מַלְכִּיאֵל
𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤉𐤀𐤋
Malekiel
H4439 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'El is king' or 'my king is El.' This proper noun was used for an Israelite patriarchal figure, specifically a descendant of Asher. In its usage, the name combines elements signifying both rulership (king) and deity (El), indicating either divine kingship or the role of God as sovereign or patron.
Semantic Range
theophoric personal name, clan patriarch, one to whom God is king, one for whom God is king, person named for God's kingship
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root מ־ל־ך (מלך, to rule, to be king) and אֵל (El, a term for a deity or God). The formation is a theophoric compound: מַלְכִּי (my king) + אֵל (God/El), thus denoting 'El is my king' or 'my king is El.' Plene spelling reflects typical theophoric naming conventions in West Semitic onomastics.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מַלְכִּיאֵל appears as a personal name in Genesis 46:17 and Numbers 26:45, both times designating one of the sons of Asher, thus an eponymous ancestor of an Israelite clan. These theophoric personal names were common during the patriarchal and monarchic periods, signaling allegiance to, or blessing from, a deity named 'El'—not always specifying the later, more narrowly-conceived Israelite deity associated solely with Yahweh. In translation tradition, the name sometimes appears as 'Malchiel,' but the rendering 'Malkiel' or 'Malki-el' more accurately preserves the Hebrew structure. The name does not imply rulership by the bearer, but rather describes a relationship to El as king, typical of ancient Semitic naming customs. Later Judean and post-exilic contexts frequently adopted similar theophoric constructs, though with shifting nuances as notions of kingship and divinity in Israelite religion evolved.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from מֶלֶךְ and אֵל; king of (i.e. appointed by) God; Malkiel, an Israelite; Malchiel.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מלך (m-l-k) — to rule, to reign, be king
| 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
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4439-02 |
וּ/מַלְכִּיאֵֽל | umalekiel | HC/Np |
and Malchiel | and My-King-is-El | 2 |
H4439-01 |
לְ/מַ֨לְכִּיאֵ֔ל | lemalekiel | HR/Np |
of Malchiel | to My-King-is-El | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4439-02 |
Genesis 46:17 | וּ/מַלְכִּיאֵֽל | umalekiel | HC/Np |
and Malchiel | and My-King-is-El |
H4439-01 |
Numbers 26:45 | לְ/מַ֨לְכִּיאֵ֔ל | lemalekiel | HR/Np |
of Malchiel | to My-King-is-El |
H4439-02 |
1 Chronicles 7:31 | וּ/מַלְכִּיאֵ֑ל | umalekiel | HC/Np |
and Malchiel | and My-King-is-El |