Lexical Definition

‎מֶלֶךְ‎ melek (meh'-lek) king ^H:N-M
from ‎מָלַךְ‎

king, royal.

• a king

1) king

See Greek: ἄρχων · βασιλεύς · βασιλεύω · βασιλικός · βουλή · ἡγέομαι · Μάλχος · Μολόχ · στρατηγός · Μελχί

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Also see: מֶלֶךְ

I. ‎מֶ֫לֶךְ‎₂₅₁₃ noun masculine king (Late Hebrew id.; MI^{1, 5, 10, 18, 23} ‎מלך‎; Neh 1:4 ‎המלכן‎; Phoenician ‎מלך‎; Zinjirli ‎מלך‎ DHM^{Sendsch. 60}; Assyrian maliku, malku, prince (Assyrian šarru = king); Arabic king (original Hebrew *‎מַלִח‎ inferred, Lag^{BN 73} Ba^{NB § 112} WMM^{As. u. Europ.76}); Sabean ‎מלכן‎ SabDenkm^{No. 1}; construct ‎מלך‎, plural ‎אמלך‎ CIS^{iv 37}; compare Ethiopic God (and Nö^l.c.); Aramaic , ‎מְלֵיךְ‎; Palmyrene ‎מלך מלכא‎ Vog^{No. 28}; Nabataean ‎מלכא‎ Eut^{Nab. 1}); — ‎׳‎‎מ‎ absolute Gen 14:7 + (insert also 2Sam 13:17 ᵐ5 Th We Dr Kit Bu, and v2Sam 13:34 ᵐ5 We Dr Kit Bu); in p. always ‎מֶ֑לֶךְ‎ Gen 49:20 + 238 t. (so also proper name in ‎מֶלֶךְ‎-); construct Gen 14:1 +; suffix ‎מַלְכִּי‎ 2Sam 19:44* + 6 t., etc.; plural ‎מְלָכִים‎ Gen 14:9 +; ‎מְלָכִין‎ Prov 31:3 construct ‎מַלְכֵי‎ Gen 17:16 +; suffix ‎מְלָכֶיהָ‎ Isa 7:16 + 3 t.; ‎מַלְכֵיהֶם‎ Deut 7:24 + 16 t., etc.; —

1. king: of Egypt Gen 39:20f.; Exod 1:8f.; Deut 11:3; 1Kgs 3:1 of Mesopotamia, Shinar, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, etc. Judg 3:8; Judg 3:10; Gen 14:1f.; 2Kgs 15:19; 2Kgs 15:20; 2Kgs 15:29; 2Kgs 17:3f.; 2Kgs 18:13f.; 2Kgs 24:1; 2Kgs 24:11f.; Ezra 1:1f.; Ezra 4:3f.; Esth 1:2 +, 1Kgs 11:18; 1Kgs 11:40; 1Kgs 14:25; 2Kgs 17:4f.; 2Kgs 23:29 +; of Canaan, Philistia, Edom, Moab, etc. (often of single city): Gen 14:2f.; vGen 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; Deut 1:4; Deut 3:1f.; Josh 2:2 (often in Joshua), Judg 1:7; Judg 5:19; Judg 8:5; Judg 8:12; Judg 11:12f.; 2Kgs 3:4f. +; of Aram, Hamath, etc. 2Sam 8:3f. v2Sam 8:9; 1Kgs 15:18; 1Kgs 20:1f.; 1Kgs 22:3; 2Kgs 5:1f.; 2Kgs 8:7f.; v2Kgs 8:29; 2Kgs 9:14; 2Kgs 9:15; 2Kgs 15:37; 2Kgs 16:5f. +; of Tyre, etc. 2Sam 5:11; 1Kgs 5:15*; 1Kgs 9:11; 1Kgs 9:16+, etc.; especially of Israel (undivided, and of both divisions) Gen 36:31; Num 23:21; Num 24:7; Deut 17:14f.; Judg 17:6; Judg 18:1; Judg 19:1; Judg 21:25; 1Sam 2:10; 1Sam 8:5f.; 2Sam 2:4f.; 1Kgs 1:33; 1Kgs 1:34f. + very often; compare also Judg 9:5. — 2Sam 18:29b strike out ‎׳‎‎הַמּ‎ We Klo Dr Kit Bu. Note that in early books ‎המלך דוד‎ is nearly always said; in late books usually ‎המלך‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁלמה וגו‎) ‎דוד‎; compare Aramaic ‎כּוֺרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא‎, etc.

2. of Davidic king, as under divine protection, 1Sam 2:10 (|| ‎מְשִׁיחוֺ‎), Ps 2:6; Ps 18:51*; Ps 89:19*; Ps 61:7*, compare Ps 99:4 so in (Messianic) prediction Hos 3:5; Isa 32:1; Jer 23:5; Ezek 37:22; Ezek 37:24; Zech 9:9.

3. used of ‎׳‎‎י‎ as king of Israel 1Sam 12:12 in poetry Deut 33:5 compare Ps 5:3*; Ps 10:16; Ps 29:10; Ps 44:5*; Ps 48:3*; Ps 68:25*; Ps 74:12; Ps 84:4*; Ps 145:1; Ps 149:2; Isa 41:21; Isa 43:15; Isa 44:6; Zeph 3:15 ‎מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֺד‎ Ps 24:7; Ps 24:8; Ps 24:9; Ps 24:10 (twice in verse); universal king Ps 47:3*; Ps 47:8*; Ps 95:3; Ps 98:6; Jer 10:7; Jer 10:10, compare Jer 46:18; Jer 48:15; Jer 51:57; Zech 14:9; Zech 14:16; Zech 14:17; Mal 1:14 of false god Amos 5:26.

4. in fable, king of trees Judg 9:8; Judg 9:15 figurative of crocodile Job 41:26* ‎אֵין לָאַרְבֶּה‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Prov 30:27 of death, ‎מֶלֶךְ בַּלָּהוֺת‎ Job 18:14.

5. combinations are: —
a. ‎הַגָּדוֺל‎ ‎׳‎‎הַמּ‎ 2Kgs 18:19; 2Kgs 18:28 = Isa 36:4; Isa 36:13 (of Assyrian king: compare Assyrian šarru rabu); ‎גָּדוֺל‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Eccl 9:14 (indefinite); of ‎׳‎‎י‎ Mal 1:14, ‎עַלכֿלאֿלהים‎ ‎׳‎‎ג‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Ps 95:3 ‎׳‎‎מ‎ ‎עוֺלָם‎ Jer 10:10 (of ‎׳‎‎י‎); ‎מְלָכִים‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Ezek 26:7 (king of Babylon)
b. ‎יְחִי הַמֶּלֶךְ‎ 1Sam 10:24; 2Sam 16:16 (twice in verse); 1Kgs 1:34; 1Kgs 1:39; 2Kgs 11:12; 2Chr 23:11 ‎מֶלֶךְ בירושׁלם‎ Eccl 1:1, compare Eccl 15:26; 2Sam 5:2; 1Kgs 14:2; 1Chr 29:25; 2Sam 2:11 (‎׳‎‎בחברון עלהֿיה מ‎) 1Kgs 11:37; 2Chr 28:4; Eccl 1:12.
c. following a verb (one or two accusative) ‎על‎ ‎׳‎‎שִׂים מ‎ Deut 17:14; Deut 17:15 (twice in verse); 1Sam 10:19 ‎׳‎‎שִׂים לָנוּ מ‎ 1Sam 8:5 ‎׳‎‎שִׂים לְמ‎ 1Kgs 10:9 ‎לְ‎ ‎׳‎‎נָתַן מ‎ 1Sam 8:6; Hos 13:10; Hos 13:11 ‎נָתַן עַל‎ 1Sam 12:13; 2Chr 2:10*; Neh 9:37; Neh 13:26 ‎הִמְלִיךְ לְמֶלֶךְ‎ Judg 9:6; 1Sam 15:11 ‎על‎ ‎׳‎‎הִמְלִיךְ מ‎ 1Sam 12:1 ‎לְ‎ ‎׳‎‎הִמְלִיךְ מ‎ 1Sam 8:22 ‎׳‎‎מָשַׁח מ‎ ‎עַל‎ Judg 9:8 ‎׳‎‎מָשַׁח לְמ‎ 1Kgs 1:45 ‎עַל‎ ‎׳‎‎מָשַׁךְ לְמ‎ Judg 9:15; 1Sam 15:1; 1Sam 15:17; 2Sam 2:4; 2Sam 5:3; 2Sam 5:12; 2Sam 12:7; 1Kgs 1:34; 1Chr 11:3; 1Chr 14:8 ‎יִהְיֶה על‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ 1Sam 8:19 ‎על‎ ‎׳‎‎בִּקֵּשׁ למ‎ 2Sam 3:17 ‎׳‎‎הֵכִין לְמ‎ ‎על‎ 2Sam 5:12; 1Chr 14:2 ‎על‎ ‎׳‎‎הֵקִים מ‎ 1Kgs 14:14; Deut 28:36 ‎׳‎‎תַּחַת וגו‎ ‎׳‎‎לְמ‎ ‎׳‎‎יָשַׁב עַלכִּֿסֵּא י‎ 1Chr 29:23, compare Prov 20:8 ‎אלהיך‎ ‎׳‎‎לְי‎ ‎׳‎‎נָתַן עַלכִּֿסֵּא לְמ‎ 2Chr 9:8.
d. ‎מַעֲדַנֵּימֶֿלךְ‎ Gen 49:20 royal dainties, figurative; ‎׳‎‎מִשְׁתֵּה הַמּ‎ 1Sam 25:36 royal feast (in simile); ‎׳‎‎אֶבֶן הַמּ‎ 2Sam 14:26 king's weight; ‎׳‎‎יַדהַֿמּ‎ 1Kgs 10:13 royal bounty (in simile); ‎׳‎‎גִּזֵּי הַמּ‎ Amos 7:1 king's mowings; ‎׳‎‎מִקְדַּשׁ מ‎ Amos 7:13 royal sanctuary; ‎עֲטֶרֶת מַלְכָּם‎ 2Sam 12:30 crown of their king = 1Chr 20:2 (but read ‎מִלְכֹּם‎ ᵐ5 We Klo Dr Kit Kau — not Bu Kit^Chr. Hpt); compare also ‎בַּיִת‎, ‎עֵמֶק‎, ‎גַּן‎, ‎שָׁוֵה‎, etc. — proper name ‎אבימלך‎, ‎אחימלך‎, ‎אלימלך‎, ‎מלך‎, ‎נתן‎, ‎מלך‎, ‎עבד‎, see below ‎אב‎, ‎אח‎, etc.

Also see: שׁוּעַ

‎מַלְכִישׁוּעַ‎ proper name, masculine son of Saul my king (= ‎׳‎‎י‎) is opulence, compare Gray^{Prop. N. 147}); — 1Sam 14:49; 1Sam 31:2; 1Chr 8:33; 1Chr 9:39; 1Chr 10:2 (in Chronicles ‎מַלְכִּישֿׁוּעַ‎). ᵐ5 Μελχεισα, Μελχεσουε, etc.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • Father of Jerahmeel • Father of Jerahmeel and Malchijah (or 'Malchiah'), officials during Jeremiah's time.

Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy

Hammelech, meaning "the king," was the father of Jerahmeel and Malchijah (or 'Malchiah'), officials mentioned in the book of Jeremiah.

• A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;
• only referred to as Hammelech מֶלֶךְ;
• father of Jerahmeel יְרַחְמְאֵל and Malchijah מַלְכִּיָּה.

Hammelech, which means "the king" in Hebrew, is mentioned in Jeremiah 36:26 and 38:6 as the father of two officials during the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah. In Jeremiah 36:26, Jerahmeel, the son of Hammelech, is identified as one of the officials sent by King Jehoiakim to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet after the king burned the scroll containing Jeremiah's prophecies. In Jeremiah 38:6, Malchijah (or 'Malchiah'), another son of Hammelech, is mentioned as one of the officials who threw Jeremiah into a cistern at the request of the princes who opposed the prophet's message. The use of the term "Hammelech" in these passages has led some scholars to believe that it may be a title rather than a proper name, indicating that Jerahmeel and Malchiah were royal officials. However, the exact nature of their roles and their relationship to the king remains unclear.

All entries for Hammelech or "the king": מֶלֶךְ

Related Profiles:

• Jerahmeel (child)
• Malchijah (child)