מַלְכוּ (mal.khu)
mal.khu
kingdom
A:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 25 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N-F
Word Overview
The Aramaic noun malkû denotes royalty, reign, or a physical kingdom. It appears twenty-five times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily within the books of Daniel and Ezra, where it describes the authority of earthly rulers and their territories.
Its meaning spans both abstract power and concrete space. In Daniel 2:37, God grants Nebuchadnezzar kingship over all humanity, while Daniel 4:19 uses the term to describe the vast realm under his control. The word also marks periods of time, as seen in Ezra 6:15, which dates an event to the sixth year of King Darius’s reign.
This term corresponds to the Hebrew malkuth but carries a distinct imperial flavor suited to the exilic context. Translators render it variously as kingdom, realm, or reign depending on whether the focus is on the person ruling or the land ruled.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
This Aramaic word for kingdom appears in the exile narratives of Daniel and Ezra, reminding us that human power is temporary while God’s rule is eternal. When Nebuchadnezzar or Belshazzar claimed authority, they held it only by permission from the Most High. The text makes clear that earthly thrones rise and fall, but divine sovereignty remains unchanged.
For your life today, this offers a steady anchor. You do not need to control every outcome or fear shifting political winds. God sets up rulers and removes them as He wills. His ultimate kingdom will never be destroyed, offering peace that outlasts any earthly crisis.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 25 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- kingdom/ the6×
- a kingdom4×
- in/ kingdom/ the3×
- and/ kingdom/ the3×
- and/ a kingdom3×
- of/ [the] reign of2×
- kingdoms/ the2×
- kingdom/ your2×
- kingdom/ his2×
- over/ [the] kingdom of1×
- kingdoms1×
- in/ kingdom/ your1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַלְכוּתָ/א֙2×
- מַלְכ֤וּ2×
- לְ/מַלְכ֖וּת2×
- בְ/מַלְכוּתָ֖/א2×
- מַלְכוּתָ֥/א1×
- מַלְכוּתָ֤/א1×
- מַלְכוּתָ֖/ךְ1×
- מַלְכוּתָ֔/ךְ1×
- מַלְכוּתָ֔/ה1×
- מַלְכוּתָ֔/א1×
- מַלְכוּתֵ֔/הּ1×
- מַלְכוּתֵ/הּ֙1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 2:37
You, O king, are king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory.
This verse establishes that even pagan kings receive their authority directly from the God of heaven.
-
Daniel 5:21
He was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals’, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky, until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he will.
Here the word highlights the theological truth that God actively rules over human affairs and appoints leaders.
-
Daniel 7:14
Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will not be destroyed.
This passage points to an everlasting dominion given to the Son of Man, contrasting with temporary earthly empires.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this Aramaic word for kingdom mean?
Why is this word in the Hebrew Bible if it is Aramaic?
How does this concept differ from modern ideas of government?
Every Occurrence (25 verses across 2 books)
Ezra 4 verses
Then work stopped on God’s house which is at Jerusalem. It stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of…
Ezra 6:15This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
Ezra 7:13I make a decree that all those of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my realm, who intend of…
Ezra 7:23Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven; for why should…