Hebrew word · H4429

מֶ֫לֶךְ

vamelekh

Melech

As a common noun it means "king". As a personal name it is "Melech", possibly short for a longer name such as Malkiel ("my king is God"), where the "king" was the deity. Names built on mlk are common across West Semitic peoples.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament.

What it means

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.8.35;

son of: Micah (H4318H);

brother of: Pithon (H6377), Tarea (H8390) and Ahaz (H0271H)

§ Melech = "king"

a Benjamite, the 2nd son of Micah and grandson of Mephibosheth

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 1 Chronicles 9:41

Range of meaning

As a common noun it means "king". As a personal name it is "Melech", possibly short for a longer name such as Malkiel ("my king is God"), where the "king" was the deity. Names built on mlk are common across West Semitic peoples.

Against the English

English versions transliterate it as a name ("Melech"). That is correct, though it hides the fact that a Hebrew hearer would hear "King".

Used elsewhere in the period

Names built on mlk appear widely: in Hebrew, Malchiel (Gen 46:17) and Malchishua, a son of Saul (1 Chr 8:33); in Phoenician and Ugaritic texts as well. A name like this usually honoured the god as king rather than claiming kingship for the child.

Where it appears

1 Chronicles · 2

  1. 1 Chronicles 8:35 וָמֶ֖לֶךְ and Melech

    The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.

  2. 1 Chronicles 9:41 וָמֶ֖לֶךְ and Melech

    The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz.

    Here: A personal name made from the ordinary word for "king". In the family of Israel's first king it is at least a striking name. The text says nothing about why he was given it.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.