Hebrew word · H4475

מֶמְשָׁלָה

memshalto

dominion

Rule, dominion, government, realm. It comes from the verb māšal, "to rule, have authority over". It can mean the act of ruling or the area ruled (1 Kgs 9:19; 2 Kgs 20:13 "all his realm"; Isa 22:21 "your authority"; Ps 114:2 "Israel his dominion"; Ps 145:13).

Appears 17 times in 16 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) rule, dominion, realm

1a) rule, dominion, realm, domain

1b) rule

1c) rule, dominion (of God)

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 Genesis 1:16

Range of meaning

Rule, dominion, government, realm. It comes from the verb māšal, "to rule, have authority over". It can mean the act of ruling or the area ruled (1 Kgs 9:19; 2 Kgs 20:13 "all his realm"; Isa 22:21 "your authority"; Ps 114:2 "Israel his dominion"; Ps 145:13).

Against the English

KJV, ESV, BSB, WEB have "rule". NIV and NASB have "govern". YLT has "for the rule of". JPS (1985) uses "dominate". "Govern" brings out the regulating side (setting the pattern of day and night, marking seasons). "Rule" keeps the royal tone.

How it drifted

Modern readers may hear political sovereignty, or the astrological idea that "ruling" heavenly bodies control human fate. The Hebrew means governance over a fixed period of time. Context defines that governance: giving light, separating day from night, and serving as signs for seasons, festivals, days and years (vv. 14, 18).

Used elsewhere in the period

Psalm 136:7–9 repeats this verse almost word for word: "the sun for rule (ləmemšelet) by day … the moon and stars for rule (ləmemšelôt) by night." The LXX translates it eis archas, "for rule/beginnings", and the Vulgate ut praeesset, "to preside over". In the Enochic Astronomical Book (1 Enoch 72–82) the luminaries and the "leaders" of the stars keep fixed laws of rule, which takes the idea further while still keeping them under God.

From the study of Psalm 145:13

Range of meaning

Rule, dominion, governing authority; also the domain governed. From mashal, 'to rule'.

Against the English

'Dominion' is accurate, if old-fashioned; it means the right and power to rule.

Used elsewhere in the period

Gen 1:16 uses the same word for the sun and moon 'ruling' day and night; 2 Kgs 20:13 and Isa 22:21 use it for a realm or office of government. Parallel with 'kingdom' also in Dan 4:3 (Aramaic sholṭan) and Mic 4:8.

From the study of Micah 4:8

Range of meaning

Rule, dominion, the power or office of governing. It can also mean the realm that is ruled. From mashal, 'to rule'. Used of the sun and moon 'ruling' day and night (Gen 1:16), of a royal official's authority (Isa 22:21) and of Israel as God's domain (Ps 114:2).

Against the English

'Dominion' (KJV, BSB, WEB) is accurate. KJV's 'first dominion' can sound like 'the dominion that ranks first'. The phrase hammemshalah harishonah means 'the earlier rule', the one Jerusalem used to have. BSB and NIV add 'restored', which the Hebrew implies but does not say. The Hebrew says it 'will come'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Common in Genesis, Psalms, Chronicles and Isaiah for actual governing authority. Rishon combined with nouns of time or state regularly means 'former' (e.g. 'the former kings', 'the former days').

Where it appears

Genesis · 2

  1. Genesis 1:16 לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת for [the] dominion of

    God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well.

    Here: "For the rule of": this states the lamp's assigned job. Its authority is a task it has been given, and it covers a fixed area, the daytime.

1 Kings · 1

  1. 1 Kings 9:19 מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃ dominion his

    as well as all the store cities that Solomon had for his chariots and horses—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout the land of his dominion.

2 Kings · 1

  1. 2 Kings 20:13 מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃ realm his

    And Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his treasure house—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, as well as his armory—all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.

    Here: 'His dominion': the whole territory under his rule, perhaps including fortified store-cities. The envoys saw the full strength of the kingdom.

2 Chronicles · 2

  1. 2 Chronicles 8:6 מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃ dominion his

    as well as Baalath, all the store cities that belonged to Solomon, and all the cities for his chariots and horses—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout the land of his dominion.

  2. 2 Chronicles 32:9 מֶמְשַׁלְתּ֖וֹ imperial might his

    Later, as Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces besieged Lachish, he sent his servants to Jerusalem with a message for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem:

Psalms · 5

  1. Psalm 103:22 מֶמְשַׁלְתּ֑וֹ dominion his

    Bless the LORD, all His works in all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!

    Here: 'His rule / his realm'. It picks up v. 19, where his kingship 'rules (mashalah) over all'. Since he rules everywhere, 'all places of his dominion' means everywhere at all.

  2. Psalm 114:2 מַמְשְׁלוֹתָֽיו׃ dominion<s> his

    Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel His dominion.

    Here: Literally "his dominions" (plural). It means the sphere he rules: the people is the realm of a king. The plural probably stresses how complete and wide that rule is. It need not mean several separate territories.

  3. Psalm 136:8 לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת for dominion

    the sun to rule the day, His loving devotion endures forever.

  4. Psalm 136:9 לְמֶמְשְׁל֣וֹת for dominion<s>

    the moon and stars to govern the night. His loving devotion endures forever.

    Here: 'For rulings' or 'to hold dominion'. The word describes an office the moon and stars are given, not power they have in their own right. It is plural here, but singular in verse 8 and in Genesis 1:16. The plural may share the rule out among the moon and the many stars, or may simply mean 'rule' in general.

  5. Psalm 145:13 וּ֝מֶֽמְשֶׁלְתְּךָ֗ and dominion your

    Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His actions.

    Here: 'And your rule': the active exercise of governing power, parallel to 'kingship' in the first line.

Isaiah · 2

  1. Isaiah 22:21 וּמֶֽמְשֶׁלְתְּךָ֖ and authority your

    I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will put your authority in his hand, and he will be a father to the dwellers of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

  2. Isaiah 39:2 מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃ realm his

    And Hezekiah welcomed the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his treasure house—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, as well as his entire armory—all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.

    Here: 'His dominion', the whole area under his rule. The display went beyond the palace to the resources of the entire kingdom.

Jeremiah · 2

  1. Jeremiah 34:1 מֶמְשֶׁ֨לֶת [the] rule of

    This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, all the earthly kingdoms under his control, and all the other nations were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding cities.

  2. Jeremiah 51:28 מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃ dominion his

    Prepare the nations for battle against her—the kings of the Medes, their governors and all their officials, and all the lands they rule.

Daniel · 1

  1. Daniel 11:5 מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃ dominion his

    The king of the South will grow strong, but one of his commanders will grow even stronger and will rule his own kingdom with great authority.

Micah · 1

  1. Micah 4:8 הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה֙ the dominion

    And you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion—the former dominion will be restored to you; sovereignty will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem.”

    Here: The power to rule, here the authority Jerusalem once held as a royal capital. It is the long-awaited subject of both verbs.

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