Millstone

denotes "a handmill," consisting of two circular stones, one above the other, the lower being fixed. From the center of the lower a wooden pin passes through a hole in the upper, into which the grain is thrown, escaping as flour between the stones and falling on a prepared material below them. The handle is inserted into the upper stone near the circumference. Small stones could be turned by one woman (mill-grinding was a work deemed fit only for women and slaves; cp. Jdg 16:21); larger ones were turned by two (cp. Mat 24:41, under MILL), or more.

Still larger ones were turned by an ass (onikos), Mat 18:6, RV, "a great millstone" (marg., "a millstone turned by an ass"), indicating the immediate and overwhelming drowning of one who causes one young believer to stumble; Mar 9:42 (where some mss. have lithos multikos, "a stone of a mill," as in Luk 17:2); Rev 18:22 (some mss. have it in Rev 18:21, see below).

"of a mill," occurs in Luk 17:2 (see above).

"made of millstone," is used with lithos, "a stone;" and with the adjective megas, "great," in the best mss. in Rev 18:21 (some have the word mulos; see A).