Father of Jerahmeel and Malchijah (or 'Malchiah'), officials during Jeremiah's time.
Hammelech
Named in 2 verses of Jeremiah, first in Jeremiah 36:26.
The name means “a king; a counselor.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869
About Hammelech Written by AI
Hammelech, which means "the king" in Hebrew, is mentioned in Jeremiah 36:26 and Jeremiah 38:6 as the father of two officials during the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah. In Jeremiah 36:26, Jerahmeel, the son of Hammelech, is identified as one of the officials sent by King Jehoiakim to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet after the king burned the scroll containing Jeremiah's prophecies. In Jeremiah 38:6, Malchijah (or 'Malchiah'), another son of Hammelech, is mentioned as one of the officials who threw Jeremiah into a cistern at the request of the princes who opposed the prophet's message. The use of the term "Hammelech" in these passages has led some scholars to believe that it may be a title rather than a proper name, indicating that Jerahmeel and Malchiah were royal officials. However, the exact nature of their roles and their relationship to the king remains unclear.
Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.
Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897
The king’s, the father of Jerahmeel, mentioned in Jer. 36:26. Some take this word as a common noun, “the king”, and understand that Jerahmeel was Jehoiakim’s son. Probably, however, it is to be taken as a proper name.
M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.
Where the Bible names him
- Jeremiah 36:26
Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, as well as Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them.
- Jeremiah 38:6
So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.