μέλι (meli)
meli
honey
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun meli refers simply to honey, a sweet substance known throughout the ancient Near East. In the New Testament, it appears in only four verses, yet its imagery is vivid and specific. It serves as a concrete symbol of sweetness, often linked to God’s word or prophetic experience.
This word connects directly to the Hebrew dabash used in the Old Testament, where honey represents the bounty of the Promised Land (Genesis 43:11). In the Gospels, John the Baptist eats locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:9), marking his ascetic life in the wilderness. Later, in Revelation 10:9-10, the prophet is told to eat a little scroll that tastes sweet as honey but turns bitter in his stomach, illustrating how divine truth can be delightful yet challenging to bear.
Translators consistently render meli as "honey," preserving its literal sense. The contrast between sweetness and bitterness in Revelation highlights that receiving God’s message is not always comfortable, even when it begins with delight.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we encounter the word for honey in Scripture, it often points to something deeply desirable and life-giving. In the Gospels, John the Baptist’s diet of wild honey signals a simple, rugged faith lived out in the wilderness. It reminds us that spiritual sustenance does not always come from comfortable places or refined sources. Sometimes God provides for us in ways that are raw and unpolished, yet entirely sufficient for our journey.
Yet this sweetness carries a weight. In Revelation, eating a scroll that tastes like honey but turns bitter in the stomach shows us that divine truth is not always easy to carry. The message of God may delight our hearts initially, but it can also challenge our comfort or demand difficult obedience. This contrast invites us to trust that even when the truth feels heavy, its origin remains pure and good.
Ultimately, honey in the Bible reflects the nature of God’s word itself: sweet to receive, yet demanding a response. It encourages us to approach Scripture with openness, ready to taste its goodness while remaining faithful to its call, whatever form that takes in our daily lives.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- honey3×
- honey.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- μέλι3×
- μέλι.¶1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 3:4
Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
This verse establishes John the Baptist’s ascetic lifestyle, using wild honey to highlight his separation from societal comforts and his reliance on God’s provision in the wilderness.
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Revelation of John 10:9
I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.”
The angel’s instruction reveals the dual nature of prophetic revelation, where the initial sweetness of God’s word contrasts with the subsequent burden of delivering a difficult message.
-
Revelation of John 10:10
I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. When I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.
John’s experience of the honey turning bitter in his stomach illustrates the personal cost of obeying divine commands that challenge one’s own comfort or desires.