מַלְכָּה (mal.kah)
mal.kah
queen
A:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N-F
Word Overview
The noun malkeh means queen, appearing in the Hebrew Bible as the Aramaic form of the more common Hebrew word for the same title. It occurs only once in Scripture, in Daniel 5:11, where it is part of a description of the royal court.
In this context, the term identifies the mother of King Belshazzar. The text notes that she had knowledge and grace, distinguishing her role within the palace hierarchy. This single usage highlights the word’s function in identifying high-ranking women in the Persian-era imperial structure described in Daniel.
As an Aramaic form, malkeh reflects the linguistic shift toward Aramaic as the lingua franca of the Near East during this period. Its presence in Daniel underscores the bilingual nature of the book and the cross-cultural setting of the narrative.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word malkeh appears in Scripture to identify a queen, specifically noting the mother of King Belshazzar in Daniel 5:10. In this moment, she steps into a tense banquet hall to offer comfort and perspective to a ruler facing sudden crisis. Her presence reminds us that wisdom and grace often come from unexpected places within our communities.
For your faith life, this brief mention highlights the value of calm counsel during times of fear. When anxiety rises, seeking wise voices can steady your heart. This queen’s gentle words invite us to trust God’s sovereignty even when circumstances seem chaotic.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- queen/ the2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַלְכְּתָ֜/א1×
- מַלְכְּתָ֕/א1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 5:10
The queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house. The queen spoke and said, “O king, live forever; don’t let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed.
This verse captures the queen entering the banquet to offer calming wisdom to King Belshazzar, showing her role as a source of grace and stability during crisis.