מַלְאָכִי
𐤌𐤋𐤀𐤊𐤉
Maleakhi
H4401 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'My messenger' or 'My envoy.' Most prominently, the name designates the prophetic figure to whom the last book of the Twelve Prophets (Minor Prophets) in the Hebrew Bible is attributed. The name may also be interpreted as a title rather than a personal name, signifying the bearer as God's emissary, but functions as a proper noun in biblical context.
Semantic Range
(as a proper noun) Malachi, the messenger; (as an appellative) my messenger, my envoy; possible title for a prophetic figure; name of the post-exilic prophetic book
Root / Etymology
Derived from the noun מַלְאָךְ (mal'akh, 'messenger, envoy, angel'), with the first person singular suffix -י ('my'), forming 'my messenger.' The root is מלאך (M-L-ʼ-K), from the verb מלאך (to send, to be sent as a messenger or envoy).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the biblical text, Malʼâkîy occurs exclusively as the superscription to the prophetic book of Malachi (Malachi 1:1). Consensus in modern scholarship interprets the name either as a proper personal name, denoting a specific prophetic individual, or as a descriptive title highlighting the messenger function of the prophet. The LXX (Septuagint) transliterates the name as 'Malachias.' Although tradition identifies Malachi as a prophetic figure active during the post-exilic Persian period, possibly contemporaneous with Ezra and Nehemiah, no biographical information is given in the biblical text. Unlike many other prophetic superscriptions, the book provides no parental or geographic information. The English rendering 'Malachi' has sometimes led to the mistaken idea of a personal name, though the construction supports an appellative sense ('my messenger'). In later Jewish tradition, Malachi is often considered a distinct individual, but some sources equated him with Ezra or another known figure. English translations retain the transliterated form 'Malachi,' which masks the semantic force of the original Hebrew construction.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
xlit Malʻâkîy corrected to Malʼâkîy; from the same as מֲלְאָךְ; ministrative; Malaki, a prophet; Malachi.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מלאך (m-l-ʾ-k) — to send a messenger, to deliver a message, to serve as an envoy
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4401-01 |
מַלְאָכִֽי | maleakhi | HNp |
Malachi | My messenger | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4401-01 |
Malachi 1:1 | מַלְאָכִֽי | maleakhi | HNp |
Malachi | My messenger |