Bible Word Study
מִלְכָּה
Milkâh · Milcah, the name of a Hebrewess and of an Israelite
מִלְכָּה
Milcah, the name of a Hebrewess and of an Israelite
Definition
Milcah is a proper name meaning 'queen' or 'counsel'. In the Bible, it refers to two significant women. First, Milcah is the daughter of Haran and wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, making her the grandmother of Rebekah (Genesis 11:29, 22:20, 22:23). Second, Milcah is one of the five daughters of Zelophehad, who famously petitioned for and received the right to inherit their father's property in the absence of a male heir (Numbers 26:33, 27:1).
Biblical Usage
The name Milcah is used exclusively as a proper noun for these two women. It appears in Genesis in narratives about Abraham's family lineage (Genesis 11:29, 22:20, 22:23, 24:15, 24:24, 24:47) and in Numbers in the legal account of Zelophehad's daughters (Numbers 26:33, 27:1). The usage consistently identifies key female figures within Israel's genealogical and legal history.
Etymology
Milcah (מִלְכָּה) is a feminine proper noun derived from the root מ-l-k, related to the word מַלְכָּה (malkâ, H4436), meaning 'queen'. It is essentially a personal name built on this common noun, signifying 'queen' or possibly 'counsel'.
Semantic Range
The two biblical Milcahs highlight God's inclusion of women in His covenantal plans. The first Milcah is a vital link in the lineage from Abraham to the patriarchs, demonstrating God's faithfulness across generations. The second Milcah, as a daughter of Zelophehad, is central to a landmark case establishing inheritance rights for women (Numbers 27:1-11), showcasing God's justice and the formative nature of biblical law that considers and protects vulnerable members of the community. As a name meaning 'queen', Milcah reflects a cultural practice of using aspirational or dignified names. In the ancient Near East, names often carried significant meaning about character, destiny, or parental hopes. The story of Zelophehad's daughters, including Milcah, provides crucial insight into Israelite inheritance customs and the legal status of women, revealing a system that could be petitioned and adapted with divine sanction. מַלְכָּה (malkâ, H4436) — The common noun for 'queen', from which the proper name Milcah is derived.
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]