Greek word · G3124
Μάλχος
malchos
Malchus
A personal name from the Semitic root m-l-k, 'king, reign'. It is a Greek spelling of names like Malik / Malichus.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
A personal name from the Semitic root m-l-k, 'king, reign'. It is a Greek spelling of names like Malik / Malichus.
- Against the English
All versions transliterate it as 'Malchus'. Nothing is lost, except that English readers will not hear that it is a 'king' name.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The name is common in Nabataean (Arab) inscriptions and among Nabataean kings (Malichus I and II). Josephus names several men called Malichus, including a Jewish figure involved in Herod's early career (Antiquities 14.273–293). Jews used it as well.
Where it appears
John · 1
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John 18:10 Μάλχος.¶ Malchus.
Then Simon Peter drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
Here: A Semitic name built on the root m-l-k, 'king'. It was common among Arabs and Nabataeans and also used by Jews. Only John records it, and he mentions Malchus's relative again in 18:26.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.