3190. Melea
Lexical Summary
Melea: Melea

Original Word: Μελεά
Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Transliteration: Melea
Pronunciation: meh-leh-AH
Phonetic Spelling: (mel-eh-as')
KJV: Meleas
NASB: Melea
Word Origin: [of uncertain origin]

1. Meleas, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Meleas.

Of uncertain origin; Meleas, an Israelite -- Meleas.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of Hebrew origin
Definition
Melea, an Isr.
NASB Translation
Melea (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3190: Μελεας

Μελεας, genitive Μελεά (Buttmann, 20f (17f)) (T Tr WH Μελεά, indeclinable (on the accent in manuscripts cf. Tdf. Proleg., p. 103)), , (מְלֵאָה, abundance), Melea, one of king David's descendants: Luke 3:31.

Topical Lexicon
Occurrence

Melea appears a single time in the Greek New Testament, within the Lukan genealogy of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:31). The Berean Standard Bible renders the clause: “the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David.”

Genealogical Context

1. Placement: Melea is situated between Eliakim (Luke 3:30) and Menna (Luke 3:31), roughly midway between Zerubbabel (Luke 3:27) and David (Luke 3:31).
2. Line of Nathan: Luke traces Christ’s ancestry through David’s son Nathan rather than Solomon, distinguishing it from Matthew’s genealogy and showing both legal (through Joseph) and blood (through Mary) descent from David.
3. Silent Centuries: Melea lived during the long, mostly unrecorded post-exilic period. The Holy Spirit still preserved his name, underscoring that every generation matters in God’s redemptive plan.

Historical Background

Nothing biographical is recorded outside Luke’s list; nonetheless, Luke’s careful research (Luke 1:1-4) assures historical reliability. Melea’s era would have been marked by Persian and early Hellenistic rule, a time when faithful Jewish families maintained lineage records in anticipation of the promised Messiah.

Theological Significance

1. Preservation of the Davidic line: By naming figures such as Melea, Scripture documents an unbroken chain from David to Jesus, confirming prophecies like 2 Samuel 7:12-16 and Psalm 89:3-4.
2. God’s remembrance of the obscure: Melea never performs a recorded exploit, yet his inclusion testifies that ordinary believers participate in God’s extraordinary purposes.
3. Fulness motif: The likely Hebrew root behind Melea speaks of “fullness” or “completeness,” subtly foreshadowing the “fullness of time” in which God sent His Son (Galatians 4:4).

Implications for the Davidic Promise

Luke’s genealogy establishes Jesus as legitimate heir to David’s throne through a bloodline uncontaminated by the curse on Jeconiah (Jeremiah 22:30), because the Nathanic branch (including Melea) bypasses that royal judgment. Thus Melea’s quiet link supports the integrity of messianic prophecies fulfilled in Christ.

Faith and Ministry Applications

• Encouragement to the unnoticed: Many disciples labor without public acclaim, yet their faithfulness contributes to Christ’s ongoing work.
• Confidence in Scripture: Even seemingly minor names reinforce the coherence and historicity of the biblical narrative, strengthening trust in all divine promises.
• Value of godly heritage: Families cultivating devotion generation after generation play a vital role in the advance of the gospel.

Related Scriptures

2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 89:3-4; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; Luke 1:1-4; Acts 2:30; Romans 1:2-4; Galatians 4:4

Forms and Transliterations
Μελεα Μελεά Μελεὰ Melea Meleá
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Luke 3:31 N
GRK: τοῦ Μελεά τοῦ Μεννά
NAS: the son of Melea, the son of Menna,
KJV: Which was [the son] of Melea, which was [the son] of Menan,
INT: of Melea of Menna

Strong's Greek 3190
1 Occurrence


Μελεά — 1 Occ.

3189
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