מַלְכִּיאֵלִי
𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤉𐤀𐤋𐤉
Malekieli
H4440 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A member or descendant of the household or clan of Malkiel; the term is a gentilic designation indicating lineage from the ancestor Malkiel, primarily used as an ethnic or tribal identifier within the Israelite context. The term refers specifically to those belonging to the Malkielite family or sub-tribe, whose eponymous ancestor is Malkiel, a descendant of Manasseh.
Semantic Range
descendant of Malkiel, member of the Malkielite clan, one belonging to the ancestral house of Malkiel
Root / Etymology
From the root מלך (to reign, be king), via the theophoric personal name מַלְכִּיאֵל (Malkiel, 'El is king' or 'God is king'), with the gentilic suffix ־ִי forming מַלְכִּיאֵלִי to mean 'descendant of Malkiel.' The gentilic suffix marks someone as belonging to the group descended from or associated with the named ancestor.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מַלְכִּיאֵלִי appears in genealogical lists, most notably in Numbers 26:45, to designate a family group descended from Malkiel, an Israelite ancestor in the tribe of Manasseh. In biblical contexts, the term functions to identify tribal subdivisions within the broader framework of Israelite clan organization, often for purposes of census, inheritance, or settlement allotments. The English translation 'Malchielite' is essentially a transliteration and captures the function of the word, though it can obscure its role as a lineage marker. The construction of lineage-based gentilic forms (using the suffix ־ִי) is common in onomastic traditions in biblical Hebrew. This term is not used as a personal descriptor outside of genealogical and tribal contexts, distinguishing it from later usages that may identify with religious or geographic connotations. Its usage does not overlap with later terms such as 'Judean' or 'Jew,' which carry distinct historical and cultural meanings in post-exilic and Second Temple periods.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
patronymical from מַלְכִּיאֵל; a Malkielite or descendant of Malkiel; Malchielite.
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 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
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4440-01 |
הַ/מַּלְכִּיאֵלִֽי | hamalekieli | HTd/Ngmsa |
of the Malchielites | the Malkielite | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4440-01 |
Numbers 26:45 | הַ/מַּלְכִּיאֵלִֽי | hamalekieli | HTd/Ngmsa |
of the Malchielites | the Malkielite |