4409. Malluk or Malluki
Lexical Summary
Malluk or Malluki: Malluk, Malluki

Original Word: מַלּוּךְ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Malluwk
Pronunciation: mal-LOOK or mal-LOO-kee
Phonetic Spelling: (mal-luke')
KJV: Malluch, Melichu (from the margin)
NASB: Malluch
Word Origin: [from H4427 (מָלַך - To reign)]

1. remnant
2. Malluk, the name of five Israelites

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Malluch, Melichu

Or Malluwkiy (Neh. 12:14) {mal-loo-kee'}; from malak; remnant; Malluk, the name of five Israelites -- Malluch, Melichu (from the margin).

see HEBREW malak

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from the same as melek
Definition
the name of several Isr.
NASB Translation
Malluch (6).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
מַלּוּךְ proper name, masculine ᵐ5 Μαλωχ, Μαλουχ, etc.

1 Levites:

a. 1 Chronicles 6:29.

b. Nehemiah 12:2 (priest ?).

2 various men:

a. Ezra 10:29.

b. Ezra 10:32.

c. Nehemiah 10:5.

d. Nehemiah 10:28.

מלוכי Kt, מְלִיכוּ Qr proper name, masculine a priest Nehemiah 12:14. ᵐ5 Μαλουχ, ᵐ5L Μαλουκ.

Topical Lexicon
Occurrences in Scripture

The name Malluch appears seven times in the Old Testament record, five of those references clustered in the post-exilic books of Ezra and Nehemiah. One earlier appearance is embedded in the Levitical genealogies (1 Chronicles 6 44). Together these notices trace three distinct individuals:

1. A Merarite Levite descended from Levi through Mahli (1 Chronicles 6 44).
2. Two laymen among the returned exiles who had taken foreign wives and later repented (Ezra 10 29, 32).
3. Several priests and Levites who signed or affirmed Nehemiah’s covenant and served in the restored Temple (Nehemiah 10 4, 27; 12 2, 14).

Levitical Heritage and Worship Service

The first appearance of Malluch in 1 Chronicles 6 links him to the Merarite division of the Levites. According to the Chronicler, Merarites were “appointed over all the work of the tabernacle of the house of God” (1 Chronicles 6 48). Malluch therefore belongs to the legacy of faithful custodians whose duty was to guard the sanctity of Israel’s worship. Though no specific exploits are recorded, his inclusion in the genealogy underlines the Lord’s meticulous preservation of those who served in His house, reminding readers that God never forgets even the nameless stewards of His glory.

Post-Exilic Repentance under Ezra

More than a century after Solomon’s Temple fell, another Malluch surfaces in Ezra’s account of national repentance. Ezra discovered that some returning exiles had taken pagan wives, “adding to the guilt of Israel” (Ezra 10 10). Among the sons of Bani and Harim, Malluch distinguished himself by publicly confessing sin and pledging to put away the illicit marriages (Ezra 10 29, 32). That action illustrates genuine contrition:

• Recognition of transgression against the covenant.
• Submission to the authority of Scripture proclaimed by Ezra.
• Immediate steps to rectify the breach.

The episode gives Malluch’s name a redemptive hue. While his earlier compromise harmed the community, his repentance helped restore the purity of the nascent post-exilic society. The narrative encourages believers that failures need not be final; sincere confession and obedience can still honor God and strengthen the people of faith.

Covenant Renewal with Nehemiah

Nehemiah’s reform a generation later showcases yet another Malluch—possibly two, one a priest (Nehemiah 10 4; 12 2, 14) and one a lay head of a family (Nehemiah 10 27). Both affixed their seals to the oath “to walk in God’s law… and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord” (Nehemiah 10 29). The joint appearance of clergy and laity underscores a central theme in Nehemiah: covenant commitment is communal. When God rebuilds walls, He also rebuilds hearts, drawing every stratum of society into renewed obedience.

In Nehemiah 12 Malluch is listed among the priestly heads during the high priesthood of Joiakim. The catalog traces continuity from the earliest post-exilic priests to the next generation, demonstrating that the spiritual infrastructure Ezra and Nehemiah labored to restore endured beyond their lifetimes. Malluch’s house, counted among the twenty-two priestly families, helped ensure regular sacrifice and instruction in the Law—vital means of grace for a vulnerable nation surrounded by hostile neighbors.

Historical Significance

1. Continuity of Levitical lines: From the wilderness tabernacle to the Second Temple, the Malluch name appears wherever God’s people gather for ordered worship.
2. Model of repentance: The Ezra passages supply a concrete case study of corporate and individual reform. Malluch’s willingness to act decisively highlights biblical repentance as both inward sorrow and outward change.
3. Lay-priest cooperation: The dual appearance in Nehemiah demonstrates the necessity of united leadership. Both priests and household heads pledged themselves to uphold the covenant, foreshadowing the New Testament ideal of a kingdom of priests (1 Peter 2 9) where every believer bears responsibility for the faith community.

Ministry Applications

• Faithful obscurity: Malluch serves God without fanfare, teaching that kingdom work often proceeds through unheralded service.
• Guarding holiness: Whether maintaining Temple duties or cleansing family life from pagan influence, each Malluch reinforces the imperative to preserve holiness in worship and home.
• Generational stewardship: The passage from 1 Chronicles to Nehemiah spans roughly six centuries. God preserves names—and more importantly, lines of ministry—across generations. Modern ministry inherits the same charge to transmit doctrinal purity and covenant fidelity to our children.

Theological Reflections

The Scripture’s consistent mention of Malluch, though brief, testifies that God weaves even the smallest threads into His redemptive tapestry. In Chronicles He is the guardian of ritual; in Ezra the penitent; in Nehemiah the reformer and covenant signer. Across these varied roles one theme endures: God works through consecrated individuals to safeguard communal holiness. Their accounts invite the church today to combine reverence in worship, sincerity in repentance, and resolve in covenant faithfulness—ever mindful that “the eyes of the Lord roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him” (2 Chronicles 16 9).

Forms and Transliterations
לִמְלִ֙יכוּ֙ למליכו מַלּ֖וּךְ מַלּ֥וּךְ מַלּֽוּךְ׃ מַלּוּךְ֙ מלוך מלוך׃ lim·lî·ḵū limLichu limlîḵū mal·lūḵ malLuch mallūḵ
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Chronicles 6:44
HEB: עַבְדִּ֖י בֶּן־ מַלּֽוּךְ׃
NAS: of Abdi, the son of Malluch,
KJV: of Abdi, the son of Malluch,
INT: of Abdi the son of Malluch

Ezra 10:29
HEB: בָּנִ֑י מְשֻׁלָּ֤ם מַלּוּךְ֙ וַעֲדָיָ֔ה יָשׁ֖וּב
NAS: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah,
KJV: Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah,
INT: of Bani Meshullam Malluch and Adaiah Jashub

Ezra 10:32
HEB: בְּנְיָמִ֥ן מַלּ֖וּךְ שְׁמַרְיָֽה׃ ס
NAS: Benjamin, Malluch [and] Shemariah;
KJV: Benjamin, Malluch, [and] Shemariah.
INT: Benjamin Malluch Shemariah

Nehemiah 10:4
HEB: חַטּ֥וּשׁ שְׁבַנְיָ֖ה מַלּֽוּךְ׃
NAS: Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
KJV: Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
INT: Hattush Shebaniah Malluch

Nehemiah 10:27
HEB: מַלּ֥וּךְ חָרִ֖ם בַּעֲנָֽה׃
NAS: Malluch, Harim, Baanah.
KJV: Malluch, Harim, Baanah.
INT: Malluch Harim Baanah

Nehemiah 12:2
HEB: אֲמַרְיָ֥ה מַלּ֖וּךְ חַטּֽוּשׁ׃
NAS: Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
KJV: Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
INT: Amariah Malluch Hattush

Nehemiah 12:14
HEB: [לִמְלוּכִי כ] (לִמְלִ֙יכוּ֙ ק) יֽוֹנָתָ֔ן
KJV: Of Melicu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah,
INT: Malluch Jonathan of Shebaniah

7 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4409
7 Occurrences


lim·lî·ḵū — 1 Occ.
mal·lūḵ — 6 Occ.

4408
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