μηλωτή
mēlōtḗ
G3374 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A covering or garment made from the skin or fleece of a sheep; commonly refers to a sheepskin cloak or mantle worn for protection or as simple clothing. In extended contexts, may refer to any roughly fashioned garment of animal skin, typically indicative of modest means, asceticism, or prophetic office.
Semantic Range
sheepskin garment, sheepskin mantle, fleece cloak, rough garment of animal skin, symbol of prophetic office or asceticism
Root / Etymology
From μῆλον (mēlon, 'sheep') plus the feminine derivative suffix -ωτή, indicating something made of or related to sheep. Cognate with similar terms for animal-skin garments in other Indo-European languages.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term μηλωτή is attested in classical and Hellenistic Greek as referring to a cloak, mantle, or garment made specifically from sheepskin, either with the fleece on or tanned. Such garments were characteristic of rustic, pastoral, or ascetic figures. In the Septuagint (notably 2 Kings [4 Kingdoms] 1:8), the μηλωτή is specifically the mantle worn by the prophet Elijah and then Elisha, serving as an emblem of prophetic authority and succession. In the cultural context of the Hellenistic and Roman Near East, such a garment signaled not only material simplicity but could also connote the distinctive identity of ascetic religious leaders. The New Testament (Hebrews 11:37) references the term in describing those who suffered persecution, using μηλωταί in the plural to evoke an image of humble, ascetic endurance, often rendering 'sheepskins' in translation. English 'sheepskin' represents the base meaning but may not capture the cultural symbolism of prophet, ascetic, or the material poverty signified by the term in Jewish and early Christian contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from (a sheep); a sheep-skin:--sheepskin.
Root Family
μηλωτή (mēlōtē) — sheep, fleece, animal skin
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3374-01 |
μηλωταῖς | melotais | N DAT F PL |
sheepskins | with sheepskin cloaks | sheepskin cloaks | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3374-01 |
Hebrews 11:37 | μηλωταῖς | melotais | N DAT F PL |
sheepskins | with sheepskin cloaks | sheepskin cloaks |