Hebrew word · Strong's H4427

מָלַךְ

mâlak · maw-lak' · verb · “to reign, be king”

In a sentence

Malak means to reign or be king. Behind the throne of every Old Testament king stands the deeper truth: “The LORD reigns,” the great refrain of the Psalms.

Malak is the verb of kingship — to be king, to reign. From it come melek (king) and mamlakah (kingdom).

But the high use is theological: “The LORD reigns” (YHWH malak), one of the great refrains of the Psalms. Every human throne is provisional; only God’s reign is everlasting.

Strong's reference

Definition: to reign; inceptively, to ascend the throne; causatively, to induct into royalty; hence (by implication) to take counsel

KJV usage: consult, [idiom] indeed, be (make, set a, set up) king, be (make) queen, (begin to, make to) reign(-ing), rule, [idiom] surely.

Reference gloss from Strong's Concordance (1890, public domain).

Key verses BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

Psalms 93:1 “The LORD reigns! He is robed in majesty; the LORD has clothed and armed Himself with strength. The world indeed is firmly established; it cannot be moved.” 1 Samuel 8:7 “And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.” Psalms 47:8 “God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne.”

Original BibleDawn word study. Original-language data and the public-domain Strong's (1890) gloss are referenced; see sources.