moulded the present character of this people. Little Is done, even in our day, to ameliorate the forlorn condition of this unfortunate people. Polygamy is practiced only among the afrluent and in the large towns. Marriage can be effected in three ways : either by purchase of the woman, who, upon the decease of her husband, becomes the property of his nearest blood-relation ; by entering upon a life of servitude with the proposed father-in-law, a custom reminding us of the patriarchal days of the Bible ; by an equal tax borne by both contracting par- ties. They practice the right of circumcision upon the male child between the ages of 6 and 10. The N. Testa- ment was translated into the IMalay language as early as the middle of the 17th century (1CG8), by Brower; the O. T. only three fourths of a century later (1735) ; the whole Bible was published at Batavia in 1758 in 5 vols., and often since, e. g. by Willmet (1824, 3 vols. 8vo). Comp. Dulaurier, Memoires, lettres et 7-apports relatifs du cows de langues Malaye et Javanaise (Par. 1843) ; Grey and Bleek, //HWfZioo^- of African, Australian, and Poly- nesian Theology (Cape Cit}', 1858 sq., 3 vols. 8vo). See Waitz, Anthropologie der NaturvOlker (Leipsic, 1809,5 vols.); Wallace, /S'/wrfzcs of Man and NatU7-e (London, 1869, 2 vols. 8vo) ; Chambers, Cyclop, s. v. See Malay Archipelago.
Mal'cham (Heb. Malkam', £2^^, their king, as of- ten [and as it should be rendered in Zeph. i, 5, instead of the Auth.Vers. '•Malcham," i. e. Moloch] ; Scptuag. MfX^rt/' ^'- '"• M{X;;^rtc,Yulg. J/ofcAo7»),the fourth-named of the seven sons of Shaharaim by his wife Hodesh (1 Chron. viii, 9). B.C. prob. 1612. See Milcoii.
Malchi'ah (Heb. MaUdyuh', ^^2^:2, and [in Jer. xxxviii,6] Malkiya'hu, ^IT'^s'^, king of Jehovah ; Sept. M£X;j;('a or MfXjcinCi but in Neh. v. r. MtX-^f i« or MsX- Xfi'ot' ; Auth. Version " Malchijah," in 1 Chron. ix, 12; xxiv, 9; Neh. iii, 11; x, 3 ; xii, 42; Ezra x, 25, last occurrence ; '■ Melchiah" in Jer. xxi, 1), the name of at least ten persons near the time of the Babylonian exile.
1. The son of Ethni, and father of Baaseiah, Levites of the family of Gershom (1 Chron. vi, 40). B.C. much ante 1014.
2. The head of the fifth division of the sacerdotal or- der in tlie distribution appointed bv David (1 Chron. xxiv, 9). B.C. 1014.
3. A priest, the father of Pashur (1 Chron. ix, 12; Neh. xi, 12), which latter was one of those who proposed to execute the prophet Jeremiah on a charge of treason (Jer. xxxviii, 1), although he had but unfavorably an- swered his infjuiry respecting the fate of the city (.Jer. xxi, 1). B.C. ante 589. He is verj- possibly the same with tlie sou of llamraelech (lit. the king's son'), and own- er or constructor of the private diuigeon into which Jer- emiah was cruelly thrown (Jer. xxxviii, G). See Jer- EMLVH. " The title hen-ham-Melek is applied to Jerah- meel (.Ten xxxvi, 26), who was among those commis- sioned by the king to take prisoners Jeremiah and Ba- ruch ; to Joash, who appears to have held an ofiice infe- rior to that of the governor of the city, and to whose custody Micaiah was committed by Aliab (1 Kings xxii, 26); and to Maaseiah, who was slain by Zichri, the Ephraimite, in the invasion of Judah h\ Pekah, in the reign of Ahaz (2 Chron. xxviii, 7). It would seem from these passages that the title 'king's son' was official, like that of -king's mother,' and applied to one of the roval family, who exercised functions somewhat similar to those of I'otiphar in the court of Pharaoh" (Smith).
4. One of the Israelites, former residents (or descend- ants) of Parosh, who divorced his Gentile wife after the exile (Ezra X, 2.5). B.C. 459.
5. Anotberlsraelite of the same place (or ])arcntage) who dill likewise ( Ezra x, 2.5). B.C. 459. In the Sept. (ad loc. and 1 Esd. ix, 26) his name appears as 'Aeri'/iiac.
6. One of the former residents (or desceii<lants) of Uarini, who assisted in reconstructing the wall of Jeru- salem after the return from Babylon (Neh. iii, 11). B.C.
MALCHIEL
6*79
MALDONATUS
446. He was one of the Israelites who had previously divorced his Gentile wife (Ezra x, 31). B.C. 450.
7. Son of Rechab, and ruler of part of Beth-haccerem, who repaired the dung-gate of Jerusalem after the cap- tivity (Neh. iii, 14). B.C. 446.
8. The son of a " goldsmith," and the repairer of part of the wall of Jerusalem opposite Ophel (Neh. iii, 31). B.C. 446.
9. One of the priests appointed as musicians, appar- ently vocal, to celebrate the completion of the walls of Jerusalem after the exile (Neh. xii, 42). B.C. 446.
10. One of those who supported Ezra on the left hand while reading the law to the people assembled at Jerusalem (Neh.viil,4); probably the same with one of the priests who subscribed the sacred covenant entered into on the same occasion (Neh. x, 3). B.C. cir. 410.
Mal'chiel (Heb. MalkieV, ix"'3^?, iwy of God; Sept. MfX^f'/X), the second of the two sons of Beriah, sou of Asher (Gen. xlvi, 17) ; he became the '■ father" (? founder) of Birzavith (1 Chron. vii, 31), and his de- scendants bore his name (Numb, xxvi, 45). B.C. 1856. '•Josephus {Ant. ii.7, 4) reckons him with Heber among the six sons of Asher, thus making up the number of Jacob's children and grandchildren to seventy, without reckoning great-grandchildren" (Smith).