### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **mélas**, represented by `{{G3189}}`, is the primary word for **black**. It appears only **3 times** in **3 unique verses**, making its usage specific and impactful. The term is used both in a literal sense to describe color and symbolically to convey themes of judgment and cosmic upheaval.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical text, `{{G3189}}` appears in contexts of both earthly teaching and apocalyptic vision. In the Sermon on the Mount, it is used to illustrate human limitation, stating that one cannot make a single hair **white** or **black** [[Matthew 5:36]]. In Revelation, the word carries a more ominous tone. It describes the color of the third horseman's mount, a **black** horse that appears with the opening of the third seal [[Revelation 6:5]]. Later, with the opening of the sixth seal, the sun itself is said to have become **black** as sackcloth of hair, a sign of a great earthquake and celestial disturbance [[Revelation 6:12]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the meaning and context of `{{G3189}}`:
* `{{G3022}}` **leukós** (white): This word serves as a direct antonym to **black** in the teaching about hair color [[Matthew 5:36]]. In Revelation, **white** is consistently used for symbols of purity and righteousness, such as **white** robes [[Revelation 7:9]] and a great **white** throne [[Revelation 20:11]], creating a stark contrast with the imagery associated with **black**.
* `{{G4526}}` **sákkos** (sackcloth): This term is directly linked to **mélas** in the description of the darkened sun, which became "black as **sackcloth**" [[Revelation 6:12]]. **Sackcloth** is biblically associated with mourning and repentance [[Matthew 11:21]].
* `{{G5155}}` **tríchinos** (of hair): This word further specifies the type of sackcloth mentioned in [[Revelation 6:12]], describing it as being made **of hair**. This detail emphasizes the coarse and dark nature of the material.
* `{{G129}}` **haîma** (blood): In the same verse where the sun turns **black**, the moon is said to become as **blood** [[Revelation 6:12]]. This pairing of dark, unnatural colors enhances the scene of divine judgment.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{G3189}}` is concentrated in its symbolic usage, particularly within apocalyptic literature.
* **Sign of Judgment:** The appearance of the **black** horse in Revelation is a harbinger of hardship, as the rider holds a pair of balances [[Revelation 6:5]]. The sun turning **black** is part of a larger cataclysmic event signaling divine wrath upon the earth [[Revelation 6:12]].
* **Mourning and Calamity:** The comparison of the **black** sun to **sackcloth** `{{G4526}}` directly ties the color to grief and disaster [[Revelation 6:12]]. Sackcloth was worn as an outward expression of deep sorrow and repentance.
* **Divine Sovereignty:** In [[Matthew 5:36]], the inability to change a hair's color to **black** or white underscores a theological point about God's ultimate control over creation and the limits of human power, cautioning against making oaths by one's own head.
### Summary
In summary, `{{G3189}}` **mélas**, though used infrequently, is a powerfully evocative word. It moves from a simple, literal description of color to a profound symbol of judgment, mourning, and cosmic distress in the book of Revelation. Its meaning is sharpened by its contrast with **white** `{{G3022}}` and its association with **sackcloth** `{{G4526}}`, firmly establishing its role as a color representing calamity and the absence of divine light in apocalyptic contexts.
TRV