Bible Word Study
אַלַּמֶּלֶךְ
ʼAllammelek · Allammelek, a place in Palestine
אַלַּמֶּלֶךְ
Allammelek, a place in Palestine
Definition
Allammelek is a proper noun referring to a location in the ancient territory of Asher, mentioned only in Joshua 19:26. The name means 'oak of the king' or 'king's terebinth,' suggesting it was a notable landmark, likely a large or significant tree associated with royal authority or a local ruler. As a border town listed among the cities of Asher, its primary significance is geographical, helping to define the tribal allotment after the Israelite conquest. No other biblical narratives or events are recorded there.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in Joshua 19:26, within a list describing the inheritance of the tribe of Asher. Its usage is purely geographical and administrative, serving to mark a boundary point in the tribal territory. There are no narrative contexts or patterns of usage beyond this single, descriptive occurrence.
Etymology
The name Allammelek is a compound Hebrew word derived from 'allah' (H427), meaning 'oak' or 'terebinth tree,' and 'melek' (H4428), meaning 'king.' It is a construct phrase ('oak of the king') typical of place names in the ancient Near East that identified sites by a prominent natural feature and its association, in this case, with royalty or sovereignty. Similar constructions include 'Elon-meonenim' (judges' oak) in Judges 9:37.
Semantic Range
In ancient Canaanite and Israelite culture, large trees like oaks or terebinths were often significant landmarks, meeting places, or even sites of religious activity (though the Bible condemns such idolatrous use). A place named 'oak of the king' likely denoted a tree that served as a territorial marker, a place of legal assembly, or a symbol of authority under the protection or ownership of a local monarch. This reflects a common practice of using the natural environment for orientation and governance. Elon (H436, אֵלוֹן) — Another Hebrew word for a large tree or oak, often used in place names but not necessarily associated with royalty. / Allon (H437, אַלּוֹן) — A synonym for 'oak,' also used in geographical names.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]