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מַלְכוּ

𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤅

malkûw

H4437 noun

SILEX Entry

Root מלך to rule, to be king, exercise dominion

Definition

An abstract noun denoting kingship, royal authority, the state or condition of being a king or of reigning; also the realm or territory over which a king's rule extends. The word covers both the concept of dominion or sovereignty (the act and right of ruling), and the actual kingdom (the geographical or political entity subject to a king's authority).

Semantic Range

dominion, reign, royal authority, kingship, kingdom, realm

Root / Etymology

From the root מ־ל־ך (מלך), meaning 'to rule, to be king.' מַלְכוּ is the Aramaic abstract noun form deriving from this verbal root, paralleling the Hebrew מַלְכוּת (malkut), but with typically Aramaic nominal (–וּ) ending.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מַלְכוּ is the standard Aramaic term for 'kingship' or 'kingdom' and is found predominantly in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible, especially in Daniel and Ezra. The term often refers to the authority and realm of foreign monarchs (notably Babylonian and Persian rulers), reflecting the imperial context of these texts. Unlike the Hebrew מַלְכוּת (used broadly for Israelite and foreign kingdoms alike), מַלְכוּ in biblical Aramaic often refers to non-Israelite, especially dominant imperial, rule. English translations generally render it as 'kingdom,' 'dominion,' or 'reign,' but may flatten its distinction between authority and the territorial entity. In later Jewish Aramaic (Targumic, Rabbinic), מַלְכוּ retains its abstract and concrete senses but comes to be used in theological contexts as well, reflecting changing concepts of authority and divine reign.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to מַלְכוּת; dominion (abstractly or concretely); kingdom, kingly, realm, reign.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

מלך (m-l-k) — to rule, to be king, exercise dominion

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

20 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4437-10 מַלְכוּתָ֥/א malekhuta ANcfsd/Td the kingdom the kingship 12
H4437-08 מַלְכ֥וּ malekhu ANcfsa kingdom kingship 5
H4437-01 בְּ/מַלְכ֣וּת bemalekhut AR/Ncfsc in kingdom in kingship of 5
H4437-14 מַלְכוּתִ֗/י malekhuti ANcfsc/Sp1cs kingdom-my my kingship 4
H4437-13 מַלְכוּתֵ/הּ֙ malekhuteh ANcfsc/Sp3ms kingdom-his his kingship 3
H4437-09 מַלְכ֣וּת malekhut ANcfsc kingdom royal rule 3
H4437-18 וּ/מַלְכוּתֵ֖/הּ umalekhuteh AC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms and his kingdom and his kingship 3
H4437-12 מַלְכוּתָ֖/ךְ malekhutakhe ANcfsc/Sp2ms your kingdom your kingship 3
H4437-15 וּ/מַלְכ֨וּ umalekhu AC/Ncfsa and a kingdom and kingship 3
H4437-05 לְ/מַלְכ֖וּת lemalekhut AR/Ncfsc of the reign to royal dominion of 2

Occurrences in Scripture

57 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4437-10 Daniel 2:37 מַלְכוּתָ֥/א malekhuta ANcfsd/Td kingdom the kingship
H4437-08 Daniel 2:39 מַלְכ֥וּ malekhu ANcfsa kingdom kingship
H4437-15 Daniel 2:39 וּ/מַלְכ֨וּ umalekhu AC/Ncfsa And [another] and kingship
H4437-15 Daniel 2:40 וּ/מַלְכוּ֙ umalekhu AC/Ncfsa and kingdom and kingship
H4437-08 Daniel 2:41 מַלְכ֤וּ malekhu ANcfsa kingdom kingship
H4437-10 Daniel 2:42 מַלְכוּתָ/א֙ malekhuta ANcfsd/Td the-kingdom the kingship
H4437-08 Daniel 2:44 מַלְכוּ֙ malekhu ANcfsa a kingdom kingship
H4437-17 Daniel 2:44 וּ/מַ֨לְכוּתָ֔/ה umalekhutah AC/Ncfsd/Td and kingdom-its and her kingship
H4437-07 Daniel 2:44 מַלְכְוָתָ֔/א malekhevata ANcfsd/Td kingdoms the kingship
H4437-13 Daniel 3:33 מַלְכוּתֵ/הּ֙ malekhuteh ANcfsc/Sp3ms kingdom-his his kingship
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