מַלְכוּ
𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤅
malkûw
H4437 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An abstract noun denoting kingship, royal authority, the state or condition of being a king or of reigning; also the realm or territory over which a king's rule extends. The word covers both the concept of dominion or sovereignty (the act and right of ruling), and the actual kingdom (the geographical or political entity subject to a king's authority).
Semantic Range
dominion, reign, royal authority, kingship, kingdom, realm
Root / Etymology
From the root מ־ל־ך (מלך), meaning 'to rule, to be king.' מַלְכוּ is the Aramaic abstract noun form deriving from this verbal root, paralleling the Hebrew מַלְכוּת (malkut), but with typically Aramaic nominal (–וּ) ending.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מַלְכוּ is the standard Aramaic term for 'kingship' or 'kingdom' and is found predominantly in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible, especially in Daniel and Ezra. The term often refers to the authority and realm of foreign monarchs (notably Babylonian and Persian rulers), reflecting the imperial context of these texts. Unlike the Hebrew מַלְכוּת (used broadly for Israelite and foreign kingdoms alike), מַלְכוּ in biblical Aramaic often refers to non-Israelite, especially dominant imperial, rule. English translations generally render it as 'kingdom,' 'dominion,' or 'reign,' but may flatten its distinction between authority and the territorial entity. In later Jewish Aramaic (Targumic, Rabbinic), מַלְכוּ retains its abstract and concrete senses but comes to be used in theological contexts as well, reflecting changing concepts of authority and divine reign.
Translation Consistency
'Kingdom' is the most common natural English rendering in the P2 data and covers both the territory/realm sense and the ruling authority sense in typical biblical contexts. It is more natural than the abstract 'kingship' for general use and keeps translation consistent across occurrences.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to מַלְכוּת; dominion (abstractly or concretely); kingdom, kingly, realm, reign.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
מלך (Yamelekhe) — to reign, to be king, to rule
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3230 | יַמְלֵךְ | He-Will-Reign |
| H4409 | מַלּוּךְ | to Reigning-One |
| H4427 | מָלַךְ | in his reigning |
| H4428 | מֶלֶךְ | among the kings |
| H4429 | מֶלֶךְ | the sovereign |
Word Forms
20 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4437-10 |
מַלְכוּתָ֥/א | malekhuta | ANcfsd/Td |
the kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom | 12 |
H4437-01 |
בְּ/מַלְכ֣וּת | bemalekhut | AR/Ncfsc |
in kingdom | in kingship of | in the kingdom of | 5 |
H4437-08 |
מַלְכ֥וּ | malekhu | ANcfsa |
kingdom | kingship | kingdom | 5 |
H4437-14 |
מַלְכוּתִ֗/י | malekhuti | ANcfsc/Sp1cs |
kingdom-my | my kingship | my kingdom | 4 |
H4437-09 |
מַלְכ֣וּת | malekhut | ANcfsc |
kingdom | royal rule | kingdom of | 3 |
H4437-12 |
מַלְכוּתָ֖/ךְ | malekhutakhe | ANcfsc/Sp2ms |
your kingdom | your kingship | your kingdom | 3 |
H4437-13 |
מַלְכוּתֵ/הּ֙ | malekhuteh | ANcfsc/Sp3ms |
kingdom-his | his kingship | his kingdom | 3 |
H4437-15 |
וּ/מַלְכ֨וּ | umalekhu | AC/Ncfsa |
and a kingdom | and kingship | and kingdom | 3 |
H4437-18 |
וּ/מַלְכוּתֵ֖/הּ | umalekhuteh | AC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms |
and his kingdom | and his kingship | and his kingdom | 3 |
H4437-05 |
לְ/מַלְכ֖וּת | lemalekhut | AR/Ncfsc |
of the reign | to royal dominion of | to kingdom of | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
57 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4437-10 |
Daniel 2:37 | מַלְכוּתָ֥/א | malekhuta | ANcfsd/Td |
kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-08 |
Daniel 2:39 | מַלְכ֥וּ | malekhu | ANcfsa |
kingdom | kingship | kingdom |
H4437-15 |
Daniel 2:39 | וּ/מַלְכ֨וּ | umalekhu | AC/Ncfsa |
And [another] | and kingship | and kingdom |
H4437-15 |
Daniel 2:40 | וּ/מַלְכוּ֙ | umalekhu | AC/Ncfsa |
and kingdom | and kingship | and kingdom |
H4437-08 |
Daniel 2:41 | מַלְכ֤וּ | malekhu | ANcfsa |
kingdom | kingship | kingdom |
H4437-10 |
Daniel 2:42 | מַלְכוּתָ/א֙ | malekhuta | ANcfsd/Td |
the-kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-08 |
Daniel 2:44 | מַלְכוּ֙ | malekhu | ANcfsa |
a kingdom | kingship | kingdom |
H4437-17 |
Daniel 2:44 | וּ/מַ֨לְכוּתָ֔/ה | umalekhutah | AC/Ncfsd/Td |
and kingdom-its | and her kingship | and her kingship |
H4437-07 |
Daniel 2:44 | מַלְכְוָתָ֔/א | malekhevata | ANcfsd/Td |
kingdoms | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-13 |
Daniel 3:33 | מַלְכוּתֵ/הּ֙ | malekhuteh | ANcfsc/Sp3ms |
kingdom-his | his kingship | his kingdom |
H4437-09 |
Daniel 3:33 | מַלְכ֣וּת | malekhut | ANcfsc |
kingdom | royal rule | kingdom of |
H4437-01 |
Daniel 4:14 | בְּ/מַלְכ֣וּת | bemalekhut | AR/Ncfsc |
in the kingdom | in kingship of | in the kingdom of |
H4437-14 |
Daniel 4:15 | מַלְכוּתִ֗/י | malekhuti | ANcfsc/Sp1cs |
my kingdom | my kingship | my kingdom |
H4437-01 |
Daniel 4:22 | בְּ/מַלְכ֣וּת | bemalekhut | AR/Ncfsc |
in-kingdom | in kingship of | in the kingdom of |
H4437-12 |
Daniel 4:23 | מַלְכוּתָ֖/ךְ | malekhutakhe | ANcfsc/Sp2ms |
kingdom-your | your kingship | your kingdom |
H4437-10 |
Daniel 4:26 | מַלְכוּתָ֛/א | malekhuta | ANcfsd/Td |
of the kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-08 |
Daniel 4:27 | מַלְכ֔וּ | malekhu | ANcfsa |
of kingdom | kingship | kingdom |
H4437-11 |
Daniel 4:28 | מַלְכוּתָ֖/ה | malekhutah | ANcfsd/Td |
your kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-01 |
Daniel 4:29 | בְּ/מַלְכ֣וּת | bemalekhut | AR/Ncfsc |
in-kingdom-of | in kingship of | in the kingdom of |
H4437-18 |
Daniel 4:31 | וּ/מַלְכוּתֵ֖/הּ | umalekhuteh | AC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms |
and-his-kingdom | and his kingship | and his kingdom |
H4437-14 |
Daniel 4:33 | מַלְכוּתִ֜/י | malekhuti | ANcfsc/Sp1cs |
of-my-kingdom | my kingship | my kingdom |
H4437-14 |
Daniel 4:33 | מַלְכוּתִ֣/י | malekhuti-2 | ANcfsc/Sp1cs |
my-kingdom | my kingship | my kingdom |
H4437-20 |
Daniel 5:7 | בְ/מַלְכוּתָ֖/א | vemalekhuta | AR/Ncfsd/Td |
in the kingdom | in the kingship | in the kingdom |
H4437-03 |
Daniel 5:11 | בְּ/מַלְכוּתָ֗/ךְ | bemalekhutakhe | AR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms |
in your kingdom | in your kingship | in your kingdom |
H4437-20 |
Daniel 5:16 | בְ/מַלְכוּתָ֖/א | vemalekhuta | AR/Ncfsd/Td |
in the kingdom | in the kingship | in the kingdom |
H4437-10 |
Daniel 5:18 | מַלְכוּתָ֤/א | malekhuta | ANcfsd/Td |
kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-13 |
Daniel 5:20 | מַלְכוּתֵ֔/הּ | malekhuteh | ANcfsc/Sp3ms |
of his kingdom | his kingship | his kingdom |
H4437-01 |
Daniel 5:21 | בְּ/מַלְכ֣וּת | bemalekhut | AR/Ncfsc |
in kingdom | in kingship of | in the kingdom of |
H4437-12 |
Daniel 5:26 | מַלְכוּתָ֖/ךְ | malekhutakhe | ANcfsc/Sp2ms |
your kingdom | your kingship | your kingdom |
H4437-12 |
Daniel 5:28 | מַלְכוּתָ֔/ךְ | malekhutakhe | ANcfsc/Sp2ms |
your kingdom | your kingship | your kingdom |
H4437-02 |
Daniel 5:29 | בְּ/מַלְכוּתָֽ/א | bemalekhuta | AR/Ncfsd/Td |
in the kingdom | in the kingship | in the kingship |
H4437-10 |
Daniel 6:1 | מַלְכוּתָ֑/א | malekhuta | ANcfsd/Td |
the-kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-10 |
Daniel 6:2 | מַלְכוּתָ֔/א | malekhuta | ANcfsd/Td |
the kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-10 |
Daniel 6:2 | מַלְכוּתָֽ/א | malekhuta-2 | ANcfsd/Td |
the kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-10 |
Daniel 6:4 | מַלְכוּתָֽ/א | malekhuta | ANcfsd/Td |
the kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-10 |
Daniel 6:5 | מַלְכוּתָ֑/א | malekhuta | ANcfsd/Td |
kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-10 |
Daniel 6:8 | מַלְכוּתָ֗/א | malekhuta | ANcfsd/Td |
of the kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-14 |
Daniel 6:27 | מַלְכוּתִ֗/י | malekhuti | ANcfsc/Sp1cs |
kingdom-my | my kingship | my kingdom |
H4437-18 |
Daniel 6:27 | וּ/מַלְכוּתֵ/הּ֙ | umalekhuteh | AC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms |
and-kingdom-his | and his kingship | and his kingdom |
H4437-01 |
Daniel 6:29 | בְּ/מַלְכ֣וּת | bemalekhut | AR/Ncfsc |
in-the-kingdom-of | in kingship of | in the kingdom of |
H4437-19 |
Daniel 6:29 | וּ/בְ/מַלְכ֖וּת | uvemalekhut | AC/R/Ncfsc |
and-in-the-kingdom-of | and in the kingship of | and in the kingship of |
H4437-15 |
Daniel 7:14 | וּ/מַלְכ֔וּ | umalekhu | AC/Ncfsa |
and a kingdom | and kingship | and kingdom |
H4437-18 |
Daniel 7:14 | וּ/מַלְכוּתֵ֖/הּ | umalekhuteh | AC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms |
and his kingdom | and his kingship | and his kingdom |
H4437-10 |
Daniel 7:18 | מַלְכוּתָ֔/א | malekhuta | ANcfsd/Td |
the kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-10 |
Daniel 7:18 | מַלְכוּתָ/א֙ | malekhuta-2 | ANcfsd/Td |
the kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-16 |
Daniel 7:22 | וּ/מַלְכוּתָ֖/א | umalekhuta | AC/Ncfsd/Td |
the kingdom | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-08 |
Daniel 7:23 | מַלְכ֤וּ | malekhu | ANcfsa |
kingdom | kingship | kingdom |
H4437-07 |
Daniel 7:23 | מַלְכְוָתָ֑/א | malekhevata | ANcfpd/Td |
kingdoms | the kingship | kingdoms |
H4437-11 |
Daniel 7:24 | מַלְכוּתָ֔/ה | malekhutah | ANcfsd/Td |
kingdom-the | the kingship | the kingdom |
H4437-17 |
Daniel 7:27 | וּ/מַלְכוּתָ֨/ה | umalekhutah | AC/Ncfsd/Td |
and the kingdom | and her kingship | and her kingship |