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Ebed-melech

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5663

עֶ֫בֶד מֶ֫לֶךְ

e.ved me.lekh — Ebed-melech

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.38.7 § Ebed-melech = "servant of the king" an Ethiopian eunuch in the service of king Zedekiah, through whose interference Jeremiah was released from prison

6 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

Historical dictionary entry

A servant of the king; probably an official title, an Ethiopian, “one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house;” i.e., in the palace of Zedekiah, king of Judah. He interceded with the king in Jeremiah’s behalf, and was the means of saving him from death by famine (Jer. 38:7-13: comp. 39:15-18).

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Ebed-melech in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →