What does מֶמְשָׁלָה (memĕšālāh) mean in the Bible?
מֶמְשָׁלָה (memĕšālāh): Concrete exercise of authority—shifts from abstract rule to actual realms and rulers wielding power.
Hebrew · H4475
מֶמְשָׁלָה
Rule ; also (concretely in plural) a realm or a ruler
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מֶמְשָׁלָה H4475
Pronunciation memĕšālāh
What does מֶמְשָׁלָה (memĕšālāh) mean in the Bible?
מֶמְשָׁלָה (memĕšālāh): Concrete exercise of authority—shifts from abstract rule to actual realms and rulers wielding power.
Full entry for מֶמְשָׁלָה (H4475) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4475?
The BSB source-word alignment has 17 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include his dominion (3), of his dominion (3), to rule (3), and Your dominion (1), authority (1).
Where does מֶמְשָׁלָה (memĕšālāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 1:16. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (5), 2 Chronicles (2), Genesis (2), Isaiah (2).
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 his dominion 3× 2 Kings 20:13, Psalms 114:2, Isaiah 39:2
of his dominion 3× 1 Kings 9:19, 2 Chronicles 8:6, Psalms 103:22
to rule 3× Genesis 1:16, Psalms 136:8
and Your dominion 1× Psalms 145:13
authority 1× Daniel 11:5
dominion 1× Micah 4:8
his forces 1× 2 Chronicles 32:9
they rule 1× Jeremiah 51:28
to govern 1× Psalms 136:9
under his control 1× Jeremiah 34:1
your authority 1× Isaiah 22:21
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 1:16 לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת to to rule Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct Genesis 1:16 לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת to to rule Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct 1 Kings 9:19 מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃ to of his dominion Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 2 Kings 20:13 מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃ to his dominion Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 2 Chronicles 8:6 מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃ to of his dominion Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 2 Chronicles 32:9 מֶמְשַׁלְתּ֖וֹ to his forces Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Psalms 103:22 מֶמְשַׁלְתּ֑וֹ to of His dominion Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Psalms 114:2 מַמְשְׁלוֹתָֽיו׃ to His dominion Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular Psalms 136:8 לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת to to rule Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct Psalms 136:9 לְמֶמְשְׁל֣וֹת to to govern Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 1:16
Aligned rows 17
Books represented 9
Genesis 2 1 Kings 1 2 Kings 1 2 Chronicles 2 Psalms 5 Isaiah 2 Jeremiah 2 Daniel 1 Micah 1
Source forms
מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃ 6x mem·šal·tōw 1 Kings 9:19, 2 Kings 20:13, 2 Chronicles 8:6, Isaiah 39:2
לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת 3x lə·mem·še·leṯ Genesis 1:16, Psalms 136:8
הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה֙ 1x ham·mem·šā·lāh Micah 4:8
וּ֝מֶֽמְשֶׁלְתְּךָ֗ 1x ū·mem·šel·tə·ḵā Psalms 145:13
וּמֶֽמְשֶׁלְתְּךָ֖ 1x ū·mɛm·šɛl·tə·ḵå̄ Isaiah 22:21
לְמֶמְשְׁל֣וֹת 1x lə·mem·šə·lō·wṯ Psalms 136:9
מַמְשְׁלוֹתָֽיו׃ 1x mam·šə·lō·w·ṯāw Psalms 114:2
מֶמְשֶׁ֨לֶת 1x mem·še·leṯ Jeremiah 34:1
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 8x 1 Kings 9:19, 2 Kings 20:13, 2 Chronicles 8:6, 2 Chronicles 32:9
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct 3x Genesis 1:16, Psalms 136:8
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular 2x Psalms 145:13, Isaiah 22:21
Article | Noun - feminine singular 1x Micah 4:8
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular 1x Psalms 114:2
Noun - feminine singular construct 1x Jeremiah 34:1
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct 1x Psalms 136:9
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Concrete exercise of authority—shifts from abstract rule to actual realms and rulers wielding power.
Source Gloss
rule ; also (concretely in plural) a realm or a ruler
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Concrete exercise of authority—shifts from abstract rule to actual realms and rulers wielding power.
rule; also (concretely in plural) a realm or a ruler BDB: rule Usage: dominion, government, power, to rule.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
The casting of lots determines outcome under divine rule or governance
A ruler's heart or dominion is directed by God like water channels
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 15 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
מֶמְשָׁלָה is built from this root:
מִמְשָׁל H4474
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