Hebrew word · H4436

מַלְכָּה

hamalkah

queen

Queen, the female counterpart of melek, "king". In the Hebrew Bible it is used mainly for foreign queens: Sheba, Esther and Vashti in Persia. Israel's own royal women are more often called gevirah, "great lady" or queen mother.

Appears 35 times in 34 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

queen

Aramaic equivalent: mal.kah (מַלְכָּה "queen" H4433)

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 Kings 10:1

Range of meaning

Queen, the female counterpart of melek, "king". In the Hebrew Bible it is used mainly for foreign queens: Sheba, Esther and Vashti in Persia. Israel's own royal women are more often called gevirah, "great lady" or queen mother.

Against the English

"Queen" is accurate. Modern readers may picture a consort, but the Hebrew presents her as a ruler acting on her own authority, with her own caravan, wealth and diplomacy.

Used elsewhere in the period

Assyrian royal records of the 8th century BC name ruling "queens of the Arabs" (Zabibe, Samsi) who paid tribute in camels and spices. Sargon II mentions tribute from It'amra the Sabaean. Women rulers of Arabian trading peoples are historically plausible.

From the study of Esther 7:2

Range of meaning

"Queen," the feminine of melekh, "king." Used of Vashti and Esther, the Queen of Sheba (1 Kgs 10), and royal women generally (Song 6:8).

Against the English

"Queen" is accurate. English versions differ only in word order ("Queen Esther" against "Esther the queen").

Used elsewhere in the period

Esther is introduced as an orphan named Hadassah (2:7). From chapter 5 onward the narrator increasingly calls her "Esther the queen," and in chapter 7 the title comes at almost every mention.

From the study of Song of Songs 6:8

Range of meaning

A woman of royal rank. She might be the wife of a king (Esther 1:9, Vashti; Esther 2:22, Esther), a ruling queen (1 Kings 10:1, the queen of Sheba), or, in the plural, the top-ranking wives of one king's household. The verb root m-l-k means 'to reign'.

Against the English

In English 'queen' usually means one woman: the single royal wife, or a woman ruling in her own right. Here there are sixty of them at once. That points to a large court with many high-born wives, each probably the daughter of an allied royal house.

How it drifted

Modern monarchies are monogamous, so English 'queen' now suggests one woman.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Old Testament, 1 Kings 11:3 counts Solomon's '700 wives, princesses' (it uses a related word, sarot, 'noblewomen'), and Esther uses malkah for the Persian king's chief wife. The Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) has basilissai, 'queens'. In ancient Near Eastern courts such as Mari, Egypt and Assyria, the royal women were ranked, and foreign princesses held the highest places.

Similar words

Where it appears

1 Kings · 4

  1. 1 Kings 10:1 וּמַֽלְכַּת־ and [the] queen of

    Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.

    Here: A queen who rules in her own right, not a king's wife. The "and" opens a new scene while tying it loosely to the account of Solomon's trade fleet just before (9:26–28).

  2. 1 Kings 10:4 מַֽלְכַּת־ [the] queen of

    When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,

  3. 1 Kings 10:10 מַֽלְכַּת־ [the] queen of

    Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again were spices in such abundance brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

    Here: A ruling queen acting in her own name. She speaks, travels and negotiates without any husband or male ruler being mentioned.

  4. 1 Kings 10:13 לְמַֽלְכַּת־ to [the] queen of

    King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants.

2 Chronicles · 4

  1. 2 Chronicles 9:1 וּמַֽלְכַּת־ and [the] queen of

    Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was on her mind.

    Here: A female ruler in her own right, not a king's wife. The sentence opens with her, not with a verb, which in Hebrew narrative marks a new episode: 'Now the queen of Sheba…'

  2. 2 Chronicles 9:3 מַֽלְכַּת־ [the] queen of

    When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,

  3. 2 Chronicles 9:9 מַֽלְכַּת־ [the] queen of

    Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

  4. 2 Chronicles 9:12 לְמַֽלְכַּת־ to [the] queen of

    King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—far more than she had brought the king. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants.

Esther · 25

  1. Esther 1:9 הַמַּלְכָּ֔ה the queen

    Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.

  2. Esther 1:11 הַמַּלְכָּ֛ה the queen

    to bring Queen Vashti before him, wearing her royal crown, to display her beauty to the people and officials. For she was beautiful to behold.

    Here: Her title. The narrator keeps calling her 'Queen Vashti' throughout the scene, which keeps her rank in view at the very moment she is being summoned as a spectacle.

  3. Esther 1:12 הַמַּלְכָּ֣ה the queen

    Queen Vashti, however, refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs. And the king became furious, and his anger burned within him.

  4. Esther 1:15 בַּמַּלְכָּ֖ה with the queen

    “According to law,” he asked, “what should be done with Queen Vashti, since she refused to obey the command of King Xerxes delivered by the eunuchs?”

  5. Esther 1:16 הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה the queen

    And in the presence of the king and his princes, Memucan replied, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but all the princes and the peoples in all the provinces of King Xerxes.

  6. Esther 1:17 הַמַּלְכָּה֙ הַמַּלְכָּ֛ה the queen

    For the conduct of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come.’

  7. Esther 1:18 הַמַּלְכָּ֔ה the queen

    This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard about the queen’s conduct will say the same thing to all the king’s officials, resulting in much contempt and wrath.

  8. Esther 2:22 הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה the queen

    When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai’s behalf.

  9. Esther 4:4 הַמַּלְכָּ֖ה the queen

    When Esther’s maidens and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, the queen was overcome with distress. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.

  10. Esther 5:2 הַמַּלְכָּ֗ה the queen

    As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she found favor in his sight. The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

  11. Esther 5:3 הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה the queen

    “What is it, Queen Esther?” the king inquired. “What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.”

    Here: He names her by her royal title. This is the role Mordecai had pointed to: 'who knows whether you have come to royalty for such a time as this?' (4:14). In Hebrew 'queen' (malkah) also sounds like the 'kingdom' (malkut) he is about to offer.

  12. Esther 5:12 הַמַּלְכָּ֧ה the queen

    “What is more,” Haman added, “Queen Esther invited no one but me to join the king at the banquet she prepared, and I am invited back tomorrow along with the king.

  13. Esther 7:1 הַמַּלְכָּֽה׃ the queen

    So the king and Haman went to dine with Esther the queen,

  14. Esther 7:2 הַמַּלְכָּ֖ה the queen

    and as they drank their wine on that second day, the king asked once more, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be fulfilled.”

    Here: The king addresses her by her full royal title. In this chapter the narrator also calls her "Esther the queen" again and again (7:1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8): she speaks from the full dignity of her position.

  15. Esther 7:3 הַמַּלְכָּה֙ the queen

    Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, grant me my life as my petition, and the lives of my people as my request.

  16. Esther 7:5 הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה the queen

    Then King Xerxes spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devise such a scheme?”

  17. Esther 7:6 וְהַמַּלְכָּֽה׃ and the queen

    Esther replied, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked man—Haman!” And Haman stood in terror before the king and queen.

    Here: Esther is now named alongside the king as a joint power Haman must fear. The pairing 'king and queen' recalls Haman's boast in 5:12, now turned against him.

  18. Esther 7:7 הַמַּלְכָּ֔ה the queen

    In his fury, the king arose from drinking his wine and went to the palace garden, while Haman stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life, for he realized that the king was planning a terrible fate for him.

  19. Esther 7:8 הַמַּלְכָּ֛ה the queen

    Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Would he actually assault the queen while I am in the palace?” As soon as the words had left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.

  20. Esther 8:1 הַמַּלְכָּ֔ה the queen

    That same day King Xerxes awarded Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai entered the king’s presence because Esther had revealed his relation to her.

    Here: Her title is stressed. As queen she can receive and manage a large estate, and in the next verse she puts Mordecai in charge of it.

  21. Esther 8:7 הַמַּלְכָּ֔ה the queen

    So King Xerxes said to Esther the Queen and Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Haman’s estate to Esther, and he was hanged on the gallows because he attacked the Jews.

    Here: Her royal title. It underlines her standing at court, now in sharp contrast with Haman's fall.

  22. Esther 9:12 הַמַּלְכָּ֗ה the queen

    who said to Queen Esther, “In the citadel of Susa the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men, including Haman’s ten sons. What have they done in the rest of the royal provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given to you. And what further do you request? It will be fulfilled.”

  23. Esther 9:29 הַמַּלְכָּ֧ה the queen

    So Queen Esther daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim.

  24. Esther 9:31 הַמַּלְכָּ֔ה the queen

    in order to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established them and had committed themselves and their descendants to the times of fasting and lamentation.

Song of Songs · 2

  1. Song of Songs 6:8 מְּלָכ֔וֹת queens

    There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number,

    Here: Royal wives of the highest rank, women married into the king's house, often as part of an alliance with another royal family. They are not rulers in their own right, and there is not just one: these are the top tier of a large royal household.

  2. Song of Songs 6:9 מְלָכ֥וֹת queens

    but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the favorite of the mother who bore her. The maidens see her and call her blessed; the queens and concubines sing her praises.

    Here: The king's chief wives from 6:8, the highest-ranking women at court. Even these natural rivals praise her.

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