Hammelech

Hammelech, meaning "the king," was the father of Jerahmeel and Malchijah (or 'Malchiah'), officials mentioned in the book of Jeremiah.

Hammelech, which means "the king" in Hebrew, is mentioned in Jer 36:26 and Jer 38:6 as the father of two officials during the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah. In Jer 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 Jer 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.

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.