What does מַלְכוּ (malĕkû) mean in the Bible?
מַלְכוּ (malĕkû): Abstract kingly authority exercised over a realm; sovereignty as both the right to rule and its concrete expression.
Hebrew · H4437
מַלְכוּ
Dominion (abstractly or concretely)
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מַלְכוּ H4437
Pronunciation malĕkû
What does מַלְכוּ (malĕkû) mean in the Bible?
מַלְכוּ (malĕkû): Abstract kingly authority exercised over a realm; sovereignty as both the right to rule and its concrete expression.
Full entry for מַלְכוּ (H4437) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4437?
The BSB source-word alignment has 57 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include kingdom (8), the kingdom (5), over the kingdom (4), His kingdom (3), in the kingdom (3).
Where does מַלְכוּ (malĕkû) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Ezra 4:24. Its strongest book concentrations include Daniel (53), Ezra (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It kingdom 8× Daniel 2:39, Daniel 2:40, Daniel 2:41, Daniel 4:3
the kingdom 5× Daniel 5:31, Daniel 6:1, Daniel 6:4, Daniel 7:18
over the kingdom 4× Daniel 4:17, Daniel 4:25, Daniel 4:32, Daniel 5:21
His kingdom 3× Daniel 4:3, Daniel 6:26, Daniel 7:27
in the kingdom 3× Daniel 5:7, Daniel 5:16, Daniel 5:29
of my kingdom 3× Daniel 4:18, Daniel 4:36, Daniel 6:26
of the reign 2× Ezra 4:24, Ezra 6:15
sovereignty 2× Daniel 2:37, Daniel 5:18
- 1× Daniel 6:1
. . . 1× Daniel 4:29
[it] 1× Daniel 2:44
a kingdom 1× Daniel 2:44
and His kingdom 1× Daniel 4:34
and His kingdom is one 1× Daniel 7:14
and kingship 1× Daniel 7:14
and the reign 1× Daniel 6:28
as a royal 1× Daniel 4:30
during the reign 1× Daniel 6:28
his royal 1× Daniel 5:20
in my kingdom 1× Ezra 7:13
in your kingdom 1× Daniel 5:11
it 1× Daniel 7:18
kingdoms 1× Daniel 2:44
means that your kingdom 1× Daniel 5:28
my throne 1× Daniel 4:36
so this kingdom 1× Daniel 2:42
that the kingdom 1× Daniel 4:31
the days of your reign 1× Daniel 5:26
the kingdoms 1× Daniel 7:27
the other kingdoms 1× Daniel 7:23
the realm 1× Ezra 7:23
the royal 1× Daniel 6:7
Then the sovereignty 1× Daniel 7:27
this kingdom 1× Daniel 7:24
your kingdom 1× Daniel 4:26
Show sample aligned rows
Ezra 4:24 לְמַלְכ֖וּת to of the reign Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct Ezra 6:15 לְמַלְכ֖וּת to of the reign Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct Ezra 7:13 בְּמַלְכוּתִי֩ to in my kingdom Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular Ezra 7:23 מַלְכ֥וּת to the realm Noun - feminine singular construct Daniel 2:37 מַלְכוּתָ֥א to sovereignty Noun - feminine singular determinate Daniel 2:39 מַלְכ֥וּ to kingdom Noun - feminine singular Daniel 2:39 וּמַלְכ֨וּ to kingdom Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular Daniel 2:40 וּמַלְכוּ֙ to kingdom Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular Daniel 2:41 מַלְכ֤וּ to kingdom Noun - feminine singular Daniel 2:42 מַלְכוּתָא֙ to so this kingdom Noun - feminine singular determinate
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Ezra 4:24
Aligned rows 57
Books represented 2
Ezra 4 Daniel 53
Source forms
בְּמַלְכ֣וּת 5x bə·mal·ḵūṯ Daniel 4:17, Daniel 4:25, Daniel 4:32, Daniel 5:21
בְמַלְכוּתָ֖א 2x ḇə·mal·ḵū·ṯā Daniel 5:7, Daniel 5:16
וּמַלְכוּתֵ֖הּ 2x ū·mal·ḵū·ṯêh Daniel 4:34, Daniel 7:14
לְמַלְכ֖וּת 2x lə·mal·ḵūṯ Ezra 4:24, Ezra 6:15
מַלְכ֤וּ 2x mal·ḵū Daniel 2:41, Daniel 7:23
מַלְכ֣וּת 2x mal·ḵūṯ Daniel 4:3, Daniel 7:27
מַלְכוּתָא֙ 2x mal·ḵū·ṯā Daniel 2:42, Daniel 7:18
מַלְכוּתָ֑א 2x mal·ḵū·ṯā Daniel 5:31, Daniel 6:4
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular determinate 14x Daniel 2:37, Daniel 2:42, Daniel 4:29, Daniel 4:31
Noun - feminine singular 5x Daniel 2:39, Daniel 2:41, Daniel 2:44, Daniel 4:30
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct 5x Daniel 4:17, Daniel 4:25, Daniel 4:32, Daniel 5:21
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular 4x Daniel 4:18, Daniel 4:36, Daniel 6:26
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular 3x Daniel 2:39, Daniel 2:40, Daniel 7:14
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 3x Daniel 4:34, Daniel 6:26, Daniel 7:14
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular determinate 3x Daniel 2:44, Daniel 7:22, Daniel 7:27
Noun - feminine singular construct 3x Ezra 7:23, Daniel 4:3, Daniel 7:27
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Abstract kingly authority exercised over a realm; sovereignty as both the right to rule and its concrete expression.
Source Gloss
dominion (abstractly or concretely)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Abstract kingly authority exercised over a realm; sovereignty as both the right to rule and its concrete expression.
dominion (abstractly or concretely) BDB: royalty Usage: kingdom, kingly, realm, reign.
Word Origins
מַלְכוּ is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain