מֶלֶךְ
melek · H4428 · Hebrew · 2,523 occurrences
This name belongs to 2 people
Meanings
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king, ruler
Supreme secular and male ruler of a nation or people; associated with authority, power, honor, but also with justice; also used as a reference to one's deity
ExamplesGenesis 14:1 And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,
Genesis 14:2 that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
Genesis 14:5 And in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,
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King's Gate
One of the gates of the temple in Jerusalem on the east side
Examples1 Chronicles 9:18 being stationed until now at the king’s gate to the east). These were the gatekeepers for the camp of the sons of Levi.
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Melech or Molech
A deity worshipped by the Canaanites, usually vocalized as Molech
ExamplesIsaiah 57:9 “You have journeyed to the king with oil And increased your perfumes; You have sent your messengers a great distance And made them go down to Sheol.
How it’s used In 10 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
1,074 occurrences in 106 groups
- יְהוּדָהJudah 192
- יִשְׂרָאֵלIsrael 175
- בָּבֶלBabylon, Babel 131
- אַשּׁוּרAsshur 92
- מִצְרַיִםEgypt 47
- אֲרָםAram 41
- Other words · 58 groups that occur once or twice (76) 76
Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles
92 occurrences in 51 groups
- אֵלֶּהthese 12
- גָּדוֹלgreat, large 11
- שְׁנַיִםtwo 9
- מָלַךְto reign, to be king 7
- חָמֵשׁfive 6
- עֵבֶרbeyond, side, across 6
- Other words · 40 groups that occur once or twice (49) 49
Named alongside itApposition
793 occurrences in 120 groups
- אָדוֹןlord 70
- שְׁלֹמֹהSolomon 60
- דָּוִדDavid 52
- נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּרNebuchadnezzar 50
- צִדְקִיָּהZedekiah 32
- אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁAhasuerus 25
- Other words · 62 groups that occur once or twice (80) 80
What it doesIt is the subject
649 occurrences in 139 groups
- אָמַרto say 127
- שָׁלַחto send, to send away 35
- בּוֹאto come, to go in, to bring 33
- עָשָׂהto do, to make 27
- נָתַןto give, to put, to set 23
- שָׁמַעto hear, to listen, to obey 23
- Other words · 95 groups that occur once or twice (126) 126
What is done to itIt is the object
141 occurrences in 56 groups
- נָכָהto strike, to strike down 11
- שׁוּבto return, to turn back 11
- נָתַןto give, to put, to set 9
- הָיָהto be, to become 8
- עָבַדto serve, to work 7
- לָכַדto capture, to take, to catch 5
- Other words · 36 groups that occur once or twice (40) 40
Second object ofSecond object
3 occurrences in 2 groups
- נָתַןto give, to put, to set 2
- מָלַךְto reign, to be king 1
What it is said to bePredicate
32 occurrences in 17 groups
- אַיִןthere is no, not 10
- אַיֵּהwhere? 4
- אֵלֶּהthese 4
- Other words · 14 groups that occur once or twice (14) 14
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
60 occurrences in 18 groups
- אֶחָדone 31
- הוּאhe, she, it 8
- יְהֹוָהthe LORD, YHWH 3
- שַׂרcommander, chief, official 3
- Other words · 14 groups that occur once or twice (17) 17
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
490 occurrences in 12 groups
- לto/for 344
- אֵלto, toward 294
- בin/on/with 51
- עַלon, upon, over, against 50
- עִםwith 34
- מִןfrom 25
- Other words · 2 groups that occur once or twice (4) 4
In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive
515 occurrences in 118 groups
- בַּיִתhouse, household 65
- פָּנִיםface, presence, before 64
- יָדhand, power 39
- בֵּןson 36
- דָּבָרword, thing, matter 20
- עֶבֶדservant, slave 18
- Other words · 83 groups that occur once or twice (106) 106
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
In the other Testament 2 words
- βασιλεύς basileús · G935 · king
- Greek βασιλεύς directly translates Hebrew מֶלֶךְ as the standard rendering for 'king' across both Testaments, denoting a sovereign ruler with royal authority.
- βασιλικός basilikós · G937 · royal, kingly, royal official
- Hebrew מֶלֶךְ (melek) denotes the king himself as a person holding royal office, while Greek βασιλικός (basilikos) functions adjectivally to describe things or persons as 'royal' or 'belonging to the king' (royal official, royal garment, royal domain) — the Greek term is relationally derivative from the concept of kingship rather than denoting the monarch directly.
Semantic domains 4 entries
- Leaders001001003005
- מֶלֶךְ is the ordinary Hebrew word for king, the ruling head of a nation or city-state, as throughout the long list of kings who warred in the Valley of Siddim (Genesis 14:1-9).
- Names of Constructions003001003
- This entry carries no independent "Names of Constructions" sense of its own distinct from the ordinary common noun; מֶלֶךְ denotes a king, illustrated throughout its many occurrences (e.g. Genesis 14:1-2, "the king of Shinar... the king of Ellasar"), and the domain reflects its use within compound place/structure names rather than an independent sense of the word itself.
- Names of People003001007
- The word also functions as, or within, personal names, as with its bare-form homograph Melech (מֶלֶךְ (Melek, H4429)), a descendant of Saul (1 Chronicles 8:35; 9:41).
- Names of Deities003001004
- This entry carries no independent deity-name sense of its own; every tagged occurrence is the common noun “king”, as in “In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim” (Genesis 14:5). The “Names of Deities” domain is bundle-shared with the related lexemes מֶלֶךְ (Melek, H4429) and מֶלֶךְ (melek, H4430) rather than independently attested here.
Word family 12 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H4428. melek I. מֶ֫לֶךְ2513 noun masculine king (Late Hebrew id.; MI1, 5, 10, 18, 23 מלך;…
I. מֶ֫לֶךְ2513 noun masculine king (Late Hebrew id.; MI1, 5, 10, 18, 23 מלך; Neh 1:4 המלכן; Phoenician מלך; Zinjirli מלך DHMSendsch. 60; Assyrian maliku, malku, prince (Assyrian šarru = king); Arabic king (original Hebrew *מַלִח inferred, LagBN 73 BaNB § 112 WMMAs. u. Europ.76); Sabean מלכן SabDenkmNo. 1; construct מלך, plural אמלך CISiv 37; compare Ethiopic God (and Nöl.c.); Aramaic , מְלֵיךְ; Palmyrene מלכא מלך VogNo. 28; Nabataean מלכא EutNab. 1); — ׳מ absolute Gen 14:7 + (insert also 2Sa 13:17 ᵐ5 Th We Dr Kit Bu, and 2Sa 13:34 ᵐ5 We Dr Kit Bu); in p. always מֶ֑לֶךְ Gen 49:20 238t. (so also proper name in מֶלֶךְ-); construct Gen 14:1 +; suffix מַלְכִּי 2 Samuel 19:44 2Sa 19:6t., etc.; plural מְלָכִים Gen 14:9 +; מְלָכִין Pro 31:3; construct מַלְכֵי Gen 17:16 +; suffix מְלָכֶיהָ Isa 7:16 Isa 7:3t.; מַלְכֵיהֶם Deu 7:24 Deu 7:16t., etc.; —
1 king: of Egypt Gen 39:20f.; Exo 1:8f.; Deu 11:3; 1Ki 3:1; of Mesopotamia, Shinar, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, etc. Jdg 3:8, Jdg 3:10; Gen 14:1f.; 2Ki 15:19-20, 2Ki 15:29; 2Ki 17:3f.; 2Ki 18:13f.; 2Ki 24:1, 2Ki 24:11f.; Ezr 1:1f.; Ezr 4:3f.; Est 1:2 +, 1Ki 11:18, 1Ki 11:40; 1Ki 14:25; 2Ki 17:4f.; 2Ki 23:29 +; of Canaan, Philistia, Edom, Moab, etc. (often of single city): Gen 14:2f.; Gen 14:18; Gen 20:2; Gen 26:1, Gen 26:8; Gen 36:31; Num 20:14; Num 21:1f.; Num 22:4, Num 22:10; Deu 1:4; Deu 3:1f.; Jos 2:2 (often in Joshua), Jdg 1:7; Jdg 5:19; Jdg 8:5, Jdg 8:12; Jdg 11:12f.; 2Ki 3:4f. +; of Aram, Hamath, etc. 2Sa 8:3f. 2Sa 8:9; 1Ki 15:18; 1Ki 20:1f.; 1Ki 22:3; 2Ki 5:1f.; 2Ki 8:7f.; 2Ki 8:29; 2Ki 9:14-15, 2Ki 15:37; 2Ki 16:5f. +; of Tyre, etc. 2Sa 5:11; 1Ki 5:15; 1Ki 9:11, 1Ki 9:16+, etc.; especially of Israel (undivided, and of both divisions) Gen 36:31; Num 23:21; Num 24:7; Deu 17:14f.; Jdg 17:6; Jdg 18:1; Jdg 19:1; Jdg 21:25; 1Sa 2:10; 1Sa 8:5f.; 2Sa 2:4f.; 1Ki 1:33-34,f. + very often; compare also Jdg 9:5. — 2Sa 18:29b strike out ׳הַמּ We Klo Dr Kit Bu. Note that in early books דוד המלך is nearly always said; in late books usually וגו ׳שׁלמה המלך) דוד; compare Aramaic מַלְכָּא כּוֺרֶשׁ, etc.
2 of Davidic king, as under divine protection, 1Sa 2:10 (|| מְשִׁיחוֺ), Psa 2:6; Psalm 18:51; Psa 89:19; Psa 61:7, compare Psa 99:4; so in (Messianic) prediction Hos 3:5; Isa 32:1; Jer 23:5; Eze 37:22, Eze 37:24; Zec 9:9.
3 used of ׳י as king of Israel 1Sa 12:12; in poetry Deu 33:5 compare Psa 5:3; Psa 10:16; Psa 29:10; Psa 44:5; Psa 48:3; Psa 68:25; Psa 74:12; Psa 84:4; Psa 145:1; Psa 149:2; Isa 41:21; Isa 43:15; Isa 44:6; Zep 3:15; הַכָּבוֺד מֶלֶךְ Psa 24:7; Psa 24:8; Psa 24:9; Psa 24:10 (twice in verse); universal king Psa 47:3; Psa 47:8; Psa 95:3; Psa 98:6; Jer 10:7, Jer 10:10, compare Jer 46:18; Jer 48:15; Jer 51:57; Zec 14:9, Zec 14:16, Zec 14:17; Mal 1:14; of false god Amo 5:26.
4 in fable, king of trees Jdg 9:8, Jdg 9:15 figurative of crocodile Job 41:26; ׳מ לָאַרְבֶּה אֵין Pro 30:27; of death, בַּלָּהוֺת מֶלֶךְ Job 18:14.
5 combinations are: —
a. ׳הַמּ הַגָּדוֺל 2Ki 18:19, 2Ki 18:28 = Isa 36:4, Isa 36:13 (of Assyrian king: compare Assyrian šarru rabu); ׳מ גָּדוֺל Ecc 9:14 (indefinite); of ׳י Mal 1:14, ׳מ ׳ג עַלכֿלאֿלהים Psa 95:3; עוֺלָם ׳מ Jer 10:10 (of ׳י); ׳מ מְלָכִים Eze 26:7 (king of Babylon)
b. הַמֶּלֶךְ יְחִי 1Sa 10:24; 2Sa 16:16 (twice in verse); 1Ki 1:34, 1Ki 1:39; 2Ki 11:12; 2Ch 23:11; בירושׁלם מֶלֶךְ Ecc 1:1, compare Eccl 15:26; 2Sa 5:2; 1Ki 14:2; 1Ch 29:25; 2Sa 2:11 (מ עלהֿיה ׳בחברון) 1Ki 11:37; 2Ch 28:4; Ecc 1:12.
c. following a verb (one or two accusative) מ ׳שִׂים על Deu 17:14-15, (twice in verse); 1Sa 10:19; מ לָנוּ ׳שִׂים 1Sa 8:5; לְמ ׳שִׂים 1Ki 10:9; מ ׳נָתַן לְ 1Sa 8:6; Hos 13:10-11, עַל נָתַן 1Sa 12:13; 2Ch 2:10; Neh 9:37; Neh 13:26; לְמֶלֶךְ הִמְלִיךְ Jdg 9:6; 1Sa 15:11; מ ׳הִמְלִיךְ על 1Sa 12:1; מ ׳הִמְלִיךְ לְ 1Sa 8:22; עַל מ ׳מָשַׁח Jdg 9:8; לְמ ׳מָשַׁח 1Ki 1:45; לְמ ׳מָשַׁךְ עַל Jdg 9:15; 1Sa 15:1, 1Sa 15:17; 2Sa 2:4; 2Sa 5:3, 2Sa 5:12; 2Sa 12:7; 1Ki 1:34; 1Ch 11:3; 1Ch 14:8; ׳מ על יִהְיֶה 1Sa 8:19; למ ׳בִּקֵּשׁ על 2Sa 3:17; על לְמ ׳הֵכִין 2Sa 5:12; 1Ch 14:2; מ ׳הֵקִים על 1Ki 14:14; Deu 28:36; י עַלכִּֿסֵּא ׳יָשַׁב ׳לְמ וגו ׳תַּחַת 1Ch 29:23, compare Pro 20:8; לְמ עַלכִּֿסֵּא ׳נָתַן ׳לְי אלהיך2Ch 9:8.
d. מַעֲדַנֵּימֶֿלךְ Gen 49:20 royal dainties, figurative; הַמּ ׳מִשְׁתֵּה 1Sa 25:36 royal feast (in simile); הַמּ ׳אֶבֶן 2Sa 14:26 king's weight; ׳יַדהַֿמּ 1Ki 10:13 royal bounty (in simile); הַמּ ׳גִּזֵּי Amo 7:1 king's mowings; מ ׳מִקְדַּשׁ Amo 7:13 royal sanctuary; מַלְכָּם עֲטֶרֶת 2Sa 12:30 crown of their king = 1Ch 20:2 (but read ᵐ5 מִלְכֹּם We Klo Dr Kit Kau — not Bu KitChr. Hpt); compare also שָׁוֵה גַּן, עֵמֶק, בַּיִת,, etc. — proper name עבד מלך, נתן, מלך, אלימלך, אחימלך, אבימלך,, see below אח אב,, etc.
מַלְכִישׁוּעַ proper name, masculine son of Saul my king (= ׳י) is opulence, compare GrayProp. N. 147); — 1Sa 14:49; 1Sa 31:2; 1Ch 8:33; 1Ch 9:39; 1Ch 10:2 (in Chronicles מַלְכִּישֿׁוּעַ). ᵐ5 Μελχεισα, Μελχεσουε, etc.
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 4 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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