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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.

Translation Consistency

primary "reign" 41 occurrences

'Reign' best fits the typical sense of מָלַךְ (to be king, exercise royal authority, be enthroned). It is the most frequent English rendering in the corpus (e.g. 'reigned' 186×), is natural English, and covers both the intransitive sense (to rule as sovereign) and the causative/enthronement contexts when combined with context words (e.g. 'make/reign' or 'install to reign'). Choosing 'reign' preserves consistency across all forms.

Alternatives (9 occurrences):
"made king" (6x) "make king" (1x) "installed as king" (1x) "made him king" (1x)

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 recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

מלך (Yamelekhe) — to reign, to be king, to rule

Root מלך to reign, to rule, to become 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 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4427-19 מָלַ֖ךְ malakhe HVqp3ms he reigned he reigned as king he reigned as king 108
H4427-47 וַ/יִּמְלֹ֣ךְ vayimelokhe HC/Vqw3ms and reigned and he reigned and he reigned 81
H4427-01 בְּ/מָלְכ֜/וֹ bemalekho HR/Vqc/Sp3ms when he became king in his reigning in his reigning 21
H4427-50 בְ/מָלְכ֜/וֹ vemalekho HR/Vqc/Sp3ms in reigning-his in his reigning in his reigning 18
H4427-42 וַ/יַּמְלִ֤יכוּ vayamelikhu HC/Vhw3mp and made king and they made king and they made king 16
H4427-54 יִמְלֹ֣ךְ yimelokhe HVqi3ms shall reign he will reign as king he will reign as king 14
H4427-17 לְ/מָלְכֽ/וֹ lemalekho HR/Vqc/Sp3ms of his reign for his reigning for his reigning 12
H4427-15 לְ/הַמְלִ֥יךְ lehamelikhe HR/Vhc to make king to make king to make king 6
H4427-39 וַ/יַּמְלֵ֛ךְ vayamelekhe HC/Vhw3ms and he made king and he installed as king and he made to reign 5
H4427-28 מִ/מְּלֹ֥ךְ mimelokhe HR/Vqc from reigning from reigning as king from reigning as king 4

Occurrences in Scripture

351 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4427-24 Genesis 36:31 מָלְכ֖וּ malekhu HVqp3cp reigned they reigned reigned
H4427-26 Genesis 36:31 מְלָךְ melakhe HVqc there reigned a king to reign to reign
H4427-47 Genesis 36:32 וַ/יִּמְלֹ֣ךְ vayimelokhe HC/Vqw3ms reigned and he reigned and he reigned
H4427-47 Genesis 36:33 וַ/יִּמְלֹ֣ךְ vayimelokhe HC/Vqw3ms and reigned and he reigned and he reigned
H4427-47 Genesis 36:34 וַ/יִּמְלֹ֣ךְ vayimelokhe HC/Vqw3ms reigned and he reigned and he reigned
H4427-47 Genesis 36:35 וַ/יִּמְלֹ֨ךְ vayimelokhe HC/Vqw3ms and reigned and he reigned and he reigned
H4427-47 Genesis 36:36 וַ/יִּמְלֹ֣ךְ vayimelokhe HC/Vqw3ms reigned and he reigned and he reigned
H4427-47 Genesis 36:37 וַ/יִּמְלֹ֣ךְ vayimelokhe HC/Vqw3ms reigned and he reigned and he reigned
H4427-47 Genesis 36:38 וַ/יִּמְלֹ֣ךְ vayimelokhe HC/Vqw3ms and reigned and he reigned and he reigned
H4427-47 Genesis 36:39 וַ/יִּמְלֹ֤ךְ vayimelokhe HC/Vqw3ms and reigned and he reigned and he reigned
H4427-03 Genesis 37:8 הֲ/מָלֹ֤ךְ hamalokhe HTi/Vqa will you indeed reign to reign to reign
H4427-34 Genesis 37:8 תִּמְלֹךְ֙ timelokhe HVqi2ms or will you reign you will reign you will reign
H4427-54 Exodus 15:18 יִמְלֹ֖ךְ yimelokhe HVqi3ms will reign he will reign as king he will reign as king
H4427-19 Joshua 13:10 מָלַ֖ךְ malakhe HVqp3ms reigned he reigned as king he reigned as king
H4427-19 Joshua 13:12 מָלַ֥ךְ malakhe HVqp3ms reigned he reigned as king he reigned as king
H4427-19 Joshua 13:21 מָלַ֖ךְ malakhe HVqp3ms reigned he reigned as king he reigned as king
H4427-19 Judges 4:2 מָלַ֖ךְ malakhe HVqp3ms reigned he reigned as king he reigned as king
H4427-42 Judges 9:6 וַ/יַּמְלִ֥יכוּ vayamelikhu HC/Vhw3mp and made king and they made king and they made king
H4427-29 Judges 9:8 מלוכ/ה mlvkhh HVqv2ms/Sh Reign Reign! Reign
H4427-21 Judges 9:8 מָלְכָ֥/ה malekhah HVqv2ms/Sh over us Reign! reign
H4427-22 Judges 9:10 מָלְכִ֥י malekhi HVqv2fs reign reign (you, feminine singular) reign (you, feminine singular)
H4427-30 Judges 9:12 מלוכי mlvkhy HVqv2fs reign Reign! reign
H4427-22 Judges 9:12 מָלְכִ֥י malekhi HVqv2fs over us reign (you, feminine singular) reign (you, feminine singular)
H4427-26 Judges 9:14 מְלָךְ melakhe HVqv2ms reign to reign to reign
H4427-38 Judges 9:16 וַ/תַּמְלִ֖יכוּ vatamelikhu HC/Vhw2mp and have made king and you caused to reign and you made king
H4427-38 Judges 9:18 וַ/תַּמְלִ֜יכוּ vatamelikhu HC/Vhw2mp and have made king and you caused to reign and you made king
H4427-28 1 Samuel 8:7 מִ/מְּלֹ֥ךְ mimelokhe HR/Vqc from reigning from reigning as king from reigning as king
H4427-54 1 Samuel 8:9 יִמְלֹ֖ךְ yimelokhe HVqi3ms will reign he will reign as king he will reign as king
H4427-54 1 Samuel 8:11 יִמְלֹ֖ךְ yimelokhe HVqi3ms will reign he will reign as king will reign as king
H4427-48 1 Samuel 8:22 וְ/הִמְלַכְתָּ֥ vehimelakheta HC/Vhq2ms and make king and you made king and make king
H4427-54 1 Samuel 11:12 יִמְלֹ֣ךְ yimelokhe HVqi3ms shall reign he will reign as king he will reign as king
H4427-42 1 Samuel 11:15 וַ/יַּמְלִכוּ֩ vayamelikhu HC/Vhw3mp and they made king and they made king and they made king
H4427-37 1 Samuel 12:1 וָ/אַמְלִ֥יךְ vaamelikhe HC/Vhw1cs and have made and I will make king and I have made king
H4427-54 1 Samuel 12:12 יִמְלֹ֣ךְ yimelokhe HVqi3ms shall reign he will reign as king he will reign as king
H4427-19 1 Samuel 12:14 מָלַ֣ךְ malakhe HVqp3ms reigns he reigned as king reigns
H4427-01 1 Samuel 13:1 בְּ/מָלְכ֑/וֹ bemalekho HR/Vqc/Sp3ms when he became king in his reigning in his reigning
H4427-19 1 Samuel 13:1 מָלַ֖ךְ malakhe HVqp3ms he reigned he reigned as king he reigned as king
H4427-10 1 Samuel 15:11 הִמְלַ֤כְתִּי himelakheti HVhp1cs I have made king I installed as king I installed as king
H4427-12 1 Samuel 15:35 הִמְלִ֥יךְ himelikhe HVhp3ms he had made king he made king he made king
H4427-28 1 Samuel 16:1 מִ/מְּלֹ֖ךְ mimelokhe HR/Vqc from reigning from reigning as king from reigning as king
H4427-34 1 Samuel 23:17 תִּמְלֹ֣ךְ timelokhe HVqi2ms will be king you will reign you will reign
H4427-25 1 Samuel 24:21 מָלֹ֖ךְ malokhe HVqa you will reign to reign you will reign
H4427-34 1 Samuel 24:21 תִּמְל֑וֹךְ timelokhe HVqi2ms you will reign you will reign you will reign
H4427-41 2 Samuel 2:9 וַ/יַּמְלִכֵ֨/הוּ֙ vayamelikhehu HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3ms and made him king and he made him king and he made him king
H4427-01 2 Samuel 2:10 בְּ/מָלְכ/וֹ֙ bemalekho HR/Vqc/Sp3ms when he became king in his reigning in his reigning
H4427-19 2 Samuel 2:10 מָלָ֑ךְ malakhe HVqp3ms he reigned he reigned as king he reigned as king
H4427-36 2 Samuel 3:21 וּ/מָ֣לַכְתָּ֔ umalakheta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall reign and you reigned and you shall reign
H4427-01 2 Samuel 5:4 בְּ/מָלְכ֑/וֹ bemalekho HR/Vqc/Sp3ms when he became king in his reigning in his reigning
H4427-19 2 Samuel 5:4 מָלָֽךְ malakhe HVqp3ms he reigned he reigned as king he reigned as king
H4427-19 2 Samuel 5:5 מָלַ֣ךְ malakhe HVqp3ms he reigned he reigned as king he reigned as king
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