מֹלֶכֶת
𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤕
Molekhet
H4447 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The personal name Moleketh, designating an Israelite woman named in genealogical contexts. The word itself is a feminine noun formed from the root meaning 'to reign'; however, in biblical texts, it functions solely as a proper name rather than signifying the generic sense of 'queen.'
Semantic Range
personal name (Israelite woman), feminine participle form of 'to reign,' not attested as common noun for 'queen' in the Hebrew Bible
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root מ-ל-ך (מלך), 'to rule, to reign, to be king/queen.' The form מֹלֶכֶת is a feminine active participle, theoretically meaning 'she who reigns' or 'queen,' but in the context of the Hebrew Bible, it is attested only as a personal name.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מֹלֶכֶת appears uniquely as a proper name belonging to one of the daughters of Machir, son of Manasseh (see 1 Chronicles 7:18). Despite its morphological possibility as a common noun ('queen' or 'she who rules'), the term is not attested in the sense of a title or office in biblical Hebrew. Standard English translations often leave the name untranslated or transliterate it as 'Hammoleketh.' The use as a name may have signified hoped-for qualities in the child, such as dignity or rule, but the text provides no narrative context beyond genealogical listing. Distinct from the unrelated proper noun מֹלֶךְ (Molek/Molech), the name of a deity, with which it should not be conflated. No shift in usage across biblical periods is evident, as the term appears only in close genealogical contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine active participle of מָלַךְ; queen; Moleketh, an Israelitess; Hammoleketh (including the article).
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 rule, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4447-01 |
הַ/מֹּלֶ֑כֶת | hamolekhet | HTd/Np |
Hammoleketh | the Reigning-Woman | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4447-01 |
1 Chronicles 7:18 | הַ/מֹּלֶ֑כֶת | hamolekhet | HTd/Np |
Hammoleketh | the Reigning-Woman |