill, millstone, grinding device, mill structure, product or place of grinding, metonym for task of grinding, figurative for burden or heavy object

Root / Etymology

Root/etymology uncertain. The word is ancient and occurs in both classical and later Greek. Attempts have been made to link μύλος with μόλις ('with difficulty, hardship') due to the hard labor involved, but etymological derivation is unproven and remains uncertain. Some suggest a pre-Greek (substrate) origin.

Historical & Contextual Notes

μύλος appears in classical, Hellenistic, and Koine Greek. In the Septuagint and New Testament, it specifically denotes the stone or stones used for grinding grain, commonly in pairs (lower stationary and upper rotating stone) either hand-operated or animal-powered. In Matthew 18:6 and Luke 17:2, the term is further specified as 'millstone of a donkey' (μύλος ὀνικός), indicating the large and heavy upper stone turned by an animal, while smaller household mills were turned by hand. In ancient Greek literature generally, μύλος could refer to both the device and the place of grinding. Later English Bible tradition renders it as 'millstone,' but in Greek texts the word itself can carry a more general or metonymic sense of a mill or its central object. The related diminutive form μυλίνη (mylinē) also appears in some contexts for a smaller mill. The meaning remained stable from classical into the Roman period, with little semantic shift. There is no inherent religious or metaphorical meaning; any symbolic uses (e.g., as a weight around the neck) depend on context rather than on inherent semantic range. μύλος should not be confused with μυλλός (myllos), which is rare and non-overlapping.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably ultimately from the base of μόλις (through the idea of hardship); a "mill", i.e. (by implication), a grinder (millstone):--millstone.

Root Family

μύλος (mylos) — mill, millstone, grinding device, to grind

Root μύλ- mill, to grind

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3458-02 μύλος mulos N NOM M SG millstone millstone a millstone 2
G3458-01 μύλῳ mulo N DAT M SG mill to a millstone millstone 1
G3458-03 μύλου mulou N GEN M SG of a millstone of a mill of a millstone 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3458-02 Matthew 18:6 μύλος mulos N NOM M SG millstone millstone a millstone
G3458-01 Matthew 24:41 μύλῳ mulo N DAT M SG mill to a millstone millstone
G3458-02 Mark 9:42 μύλος mulos N NOM M SG millstone millstone millstone
G3458-03 Revelation 18:22 μύλου mulou N GEN M SG of a millstone of a mill of a millstone
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