Millstone (μύλος; in Revelation 18:21 TR [Note: R Textus Receptus, Received Text.], following B, has μύλον; L WH [Note: H Westcott-Hort’s Greek Testament.], following A, have μύλινον; C has μυλικόν; Lat. mola)
The mill of the ancients (as of many Syrians to-day) was a quern-two circular stones, of which the upper and smaller rotated upon the other. The hard and monotonous labour of grinding was imposed on women; in wealthier houses, on female slaves (Exodus 11:5, Matthew 24:41). If the upper stone was small, it was turned by one person; if it was of greater size, two, three, or even four slaves required to work together at the task. The heavy toil was often somewhat lightened with a song. The writer of the Revelation alludes to these things in two successive verses. A great millstone flung impetuously (ὁ ρμήματι, ‘with a rush,’ or ‘indignantly’; See LXX [Note: XX Septuagint.] Hosea 5:10) into the sea, to rise no more, is his image of the overthrow of Imperial Rome (Revelation 18:21). So complete is the desolation he foresees, that the sound of the mill (φων ὴ μύλου, the ᾠ δ ὴ ἐ πιμύλιος of the classics; cf. LXX [Note: XX Septuagint.] φων ὴ τ ῆ ς ἀ ληθούσης in Ecclesiastes 12:4), the familiar murmur of domestic life, will never be heard again in the ruined city, which will have become a city of death (Revelation 18:22).
Literature.-J. Yates, art. [Note: rt. article.] ‘Mola’ in Smith’s DGRA [Note: GRA Dict. of Greek and Roman Antiquities.] 2; G. M. Mackie, Bible Manners and Customs 2, 1903; W. Carslaw, art. [Note: rt. article.] ‘Mill, Millstone’ in HDB [Note: DB Hastings’ Dict. of the Bible (5 vols.).]; A. R. S. Kennedy, art. [Note: rt. article.] ‘Mill, Millstones’ in EBi [Note: Bi EncyclopAEdia Biblica.]; C. M. Doughty, Travels in Arabia Deserta, 1888, ii. 179.
James Strahan.