Lexical Summary Regem Melek: Regem-Melek Original Word: רֶגֶם מֶלֶךְ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Regem-melech From Regem and melek; king's heap; Regem-Melek, an Israelite -- Regem-melech. see HEBREW Regem see HEBREW melek NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom Regem and melek Definition "king's heap," an Isr. NASB Translation Regemmelech (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs רֶ֫גֶם מֶ֫לֶךְ proper name, masculine exilic, Zechariah 7:2; Αρβεσεερ ό βασιλεύς. Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence Regem-melech appears once, in Zechariah 7:2. With Sharezer and “their men,” he is dispatched from Bethel to Jerusalem “to plead for the LORD’s favor” (Berean Standard Bible). Historical Setting Zechariah dates the episode to “the fourth year of King Darius” (Zechariah 7:1), roughly 518 BC, when the Persian Empire ruled Judah. The temple foundations had been laid (Ezra 3:8–13) and construction was underway (Ezra 6:14–15). Bethel—long a center of mixed worship (1 Kings 12:28–33)—now sends representatives to the restored sanctuary in Jerusalem, signaling renewed alignment with divinely ordained worship. Role in the Narrative Regem-melech functions as an envoy. His mission is not merely diplomatic; it is spiritual. The delegation seeks prophetic and priestly counsel about whether the commemorative fasts established during the exile (notably the fifth-month fast for the temple’s destruction) should continue (Zechariah 7:3). Their question triggers two chapters of prophetic discourse (Zechariah 7–8), in which the LORD redirects attention from ritual observance to covenant faithfulness marked by justice, mercy, and compassion (Zechariah 7:9–10; 8:16–17). Theological Themes and Ministry Implications 1. Heart over ritual. The LORD’s response exposes empty formalism: “When you fasted… was it really for Me that you fasted?” (Zechariah 7:5). Regem-melech’s inquiry becomes a platform for affirming that God desires righteousness and lovingkindness above ceremonial custom. Intertextual Connections • Prophetic critique of hollow fasting: Isaiah 58:3–7; Jeremiah 14:12. Lessons for the Church Regem-melech stands as a reminder that sincere inquiry can become a catalyst for prophetic correction and blessing. Believers today likewise approach God not to validate tradition but to align hearts with His revealed will, confident that He turns mourning fasts into festivals of joy for those who walk in truth and love. Forms and Transliterations מֶ֖לֶךְ מלך me·leḵ Melech meleḵLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Zechariah 7:2 HEB: אֶ֕צֶר וְרֶ֥גֶם מֶ֖לֶךְ וַֽאֲנָשָׁ֑יו לְחַלּ֖וֹת NAS: Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men KJV: Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, INT: Bethel Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to seek |
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