μελίσσιος
coming from bees
Definition
The adjective μελίσσιος (melissios) means 'belonging to bees' or 'coming from bees.' In its single biblical occurrence in Luke 24:42, it specifically describes 'a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb,' where 'honeycomb' translates the phrase ἀπὸ μελισσίου κηρίου (apo melissiou kēriou), literally 'from a honeycomb of bees.' The word emphasizes the natural, raw product directly from the hive, not processed honey. While the core meaning is consistently apian-related, its application in the New Testament is exclusively to the substance of the honeycomb itself.
Biblical Usage
Μελίσσιος is used only once in the New Testament, in Luke 24:42. It appears in the post-resurrection narrative where Jesus eats before His disciples to prove His physical reality. The word is used in the genitive singular neuter form (μελισσίου) as part of a descriptive phrase for the food offered. There are no other patterns of usage, as it is a hapax legomenon (word occurring once).
Etymology
Μελίσσιος is directly derived from the Greek noun μέλισσα (melissa), meaning 'a bee.' It is a standard adjective-forming suffix (-ιος) added to the noun stem, creating the meaning 'pertaining to or coming from a bee.' Its root is shared with μέλι (meli), the common word for 'honey.'
Semantic Range
While the word itself is descriptive of a common food item, its use in Luke 24:42 contributes significantly to the theological emphasis on Jesus's bodily resurrection. By eating physical food like fish and honeycomb, Jesus demonstrates that His resurrected body is tangible and can consume ordinary nourishment, countering any notion that He was merely a spirit or ghost. This underscores the reality of the incarnation enduring through resurrection.
In the ancient world, honey from the honeycomb was a valued source of sweetness and nutrition, often gathered from wild bees. It was a natural, unrefined foodstuff. The specific mention of the 'honeycomb' (κηρίου) from bees highlights it as a fresh, direct product, not just stored liquid honey. This detail adds a note of simple, wholesome hospitality in the disciples' offering to the risen Lord.
μέλι (meli, G3192) — This is the common noun for 'honey,' the substance itself, whereas μελίσσιος describes the source or nature as 'from bees.'
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
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