that a great millstone would be hung around his neck

μύλος, ου, ὁ (H. Gk. for ἡ μύλη [so also Joseph.]; B-D-F §50).

① mill (Diod S 3, 13, 2; Plut., Mor. 549e; 830d; PSI 530, 2 [III B.C.]; POxy 278, 17; Ex 11:5; Dt 24:6; Is 47:2; SibOr 8, 14), made of two flat stones, which varied in the course of time and provenance in size and shape; by moving one over the other, whether by hand or by mechanical contrivance, the grain between the two was turned into flour (s. illustrations in Bible dictionaries). ἀλήθειν ἐν τῷ μ. grind with the (hand-)mill (cp. Num 11:8) Mt 24:41. φωνὴ μ. the sound of the mill (as it turns) Rv 18:22.

② millstone (Lycophron 233; Strabo 4, 1, 13; Anth. Pal. 11, 246, 2; PRyl 167, 10; BGU 1067, 5; Judg 9:53 A; 2 Km 11:21) Rv 18:21 v.l.; μ. ὀνικός a great (lit. ‘donkey’) millstone, i.e. not a stone fr. the small handmill, but one fr. the large mill, worked by donkey-power (s. ὀνικός). As a heavy weight: ἵνα κρεμασθῇ μ. ὀνικὸς περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ that a great millstone would be hung around his neck Mt 18:6. Also εἰ περίκειται μ. ὀν. περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ if a great millstone were hung around his neck Mt 9:42. More briefly περιτεθῆναι μύλον have a millstone hung (on him) 1 Cl 46:8.—Rv 18:21 v.l. B. 363.—DELG. M-M.