μυελός (muelos)
muelos
marrow
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun muelos refers specifically to the soft, fatty substance found within the hollows of bones. In biblical usage, it represents the deepest, most vital part of the body’s physical structure. This single Greek word appears only once in the New Testament, located in Hebrews 4:12.
In that verse, the author uses it to illustrate the penetrating power of God’s word. The text describes how Scripture is sharper than any two-edged sword, capable of dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. This imagery suggests a depth of discernment that reaches beyond surface-level thoughts or outward actions to the innermost core of human existence.
The term carries no separate theological definition outside this context. Its significance lies entirely in its physical reality as the nutrient-rich center of bone, serving as a metaphor for what is hidden and essential within a person.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word muelos appears just once in the New Testament, nestled within a powerful description of Scripture’s ability to reach the deepest parts of who we are. In Hebrews 4:12, the author compares God’s word to a sharp sword that pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. This imagery is not about physical pain but about profound clarity and truth.
Marrow was understood in ancient times as the vital core of life, hidden deep within bone and essential for nourishment. When Scripture speaks to this innermost layer, it brings light to places we often keep secret or try to hide from ourselves. It offers a gentle yet penetrating insight into our true motivations and desires.
This reminder can be comforting. You do not need to perform perfectly or present a polished version of yourself to God. His word meets you in your hiddenness, offering understanding rather than condemnation. It invites you to bring your whole self—thoughts, intentions, and struggles—into the open, trusting that His truth brings healing and wholeness.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- marrows,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- μυελῶν,1×
Key Verses
-
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
This is the only New Testament occurrence of the word, where it serves as a metaphor for the deepest, most hidden part of human nature that God's word can reach and discern.