מֶ֫לֶט (me.let)
me.let
mortar
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun melet refers to a mixture used for binding or coating surfaces, typically described as mortar, cement, or clay flooring. In the biblical text, it denotes the material prepared by combining earth with water to create a solid, plaster-like layer. This substance was essential in ancient construction for smoothing floors or securing structural elements.
Its usage is remarkably specific, appearing only once in the Hebrew Bible at Jeremiah 43:9. Here, the prophet commands Baruch to take the tablet and write on it using this clay mixture. The choice of material grounds the prophetic act in the physical reality of daily life, linking divine message to tangible, earthly substance.
The word highlights the practical nature of biblical prophecy, where spiritual authority is often enacted through ordinary materials. By using melet, the text emphasizes that God’s word is not abstract but inscribed into the real world, ready to be read and understood by those present.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word melet refers to a simple mixture of earth and water, used as mortar or clay flooring in ancient construction. It appears only once in Scripture, at Jeremiah 43:9, where the prophet instructs Baruch to hide stones in this material at Pharaoh’s palace entrance. This humble substance grounds divine prophecy in physical reality.
God’s message is not abstract but inscribed into the real world using ordinary materials. The act of writing on clay or hiding stones in mortar shows that spiritual authority often works through tangible, everyday objects. It reminds us that God meets us in the concrete details of life.
This passage invites reflection on how divine truth becomes visible through simple actions. The use of melet highlights that God’s word is ready to be read and understood by those present, connecting heavenly purpose with earthly practice.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in the/ mortar1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בַּ/מֶּ֙לֶט֙1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 43:9
“Take great stones in your hand and hide them in mortar in the brick work which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah.
The prophet commands Baruch to hide stones in mortar at Pharaoh's house entrance, using melet to physically enact a prophetic sign before the men of Judah.