Μάλχος
Málchos
G3124 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name: Malchos; refers to a male individual, specifically identified in the New Testament as the servant of the high priest. The name itself means 'king' or 'one belonging to a king,' based on its Semitic origin. In Koine Greek context, it is used as a personal name rather than an appellative or title.
Semantic Range
proper personal name; by extension, possibly 'belonging to the king' in other contexts, but in the New Testament exclusively a personal name
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew מֶלֶךְ (melek), meaning 'king.' The Greek rendering Μάλχος is a transliteration of the Hebrew with addition of the common Greek masculine name ending -ος.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Μάλχος appears in the New Testament (John 18:10, 18:26) as the name of the servant of the high priest whose ear was cut off during the arrest of Jesus. The name is of Semitic origin and reflects the practice in Hellenistic and Roman-period Judea of using names derived from Hebrew or Aramaic, often given Greek morphological endings. Although sometimes translated 'Malchus' in English Bibles, the Greek text indicates a straightforward adaptation of a Hebrew name, without special connotations of ethnic, religious, or geographic identity. In Second Temple Judean society, names of Semitic origin with Greek endings were common. The connection to the Hebrew root for 'king' might have carried significance for the bearer or their family, but in the New Testament narrative, the name functions solely as an identifier.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Hebrew origin (מֶלֶךְ); Malchus, an Israelite:--Malchus.
Root Family
Μάλχος (Malchos) — king, royal, belonging to a king
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3124-01 |
Μάλχος | malchos | N NOM M SG |
Malchus | Malchos | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3124-01 |
John 18:10 | Μάλχος | malchos | N NOM M SG |
Malchus | Malchos |