מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק
𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤉־𐤑𐤃𐤒
Maleki Tsedeq
H4442 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Malki-Tsedeq is a proper name meaning 'My king is righteousness' or possibly 'King of righteousness.' It refers most notably to an early king and priest of Shalem (commonly identified as Salem, later Jerusalem) encountered by Abram in Genesis 14. The name itself unites the ideas of kingship and righteousness or justice—either as a statement ('My king is righteousness') or as a descriptive title ('King of righteousness'), depending on interpretation and Hebrew grammatical construction. The figure Malki-Tsedeq further serves as a paradigm for righteous rule and priesthood in some biblical and post-biblical texts.
Semantic Range
proper name for a king of Shalem, 'my king is righteousness,' 'king of righteousness,' title combining rulership and justice/righteousness
Root / Etymology
Compound of the noun מֶלֶךְ (melek, 'king') and the noun צֶדֶק (tsedeq, 'righteousness,' 'justice'). The prefix מַלְכִּי־ (malkî-) means 'my king' when possessive, but also forms part of the construct state (king of ...). Etymology reflects the common West Semitic naming pattern linking deities or abstractions to royal figures.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Malki-Tsedeq appears in the Hebrew Bible only in Genesis 14:18 and Psalm 110:4, where he is depicted as king of Shalem and priest of 'El Elyon' (God Most High). His portrayal as both king and priest is unique in the biblical text. In West Semitic and Israelite practice, personal names incorporating concepts like 'righteousness' and 'king' are common, often as titles or theological statements. The Greek rendering 'Melchizedek' entered later tradition and is used in the New Testament and in post-biblical literature, where interpretive layers (including typological and messianic readings) accumulate. In Hebrew context, the name is descriptive and does not directly imply divine or messianic status. The term is strictly non-ethnic, referring to an individual ruler of a pre-Israelite city-state, not to an Israelite or Judahite identity. Later tradition sometimes identifies Salem with Jerusalem, but the Hebrew Bible is not explicit on this. English 'Melchizedek' is a transliteration of the Greek, itself a rendering of the original Hebrew form.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from מֶלֶךְ and צֶדֶק; king of right; Malki-Tsedek, an early king in Palestine; Melchizedek.
Bantu Hebrew
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מלך־צדק (m-l-k ṣ-d-q) — to reign, rule; righteousness, justice
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4442-02 |
צֶ֨דֶק֙ | tsedeq | HNp |
righteousness | King of Righteousness | 2 |
H4442-03 |
וּ/מַלְכִּי | umaleki | HC/Np |
And Melchizedek | and King-of-Righteousness | 1 |
H4442-01 |
מַלְכִּי | maleki | HNp |
Melchizedek | my king | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4442-03 |
Genesis 14:18 | וּ/מַלְכִּי | umaleki | HC/Np |
And Melchizedek | and King-of-Righteousness |
H4442-02 |
Genesis 14:18 | צֶ֨דֶק֙ | tsedeq | HNp |
-zedek | King of Righteousness |
H4442-01 |
Psalms 110:4 | מַלְכִּי | maleki | HNp |
Melchizedek | my king |
H4442-02 |
Psalms 110:4 | צֶֽדֶק | tsedeq | HNp |
righteousness | King of Righteousness |