MALCHIJAH (See MALKIJAH)

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MALKIJAH, MALCHIAH (măl-kī'ja, măl- kī'a, Heb. malkîyâh, malkîâ, my king is the Lord)

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MALCHIJAH, MALCHIAH măl kī ə (מַלְכִּיָּ֔ה, LXX Μελχ [ε, G1567] ια [ς], my king is Yah [the Lord]). A rather common Heb. theophoric name borne by numerous men of exilic and postexilic times who seem to be mostly priests or Levites and royalty. 1. In the Heb. text of Jeremiah 38:6 where the name is spelled Malkiyyāhu the man is called the king’s son, presumably Zedekiah’s son. He was owner of the cistern into which Jeremiah’s enemies cast him while Zedekiah pretended to be powerless to stop them (v. 5).

2. The name of the father of Pashhur, another nobleman who was among those persecuting the weeping prophet (Jer 21:1; 38:1). The same man is named in a list of priests (1 Chron 9:12). Here the RSV and ASV render the same Heb. as Malchijah instead of the usual Malchiah. A fuller genealogy of this family is given in Nehemiah 11:12.

3. In a list of priests who were assigned to their duties, one is called Malchijah (1 Chron 24:9).

4. In another list of priests who stood giving thanks with Nehemiah, one finds another Malchijah in the house of God (Neh 12:42).

5. A Malchijah was among the priests who set their seal to the covenant of spiritual renewal Nehemiah had written (Neh 10:3). Perhaps the same man stood beside Ezra while he read the law of Moses to the people (Neh 8:1-4).

6. A Levite whose name was Malchijah is given as ninth in the genealogy after Levi himself (1 Chron 6:40).

7. Among those who pledged themselves to put away their foreign wives there were two named Malchijah, one of the sons of Parosh (Ezra 10:25) and the other of the sons of Harim (cf. Neh 3:11).

8. Two men by this name made significant contributions to the task of repairing the wall under Nehemiah. Malchijah the son of Rechab repaired the Dung Gate (Neh 3:14), and a Malchijah the goldsmith repaired the area opposite the Muster Gate to “the upper chamber of the corner” (Neh 3:31).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

(malkiyah, "Yah is king"; Melcheias, with variants):

(1) A Levite, descendant of Gershom, of those whom David set over the "service of sting" in the worship (1Ch 6:40).

(2) The head of the 5th course of priests (1Ch 24:9).

(3) One of the laymen who had taken "strange wives" during the exile (Ezr 10:25); the "Melchias" of 1 Esdras 9:26.

(4) Another of the same name (Ezr 10:25; two in same verse). Called "Asibias" in 1 Esdras 9:26.

(5) Another under the same offense, son of Harim (Ezr 10:31). "Melchias" in 1 Esdras 9:32.

(6) One of the "repairers" who helped with the "tower of the furnaces" (Ne 3:11).

(7) Son of Rechab ruler of Beth-haccerem, repairer of the dung gate (Ne 3:14).

(8) A goldsmith who helped in building the walls of Jerusalem (Ne 3:31).

(9) One of those at Ezra’s left hand when he read the law (though possibly one of the above (Ne 8:4)). In 1 Esdras 9:44 "Melchias."

(10) One of the covenant signatories (Ne 10:3).

(11) The father of Pashhur (Ne 11:12; Jer 21:1; 38:1).

(12) A priest, a singer at the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah (Ne 12:42).

(13) (malkiyahu as above with u ending): Son of Ham-melech (or, as 1Ki 22:26; 2Ch 28:7 translate it, "king’s son"). Jeremiah was cast into his dungeon or pit (Jer 38:6).

The King James Version spells "Malchiah" or "Malchijah" indifferently with "Melchiah" in Jer 21:1; the English Revised Version has "Malchiah" in Jer 21:1; 38:1,6, elsewhere "Malchijah"; the American Standard Revised Version has "Malchijah" throughout.