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עֶבֶד מֶלֶךְ

𐤏𐤁𐤃 𐤌𐤋𐤊

Eved Melekhe

H5663 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עבד, מלך to serve, to reign

Definition

Proper name meaning 'servant of the king.' Refers specifically to an individual named Ebed-Melek, a court official in the narrative of Jeremiah, who intervened to rescue the prophet from imprisonment. While the phrase itself is a compound title ('servant of the king'), in the biblical context it is used predominantly as a personal name, rather than a common title or generic designation.

Semantic Range

Ebed-Melek (personal name), servant of the king (in compound names), court official or trusted royal servant

Root / Etymology

From עֶבֶד (ʿeved, 'servant, slave') and מֶלֶךְ (melek, 'king'). The compound suggests 'servant of the king.' Both elements are of securely attested Hebrew roots: עבד (ʿ-b-d, to serve) and מלך (m-l-k, to reign, rule). The form functions here as a proper name rather than a title, though such compounds are not uncommon in Semitic onomastics.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Ebed-Melek appears in Jeremiah 38–39 as an official, likely of foreign (Kushite) origin, serving in the court of King Tzidkiyahu (Zedekiah) of Judah in the final years before the Babylonian conquest (early 6th century BCE). The name is not used as a general title for royal officials in the Hebrew Bible, but as a specific individual's designation. In some ancient Near Eastern settings, terms like 'servant of the king' could denote a range of court functions; here, contextual clues suggest a role of significant authority or trusted status. English translations sometimes use the form 'Ebed-melech,' but the phrase simply means 'servant of the king.' Later traditions sometimes interpreted the individual as a 'eunuch' due to the Greek Septuagint rendering and the role of royal court servants, but the Hebrew text itself does not specify this. Caution should be exercised to avoid retrojecting later political or religious identities (such as 'Jew') onto Ebed-Melek, who is identified as a Kushite and a royal court member during late pre-exilic Judahite history.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עֶבֶד and מֶלֶךְ; servant of a king; Ebed-Melek, a eunuch of Zedekeah; Ebed-melech.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עבד (ʿ-b-d) — work, serve, labor, be in subjection

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4566 מַעְבָּד their deeds
H4567 מַעְבָד his deeds
H5647 עָבַד he served
H5648 עֲבַד you did
H5649 עֲבַד servant

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5663-03 מֶ֨לֶךְ melekhe HNp melech king of 6
H5663-01 עֶֽבֶד eved HNp Ebed servant of 5
H5663-02 לְ/עֶבֶד leeved HR/Np to-Ebed to Ebed-Melek 1

Occurrences in Scripture

12 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5663-01 Jeremiah 38:7 עֶֽבֶד eved HNp servant servant of
H5663-03 Jeremiah 38:7 מֶ֨לֶךְ melekhe HNp of the king king of
H5663-01 Jeremiah 38:8 עֶֽבֶד eved HNp Ebed-melech servant of
H5663-03 Jeremiah 38:8 מֶ֖לֶךְ melekhe HNp the king king of
H5663-01 Jeremiah 38:10 עֶֽבֶד eved HNp Ebed servant of
H5663-03 Jeremiah 38:10 מֶ֥לֶךְ melekhe HNp -melech king of
H5663-01 Jeremiah 38:11 עֶֽבֶד eved HNp servant servant of
H5663-03 Jeremiah 38:11 מֶ֨לֶךְ melekhe HNp the king king of
H5663-01 Jeremiah 38:12 עֶבֶד eved HNp Ebed servant of
H5663-03 Jeremiah 38:12 מֶ֨לֶךְ melekhe HNp melech king of
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