מַלְכָּם (mal.kam)
mal.kam
Malcam; Milcom
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The name Milcam, meaning "great king," appears in Scripture with two distinct referents. In genealogical records, it identifies a Benjamite man listed among the descendants of Shaharaim in 1 Chronicles 8:9. This usage highlights the ordinary human history of Israel’s tribes without theological controversy.
More notably, Milcam serves as an alternative name for Molech, the deity worshipped by the Ammonites. Biblical texts associate this god with the abhorrent practice of child sacrifice in the Valley of Hinnom. The prophets condemn these rituals as a severe violation of covenant law, marking them as a low point in Israel’s spiritual history.
The linguistic connection between Milcam and Molech suggests that ancient Israelites may have used different names for the same foreign deity depending on context or region. While some translators distinguish the two, the sources indicate they refer to the same object of worship. This overlap underscores the persistent temptation faced by Israel to adopt neighboring religious practices despite divine warnings.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Milcam appears in Scripture with two very different faces. In one record, it marks a man in the tribe of Benjamin, reminding us that God knows every individual by name and includes them in His family history. In another context, it names a foreign deity associated with child sacrifice, a practice the prophets condemned as a deep betrayal of covenant loyalty.
This contrast invites reflection on what we allow to shape our lives. When we place anything above our trust in God, even subtly, we risk idolatry. The biblical warning against such alliances is clear: true safety and righteousness come from walking in God’s ways, not adopting the customs of surrounding cultures that oppose His character.
Ultimately, the text points us toward a choice. We are called to reject anything that demands ultimate allegiance other than God. This freedom allows us to rest in the knowledge that He alone is worthy of our worship and trust.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ to/ Milcom2×
- Milcom1×
- Malkam1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/לְ/מִלְכֹּ֖ם2×
- מַלְכָּֽם\׃1×
- מִלְכֹּ֔ם1×
Key Verses
-
I Kings 11:5
For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
This verse highlights Solomon’s personal turn toward Milcom, showing how even a wise king fell into idolatry by following the 'abomination of the Ammonites'.
-
I Kings 11:33
because they have forsaken me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon. They have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in my eyes, and to keep my statutes and my ordinances, as David his father did.
Here God explicitly links worshiping Milcom with forsaking Him and failing to keep His statutes, defining the core issue as covenant unfaithfulness rather than mere ritual error.
-
II Kings 23:13
The king defiled the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mountain of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon.
King Josiah’s destruction of the high places dedicated to Milcom demonstrates a national return to exclusive worship of Yahweh, cleansing the land of former idolatrous influences.