H4428 H4428
King: a human sovereign ruling a city, nation, or territory; also a divine title for God as supreme King
Melek is the Hebrew Bible's primary term for a ruling sovereign, appearing over 2,500 times across the full sweep of Israel's history — from the kings of Canaan in Genesis to the Persian emperors of Ezra-Nehemiah. Every major translation renders it straightforwardly: English 'the king,' Spanish 'el rey,' French 'le roi,' German 'der Konig.' Yet a small but theologically potent cluster of occurrences applies melek directly to God as divine King, especially in the Psalms. 'I have installed my King on Zion' (Ps 2:6) and 'Listen to my cry, my King and my God' (Ps 5:2) use the same word to express the LORD's sovereign rule over Israel and all creation.
Senses
1. [split] king, human ruler — A human sovereign or monarch who rules over a city-state, nation, or empire. This covers Israelite kings (Saul, David, Solomon), foreign kings (Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus), and petty kings of Canaan. The cross-linguistic uniformity is striking — every language uses its basic royal term without qualification: English 'the king,' Spanish 'el rey,' French 'le roi,' German 'der Konig / des Konigs.' Gen 39:20 (Pharaoh), 1 Sam 8:9 (Israel's demand for a king), and 1 Sam 12:13 (Saul's installation) illustrate the range. About 2,518 occurrences. 0×
AR["أَيُّهَا-الْمَلِكُ", "الـ-مَلِكُ", "الـ-مَلِكِ", "المَلِكُ", "المَلِكِ", "الْ-مَلِكِ", "الْمَلِكُ", "الْمَلِكِ"]·ben["-রাজা", "রাজা", "রাজার", "সেই-রাজা", "সেই-রাজার"]·DE["der-Koenig", "des-Königs"]·EN["the-king"]·FR["le-roi"]·heb["ה-מלך"]·HI["रज", "रज-कि", "रज-के", "रज-ने", "राजा", "राजा-का", "राजा-की", "राजा-के", "राजा-ने"]·ID["raja"]·IT["il-re"]·jav["-sang-prabu", "Sang-Raja", "bab-abdi-panjenengan", "raja", "raja-punika", "sang-Raja", "sang-raja", "sang-ratu"]·KO["그-왕", "그-왕에게", "그-왕의", "그-왕이", "그-왕이다", "그-왕이여", "왕", "왕과", "왕의", "왕이", "왕이여"]·PT["o-rei"]·RU["-царь", "-царю", "-царя", "царь", "царю", "царя", "царём"]·ES["el-rey"]·SW["gerezani", "mfalme"]·TR["-kral", "-krala", "-kralın", "kral", "krala", "kralla", "kralın"]·urd["بادشاہ", "بادشاہ-نے", "بادشاہ-کا", "بادشاہ-کی", "بادشاہ-کی-طرف-سے", "بادشاہ-کے", "بادشاہ؟"]
Gen 39:20, 1 Sam 8:9, 1 Sam 12:2, 1 Sam 12:13, 1 Sam 18:25, 1 Sam 20:5, 1 Sam 21:9, 1 Sam 22:15, 1 Sam 23:20, 1 Sam 26:14, 1 Sam 26:19, 1 Sam 28:13 (+38 more)
1. king (human sovereign) — Split from sense 112104. Criteria: Earthly monarchs ruling cities, nations, or empires: Pharaoh, David, Solomon, Nebuchadnezzar. Political and military rulers of territorial states. 2486×
AR["أَيُّهَا-الْمَلِكُ", "الـ-مَلِكُ", "الـ-مَلِكِ", "المَلِكُ", "المَلِكِ", "الْ-مَلِكِ", "الْمَلِكُ", "الْمَلِكِ"]·ben["-রাজা", "রাজা", "রাজার", "সেই-রাজা", "সেই-রাজার"]·DE["der-Koenig", "des-Königs"]·EN["the-king"]·FR["le-roi"]·heb["ה-מלך"]·HI["रज", "रज-कि", "रज-के", "रज-ने", "राजा", "राजा-का", "राजा-की", "राजा-के", "राजा-ने"]·ID["raja"]·IT["il-re"]·jav["-sang-prabu", "Sang-Raja", "bab-abdi-panjenengan", "raja", "raja-punika", "sang-Raja", "sang-raja", "sang-ratu"]·KO["그-왕", "그-왕에게", "그-왕의", "그-왕이", "그-왕이다", "그-왕이여", "왕", "왕과", "왕의", "왕이", "왕이여"]·PT["o-rei"]·RU["-царь", "-царю", "-царя", "царь", "царю", "царя", "царём"]·ES["el-rey"]·SW["gerezani", "mfalme"]·TR["-kral", "-krala", "-kralın", "kral", "krala", "kralla", "kralın"]·urd["بادشاہ", "بادشاہ-نے", "بادشاہ-کا", "بادشاہ-کی", "بادشاہ-کی-طرف-سے", "بادشاہ-کے", "بادشاہ؟"]
Gen 39:20, 1 Sam 8:9, 1 Sam 12:2, 1 Sam 12:13, 1 Sam 18:25, 1 Sam 20:5, 1 Sam 21:9, 1 Sam 22:15, 1 Sam 23:20, 1 Sam 26:14, 1 Sam 26:19, 1 Sam 28:13 (+38 more)
2. King, divine sovereign — God or the Messiah as divine King, a theological title expressing the LORD's supreme sovereignty. The multilingual glosses shift to possessive and devotional forms — Spanish 'Rey-de-mi / a-nuestro-Rey,' German 'mein Konig,' marking the personal, covenantal relationship between God-as-King and his people. Concentrated in the Psalms: 'I have set my King on Zion' (Ps 2:6), 'Give ear to my words, my King and my God' (Ps 5:2), 'God is my King from of old' (Ps 44:4), 'Sing praises to our King' (Ps 47:6). Only 8 occurrences are distinctly clustered here, but they carry outsized theological weight. 8×
AR["بِـ-مَلِكِهِمْ", "لِ-مَلِكِنا", "مَلِكي", "مَلِكِي"]·ben["আমার-রাজা", "আমার-রাজাকে", "আমার-রাজার", "তাদের-রাজাতে", "প্রতি-রাজার-আমাদের", "রাজা-আমার"]·DE["in-ihr-König", "mein-König", "zu-unser-König"]·EN["in-their-king", "is-my-King", "my-King", "my-king", "to-our-King"]·FR["dans-roi", "rois-de", "à-roi"]·heb["ב-מלכם", "ל-מלכנו", "מלכ-י", "מלכי"]·HI["अपना-राजा", "अपने-राजा-में", "मेरे-राजा", "राजा-मेरा", "ले-राजा-हमारे-के-लिए"]·ID["Raja-Ku", "Rajaku", "dalam-Raja-mereka"]·IT["in-il-loro-re", "re", "re-di"]·jav["Raja-kawula", "Raja-kula", "Ratuku", "ing-Ratu-nipun", "kanthi-swara", "ratu-kula"]·KO["나-의-왕", "나-의-왕-을", "나-의-왕-의", "나-의-왕-이시요", "나-의-왕이여", "내-왕이시도다", "에-그들의-왕에게", "우리-왕-에게"]·PT["Rei-meu", "ao-nosso-Rei", "meu-Rei", "no-seu-Rei", "o-meu-rei"]·RU["Царь-мой", "Царю-нашему", "Царя-Моего", "Царя-моего", "о-Царе-своём"]·ES["Rey-de-mí", "a-nuestro-Rey", "en-su-Rey", "mi-Rey", "mi-rey"]·SW["Mfalme-wangu", "kwa-Mfalme-wao", "kwa-Mfalme-wetu", "mfalme"]·TR["Kralları'nda", "Kralım", "Kralımın", "Kralımıza", "kralım", "kralımı"]·urd["اپنے-بادشاہ-کو", "بِ-اپنے-بادشاہ-میں", "میرا-بادشاہ", "میرے-بادشاہ", "میرے-بادشاہ-کا", "ہمارے-بادشاہ-کی"]
2. King (divine title for God) — Split from sense 112104. Criteria: God as supreme King: 'the LORD is King,' 'King of glory,' 'eternal King.' Theological metaphor for divine sovereignty over creation and history. 32×
AR["المَلِكَ", "المَلِكُ", "الْمَلِكُ", "الْمَلِكِ", "لِلْمَلِكِ", "مَلِك", "مَلِكًا", "مَلِكٌ", "مَلِكٍ", "مَلِكُ", "مَلِكُ-", "مَلِكُهُمْ", "وَ-مَلِكًا", "وَمَلِكٌ"]·ben["-রাজা", "-রাজাকে", "এবং-রাজা", "ও-রাজা", "তাদের-রাজা", "রাজা", "রাজা-", "রাজা-রূপে", "রাজাকে", "রাজার", "সেই-রাজার"]·DE["Koenig", "dem-Koenig", "der-Koenig", "der-König", "der-König-", "ein-König", "ihr-Koenig", "und-ein-König", "und-von-dir", "wie-König"]·EN["King-of", "YHWH", "a-King", "and-King", "and-a-king", "as-king", "for-king", "king", "the-King", "the-king", "the-king-of", "their-king"]·FR["et-de-roi", "et-de-à-toi", "le-roi", "pour-le-roi", "roi"]·heb["ה-מלך", "ו-מלך", "ל-מלך", "מלך", "מלך-", "מלכם"]·HI["उन-का-राजा", "और-राजा", "के-लिए-राजा", "को-राजा", "राजा", "राजा-", "राजा-की", "राजा-के", "राजा-के-रूप-में"]·ID["Raja", "Raja-", "Sang-Raja", "dan-Raja", "kepada-Raja", "raja", "raja-mereka"]·IT["al-re", "e-da-a-te", "il-loro-re", "il-re", "re"]·jav["Panjenenganipun", "Raja", "Raja-", "Rétu", "Sang-Prabu", "Sang-Raja", "Sang-Ratu", "dados-Raja", "dhumateng-Raja", "lan-Raja", "lan-Ratu", "raja", "surak"]·KO["그-왕이시라", "그리고-왕-이시도다", "그리고-왕이시라", "왕", "왕-그들의-가", "왕-으로", "왕-의", "왕-이", "왕에게", "왕을", "왕의", "왕이", "왕이-"]·PT["Rei", "Rei-de", "ao-Rei", "e-Rei", "e-Rei-de", "grande", "o-Rei", "por-rei", "rei", "seu-rei", "ó-Rei"]·RU["-Царём", "Царь", "Царю", "Царя", "Царём", "и-Царь", "царь-их"]·ES["Rey", "Rey-de", "al-Rey", "el-Rey", "el-rey", "por-rey", "rey", "su-rey", "y-Rey-de", "y-rey"]·SW["Mfalme", "Mfalme-wa", "mfalme", "mfalme-wao", "na-mfalme"]·TR["-kral", "-krala", "Kral", "Krali", "Krali-", "kral", "kralları-onların", "kralın", "ve-Kral", "ve-kral"]·urd["-بادشاہ", "اور-بادشاہ", "اُن-کا-بادشاہ", "اے-بادشاہ", "بادشاہ", "بادشاہ-", "بادشاہ-کو", "بادشاہ-کی", "بادشاہ-کے-لیے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
I. מֶ֫לֶךְ2513 n.m. king (NH id.; MI 1.5.10.18.23 מלך; 1:4 המלכן; Ph. מלך; Zinj. מלך DHMSendsch. 60; Assyrian maliku, malku, prince (Assyrian šarru = king); Arabic مَلِكٌ king (orig. Heb. מַלִךְ inferred, LagBN 73 BaNB § 112 WMMAs. u. Europ. 76); Sab. מלכן SabDenkmNo. 1; cstr. מלך, pl. אמלך CISiv. 37; cf. Ethiopic አምላክ God (and Nöl.c.); Aramaic ܡܠܶܟ, מְלֵיךְ; Palm. מלך מלכא VogNo. 28; Nab. מלכא…