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μέλας

mélas

G3189 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Primarily denotes the color black, especially of physical appearance such as hair, skin, or clothing; additionally conveys the sense of darkness as an absence of light, or metaphorical gloom. The term can also imply something grim, mournful, or associated with mourning or disaster in figurative contexts, especially in poetry and rhetoric.

Semantic Range

black (of color), dark or swarthy (of personal appearance), ink-colored, dark/black (metaphorical: disaster, sorrow), associated with mourning, night, or gloom

Root / Etymology

A primary Greek adjective with no clear Indo-European cognates; possibly of Pre-Greek substratum origin. Its root is μέλ-.

Historical & Contextual Notes

μέλας occurs in classical Greek as the standard adjective for black or dark in color, used to describe hair, clothing, night, or substances such as ink. In literature and poetry, it often acquires metaphorical nuance, such as denoting something tragic (e.g., μέλαινα ἡμέρα—black/dark day for a day of disaster). In the Septuagint, μέλας can render Hebrew terms like שָׁחֹר (shachor), meaning black, but is less frequent than other Greek color terms. In the New Testament, appears rarely (e.g., Revelation 6:5, black horse). English translations almost always render μέλας as 'black,' but may insufficiently capture its poetic and metaphorical usages. Related adjectives include μέλαινα (feminine) and forms like μέλαν (neuter). Distinct from σκοτεινός, which more directly describes darkness as a state or space, whereas μέλας emphasizes color or symbolic shading.

Translation Consistency

primary "black" 3 occurrences

Mélas primarily denotes the color black and related darkness or gloom; 'black' is the most natural, versatile English rendering for physical color (hair, skin, clothing) and metaphorical senses (darkness, disaster, mourning). It is more idiomatic and broadly applicable than alternatives like 'ink.'

Alternatives (3 occurrences):
"ink" (3x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

apparently a primary word; black:--black.

Root Family

μέλας (melas) — black, dark, inky, gloomy

Root μέλ- black, dark, inky

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3189-04 μέλας melas ADJ.A NOM M SG black black black 2
G3189-03 μέλανος melanos ADJ.S GEN N SG ink of blackness ink 2
G3189-02 μέλανι melani ADJ.S DAT N SG with ink with black with ink 1
G3189-01 μέλαιναν melainan ADJ.S ACC F SG black black (feminine singular accusative) black 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3189-01 Matthew 5:36 μέλαιναν melainan ADJ.S ACC F SG black black (feminine singular accusative) black
G3189-02 2 Corinthians 3:3 μέλανι melani ADJ.S DAT N SG with ink with black with ink
G3189-03 2 John 1:12 μέλανος melanos ADJ.S GEN N SG ink of blackness ink
G3189-03 3 John 1:13 μέλανος melanos ADJ.S GEN N SG ink of blackness ink
G3189-04 Revelation 6:5 μέλας melas ADJ.A NOM M SG black black black
G3189-04 Revelation 6:12 μέλας melas ADJ.P NOM M SG black black black
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