מַמְלָכָה
𐤌𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤄
mamlâkâh
H4467 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A realm, domain, or territory governed by a king; specifically, a kingdom or monarchy. Also denotes the institution or system of rule by a king, i.e., kingship or royal authority. Used both for the physical territory governed and the abstract concept of royal rule. In some contexts, refers to a specific kingdom (e.g., Israelite, Judahite, or foreign), and in others to general sovereignty exercised by a monarch.
Semantic Range
kingdom, monarchy, royal dominion, realm, royal institution, territorial kingdom, nation under a king, kingship, royal authority
Root / Etymology
From the root מ-ל-ך (מלך), meaning 'to reign,' 'to be king,' or 'to rule as monarch.' The noun מַמְלָכָה is a feminine noun derived with the abstract/formative "ma-...-âh" pattern, yielding the sense of 'kingship' or 'kingdom.' While the root denotes the act or power of ruling as a king, the derived noun points to the structure, domain, or manifestation of such rule.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מַמְלָכָה is widely used throughout the Hebrew Bible to denote both Israelite and non-Israelite kingdoms; it can refer to political entities (e.g., the kingdom of Aram, Egypt, or Babylon), as well as to the Israelite or Judahite monarchies. In narrative and prophetic literature, the word can indicate a concrete geopolitical entity, or more abstractly, the concept of national sovereignty, royal power, or the existence of a monarchy. During the monarchic period, the term typically specifies the political and territorial structure led by a king; after the exile, it is used when describing recollections or ideals of national restoration, often with theological significance but always rooted in the historical-political meaning. Standard English translations generally render the term as 'kingdom,' though this does not always capture its range, especially where it may refer more abstractly to royal power or kingship. מַמְלָכָה is distinguished from מלוכה (melukhah, 'kingship, reign'), which more narrowly refers to the act or condition of ruling, or the office itself, not to the territory or body politic.
Translation Consistency
mamlâkâh most commonly denotes a kingdom or royal domain—both the physical territory and the institution of kingship. "Kingdom" is the natural, idiomatic English rendering that covers the full SILEX range (territory, monarchy, royal authority) and matches the dominant usages in the corpus. It is readily inflectable for number/possessives while remaining clear and consistent.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from מָלַךְ; dominion, i.e. (abstractly) the estate (rule) or (concretely) the country (realm); kingdom, king's, reign, royal.
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
23 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4467-15 |
מַמְלְכ֥וֹת | mamelekhot | HNcfpc |
kingdoms | kingly realms of | kingdoms of | 24 |
H4467-03 |
הַ/מַּמְלָכָ֔ה | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the kingdom | the royal dominion | the kingdom | 23 |
H4467-12 |
מַמְלָכֽוֹת | mamelakhot | HNcfpa |
kingdoms | kingdoms | kingdoms | 13 |
H4467-14 |
מַמְלֶ֖כֶת | mamelekhet | HNcfsc |
kingdom | kingdom of | kingdom of | 11 |
H4467-08 |
מַמְלָכָֽה | mamelakhah | HNcfsa |
kingdom | royal realm | kingdom | 9 |
H4467-04 |
הַ/מַּמְלָכ֔וֹת | hamamelakhot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the kingdoms | the kingdoms | the kingdoms | 7 |
H4467-11 |
מַמְלַכְתּ֔/וֹ | mamelakheto | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
his kingdom | his kingdom | his kingdom | 7 |
H4467-09 |
מַֽמְלַכְתְּ/ךָ֛ | mamelakhetekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
your kingdom | your royal dominion | your kingdom | 3 |
H4467-18 |
וּ/מַמְלָכָה֙ | umamelakhah | HC/Ncfsa |
and kingdom | and kingdom | and kingdom | 3 |
H4467-23 |
וְ/הַ/מַּמְלָכָ֥ה | vehamamelakhah | HC/Td/Ncfsa |
and the kingdom | and the kingdom | and the kingdom | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
117 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4467-11 |
Genesis 10:10 | מַמְלַכְתּ/וֹ֙ | mamelakheto | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
was | his kingdom | his kingdom |
H4467-10 |
Genesis 20:9 | מַמְלַכְתִּ֖/י | mamelakheti | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
my kingdom | my kingdom | my kingdom |
H4467-14 |
Exodus 19:6 | מַמְלֶ֥כֶת | mamelekhet | HNcfsc |
kingdom | kingdom of | a kingdom of |
H4467-14 |
Numbers 32:33 | מַמְלֶ֨כֶת֙ | mamelekhet | HNcfsc |
kingdom of | kingdom of | kingdom of |
H4467-14 |
Numbers 32:33 | מַמְלֶ֔כֶת | mamelekhet-2 | HNcfsc |
kingdom of | kingdom of | kingdom of |
H4467-14 |
Deuteronomy 3:4 | מַמְלֶ֥כֶת | mamelekhet | HNcfsc |
kingdom | kingdom of | kingdom of |
H4467-14 |
Deuteronomy 3:10 | מַמְלֶ֥כֶת | mamelekhet | HNcfsc |
of the kingdom | kingdom of | kingdom of |
H4467-14 |
Deuteronomy 3:13 | מַמְלֶ֣כֶת | mamelekhet | HNcfsc |
kingdom | kingdom of | kingdom of |
H4467-04 |
Deuteronomy 3:21 | הַ/מַּמְלָכ֔וֹת | hamamelakhot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the-kingdoms | the kingdoms | the kingdoms |
H4467-11 |
Deuteronomy 17:18 | מַמְלַכְתּ֑/וֹ | mamelakheto | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
of his kingdom | his kingdom | his kingdom |
H4467-11 |
Deuteronomy 17:20 | מַמְלַכְתּ֛/וֹ | mamelakheto | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
his kingdom | his kingdom | his kingdom |
H4467-15 |
Deuteronomy 28:25 | מַמְלְכ֥וֹת | mamelekhot | HNcfpc |
kingdoms | kingly realms of | kingdoms of |
H4467-03 |
Joshua 10:2 | הַ/מַּמְלָכָ֑ה | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the kingdom | the royal dominion | the kingdom |
H4467-04 |
Joshua 11:10 | הַ/מַּמְלָכ֥וֹת | hamamelakhot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the kingdoms | the kingdoms | the kingdoms |
H4467-04 |
1 Samuel 10:18 | הַ/מַּמְלָכ֔וֹת | hamamelakhot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the kingdoms | the kingdoms | the kingdoms |
H4467-09 |
1 Samuel 13:13 | מַֽמְלַכְתְּ/ךָ֛ | mamelakhetekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
your kingdom | your royal dominion | your kingdom |
H4467-09 |
1 Samuel 13:14 | מַמְלַכְתְּ/ךָ֣ | mamelakhetekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
your kingdom | your royal dominion | your kingdom |
H4467-14 |
1 Samuel 24:21 | מַמְלֶ֖כֶת | mamelekhet | HNcfsc |
kingdom | kingdom of | kingdom of |
H4467-03 |
1 Samuel 27:5 | הַ/מַּמְלָכָ֖ה | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the kingdom | the royal dominion | of the kingdom |
H4467-03 |
1 Samuel 28:17 | הַ/מַּמְלָכָה֙ | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the kingdom | the royal dominion | the kingdom |
H4467-03 |
2 Samuel 3:10 | הַ/מַּמְלָכָ֖ה | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the kingdom | the royal dominion | the kingdom |
H4467-20 |
2 Samuel 3:28 | וּ/מַמְלַכְתִּ֛/י | umamelakheti | HC/Ncfsc/Sp1cs |
and my kingdom | and my kingdom | and my kingdom |
H4467-11 |
2 Samuel 5:12 | מַמְלַכְתּ֔/וֹ | mamelakheto | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
his kingdom | his kingdom | his kingdom |
H4467-11 |
2 Samuel 7:12 | מַמְלַכְתּֽ/וֹ | mamelakheto | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
kingdom | his kingdom | his kingdom |
H4467-11 |
2 Samuel 7:13 | מַמְלַכְתּ֖/וֹ | mamelakheto | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
of his kingdom | his kingdom | his kingdom |
H4467-19 |
2 Samuel 7:16 | וּ/מַֽמְלַכְתְּ/ךָ֛ | umamelakhetekha | HC/Ncfsc/Sp2ms |
and your kingdom | and your kingdom | and your kingdom |
H4467-23 |
1 Kings 2:46 | וְ/הַ/מַּמְלָכָ֥ה | vehamamelakhah | HC/Td/Ncfsa |
and the kingdom | and the kingdom | and the kingdom |
H4467-04 |
1 Kings 5:1 | הַ/מַּמְלָכ֔וֹת | hamamelakhot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the kingdoms | the kingdoms | the kingdoms |
H4467-09 |
1 Kings 9:5 | מַֽמְלַכְתְּ/ךָ֛ | mamelakhetekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
of your kingdom | your royal dominion | your kingdom |
H4467-12 |
1 Kings 10:20 | מַמְלָכֽוֹת | mamelakhot | HNcfpa |
kingdoms | kingdoms | kingdoms |
H4467-03 |
1 Kings 11:11 | הַ/מַּמְלָכָה֙ | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the kingdom | the royal dominion | the kingdom |
H4467-03 |
1 Kings 11:13 | הַ/מַּמְלָכָה֙ | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the kingdom | the royal dominion | the kingdom |
H4467-03 |
1 Kings 11:31 | הַ/מַּמְלָכָה֙ | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the kingdom | the royal dominion | the kingdom |
H4467-03 |
1 Kings 11:34 | הַ/מַּמְלָכָ֖ה | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the kingdom | the royal dominion | the kingdom |
H4467-03 |
1 Kings 12:26 | הַ/מַּמְלָכָ֖ה | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the kingdom | the royal dominion | the kingdom |
H4467-03 |
1 Kings 14:8 | הַ/מַּמְלָכָה֙ | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the-kingdom | the royal dominion | the kingdom |
H4467-18 |
1 Kings 18:10 | וּ/מַמְלָכָה֙ | umamelakhah | HC/Ncfsa |
or kingdom | and kingdom | or kingdom |
H4467-03 |
1 Kings 18:10 | הַ/מַּמְלָכָה֙ | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the kingdom | the royal dominion | the kingdom |
H4467-03 |
2 Kings 11:1 | הַ/מַּמְלָכָֽה | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the kingdom | the royal dominion | of the kingdom |
H4467-03 |
2 Kings 14:5 | הַ/מַּמְלָכָ֖ה | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the kingdom | the royal dominion | the kingdom |
H4467-03 |
2 Kings 15:19 | הַ/מַּמְלָכָ֖ה | hamamelakhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the kingdom | the royal dominion | the kingdom |
H4467-15 |
2 Kings 19:15 | מַמְלְכ֣וֹת | mamelekhot | HNcfpc |
kingdoms | kingly realms of | kingdoms of |
H4467-15 |
2 Kings 19:19 | מַמְלְכ֣וֹת | mamelekhot | HNcfpc |
kingdoms | kingly realms of | kingdoms of |
H4467-11 |
Isaiah 9:6 | מַמְלַכְתּ֔/וֹ | mamelakheto | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
his kingdom | his kingdom | his kingdom |
H4467-07 |
Isaiah 10:10 | לְ/מַמְלְכֹ֖ת | lemamelekhot | HR/Ncfpc |
to-kingdoms | to kingdoms of | the kingdoms |
H4467-15 |
Isaiah 13:4 | מַמְלְכ֤וֹת | mamelekhot | HNcfpc |
of kingdoms | kingly realms of | kingdoms of |
H4467-12 |
Isaiah 13:19 | מַמְלָכ֔וֹת | mamelakhot | HNcfpa |
of kingdoms | kingdoms | kingdoms |
H4467-12 |
Isaiah 14:16 | מַמְלָכֽוֹת | mamelakhot | HNcfpa |
kingdoms | kingdoms | kingdoms |
H4467-18 |
Isaiah 17:3 | וּ/מַמְלָכָ֥ה | umamelakhah | HC/Ncfsa |
and kingdom | and kingdom | and kingdom |
H4467-08 |
Isaiah 19:2 | מַמְלָכָ֖ה | mamelakhah | HNcfsa |
kingdom | royal realm | kingdom |