מָלַךְ
𐤌𐤋𐤊
mâlak
H4427 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To reign, rule, or exercise royal authority; to become or be made king or queen; to act as a sovereign or to install someone as a ruler; in some contexts, to assume the functions or status of monarchy. The verb covers both the inceptive act of being enthroned and the continuing exercise of governance, and, in causative forms, the act of making or declaring someone king or ruler.
Semantic Range
to reign as king, to become king, to rule as sovereign, to assume the throne, to install as king (causative), to make or appoint as king, to exercise royal authority, to be (or make) queen (by extension); in poetic usage, to act as supreme ruler or deity
Root / Etymology
The root is מלך (mem-lamed-kaf). The core root meaning is 'to be king' or 'to rule as monarch.' The verbal root gives rise to several forms related to kingship and sovereignty, including terms for 'king' (מֶלֶךְ), 'queen' (מַלְכָּה), 'kingdom' (מַמְלָכָה), and 'royalty.' The primary verb מָלַךְ in qal expresses the act of reigning, whereas in the hiphil stem it denotes 'to make (someone) king' or 'to install a ruler.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מָלַךְ most often refers to the legal and practical exercise of sovereignty by a recognized leader within the Israelite or neighboring societies. During the monarchic period, it denotes the rule of kings over Israel, Judah, or surrounding nations. In several texts, it is used for non-Israelite monarchs as well (e.g., Egyptians, Moabites, Edomites). The verbal concept also expands, especially in exilic and post-exilic literature, to refer to divine kingship—the reign of YHWH as supreme ruler, sometimes in contrast or analogy to human kingship. The causative form (hiphil), מִלֵּךְ, typically involves the installation or induction of a person into kingship, often by prophetic, priestly, or popular action. English translations typically render מָלַךְ as 'reign' or 'be king,' but may neglect nuances concerning legitimacy, enthronement, or the ideal versus the actual exercise of rule. The verb is distinct from שָׁפַט (to judge/govern), which emphasizes judicial or administrative authority rather than royal capacity. 'Queen' (מַלְכָּה) falls within the nominal derivatives of the root and implies royal status, though in biblical usage the role is sometimes more limited or ceremonial than executive. Later Jewish and Christian traditions often retroject 'king' language onto earlier figures (e.g., patriarchs), but this verb is only used when formal royal structure is present or implied in the text.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to reign; inceptively, to ascend the throne; causatively, to induct into royalty; hence (by implication) to take counsel; consult, [idiom] indeed, be (make, set a, set up) king, be (make) queen, (begin to, make to) reign(-ing), rule, [idiom] surely.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מלך (m-l-k) — to reign, to rule, to be king, to make king
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3230 | יַמְלֵךְ | He-Will-Reign |
| H4409 | מַלּוּךְ | to Reigning-One |
| H4428 | מֶלֶךְ | among the kings |
| H4429 | מֶלֶךְ | the sovereign |
| H4430 | מֶלֶךְ | to the king |
Word Forms
55 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4427-19 |
מָלַ֖ךְ | malakhe | HVqp3ms |
he reigned | he reigned as king | 108 |
H4427-47 |
וַ/יִּמְלֹ֣ךְ | vayimelokhe | HC/Vqw3ms |
and reigned | and he reigned | 81 |
H4427-01 |
בְּ/מָלְכ֑/וֹ | bemalekho | HR/Vqc/Sp3ms |
when he became king | in his reigning | 21 |
H4427-50 |
בְ/מָלְכ֜/וֹ | vemalekho | HR/Vqc/Sp3ms |
in reigning-his | in his reigning | 18 |
H4427-42 |
וַ/יַּמְלִ֥יכוּ | vayamelikhu | HC/Vhw3mp |
and made king | and they made king | 16 |
H4427-54 |
יִמְלֹ֖ךְ | yimelokhe | HVqi3ms |
shall reign | he will reign as king | 14 |
H4427-17 |
לְ/מָלְכֽ/וֹ | lemalekho | HR/Vqc/Sp3ms |
of his reign | for his reigning | 12 |
H4427-15 |
לְ/הַמְלִ֥יךְ | lehamelikhe | HR/Vhc |
to make king | to make king | 6 |
H4427-39 |
וַ/יַּמְלֵךְ֩ | vayamelekhe | HC/Vhw3ms |
and he made king | and he installed as king | 5 |
H4427-34 |
תִּמְלֹךְ֙ | timelokhe | HVqi2ms |
let her reign | you will reign | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
351 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4427-24 |
Genesis 36:31 | מָלְכ֖וּ | malekhu | HVqp3cp |
reigned | they reigned |
H4427-26 |
Genesis 36:31 | מְלָךְ | melakhe | HVqc |
there reigned a king | to reign |
H4427-47 |
Genesis 36:32 | וַ/יִּמְלֹ֣ךְ | vayimelokhe | HC/Vqw3ms |
reigned | and he reigned |
H4427-47 |
Genesis 36:33 | וַ/יִּמְלֹ֣ךְ | vayimelokhe | HC/Vqw3ms |
and reigned | and he reigned |
H4427-47 |
Genesis 36:34 | וַ/יִּמְלֹ֣ךְ | vayimelokhe | HC/Vqw3ms |
reigned | and he reigned |
H4427-47 |
Genesis 36:35 | וַ/יִּמְלֹ֨ךְ | vayimelokhe | HC/Vqw3ms |
and reigned | and he reigned |
H4427-47 |
Genesis 36:36 | וַ/יִּמְלֹ֣ךְ | vayimelokhe | HC/Vqw3ms |
reigned | and he reigned |
H4427-47 |
Genesis 36:37 | וַ/יִּמְלֹ֣ךְ | vayimelokhe | HC/Vqw3ms |
reigned | and he reigned |
H4427-47 |
Genesis 36:38 | וַ/יִּמְלֹ֣ךְ | vayimelokhe | HC/Vqw3ms |
and reigned | and he reigned |
H4427-47 |
Genesis 36:39 | וַ/יִּמְלֹ֤ךְ | vayimelokhe | HC/Vqw3ms |
and reigned | and he reigned |