5419. Nethan-melek
Lexical Summary
Nethan-melek: Nethan-melek

Original Word: נְתַן־מֶלֶךְ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Nthan-Melek
Pronunciation: neh-than-MEH-lek
Phonetic Spelling: (neth-an' meh'-lek)
KJV: Nathan-melech
NASB: Nathan-melech
Word Origin: [from H5414 (נָתַן - give) and H4428 (מֶלֶך - king)]

1. given of (the) king
2. Nethan-Melek, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Nathan-melech

From nathan and melek; given of (the) king; Nethan-Melek, an Israelite -- Nathan-melech.

see HEBREW nathan

see HEBREW melek

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from nathan and melek
Definition
"given of a king," a leader in Judah
NASB Translation
Nathan-melech (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[תַּהְמֻּכָה] noun feminine perversity, perverse thing (only Proverbs except Deuteronomy 32:20) — Plural absolute תַּהְמֻּכוֺת Deuteronomy 32:20 8t.; construct id. Proverbs 2:14; — perverse things, particularly utterances Proverbs 2:12; Proverbs 10:32; Proverbs 23:33, compare ׳מִּי ת Proverbs 8:13, ׳לְשׁוֺן ת Proverbs 10:31, and even ׳אִישׁ ת Proverbs 16:28 ("" נִרְגָּן slanderer); but also thoughts, devices Proverbs 6:14; Proverbs 16:30; ׳דּוֺר ת Deuteronomy 32:20 = perverse Generation, ("" לֹאאֵֿמֻן בָּם), רָ֑ע ׳ת Proverbs 2:14 ("" עֲשׂוֺת רָ֑ע).

נְתַןמֶֿ֫לֶךְ proper name, masculine an official of Judah, Josiah's time 2 Kings 23:11; ᵐ5 Ναθαν βασιλέως (τοῦ εὐνούχου), ᵐ5L Ναθαν εὐνούχου τοῦ βασιλέως.

Topical Lexicon
Name Significance

Derived from the verb “to give” and the noun “king,” the name Nethan-melech conveys the idea of “Gift of the King.” In the context of Judah’s monarchy this title suggests a courtier granted to, or favored by, the royal house.

Scriptural Setting

Nethan-melech appears once, in the record of King Josiah’s reformation:

“Josiah removed from the entrance to the house of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They had been kept near the chamber of Nethan-melech the official, which was in the precincts; and he burned up the chariots of the sun with fire.” (2 Kings 23:11)

Historical Background

1. Sun worship, imported from surrounding nations and long tolerated in Judah, involved processional horses and chariots symbolically driven by the sun-god.
2. These cultic objects were stationed “at the entrance to the house of the LORD,” revealing how deeply syncretism had penetrated covenant worship.
3. The “chamber of Nethan-melech” lay in the temple complex, indicating an official apartment for a royal functionary who oversaw, or at least accommodated, this idolatrous practice.

Role and Status

The term translated “official” (often “eunuch” or high court servant) places Nethan-melech among the trusted inner circle of the king’s household. His proximity to both palace and temple suggests administrative authority over royal ceremonial matters. Even if he was not the originator of sun worship, the relocation of the horses to his quarters names him as the person most directly connected to their maintenance.

Archaeological Note

In 2019 a clay bulla unearthed in the City of David bore the inscription “(belonging) to Nathan-Melech, servant of the king.” While absolute identification cannot be proven, the spelling, title, and location match the biblical description and provide rare extra-biblical corroboration for a specific individual in Josiah’s era.

Religious Significance

1. Josiah’s destruction of the horses and chariots demonstrates uncompromising fidelity to the covenant ideal that worship belongs exclusively to Yahweh (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
2. By naming Nethan-melech, Scripture personalizes the sin: idolatry is not an abstract failure but is facilitated by real people in positions of influence.
3. The reform illustrates the reach of godly leadership—exposing hidden or tolerated strongholds, even within revered institutions.

Prophetic Parallels

Ezekiel 8:16 describes men turning “their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, bowing down to the sun,” a scene likely contemporaneous with the practice Josiah abolished.
Jeremiah 8:2 foretells judgment on those who “worshiped the sun, the moon, and all the host of heaven,” reinforcing the theological gravity of Josiah’s actions.

Ministry Lessons

• Proximity to sacred spaces does not guarantee purity; continual vigilance is needed to guard worship from cultural compromise.
• Spiritual reforms must be thorough and symbolic—removing both the instruments (“horses”) and the means (“chariots”) of false devotion.
• Leaders are called to name and confront specific agents of corruption, not merely general practices.

Christological Reflection

Where Nethan-melech’s chamber once housed implements of a counterfeit “sun king,” Jesus Christ—“the Sun of righteousness” (Malachi 4:2)—purifies the temple of the heart. Josiah’s reform foreshadows the Messiah’s cleansing zeal (John 2:13-17) and ultimate reign in which no other glory competes (Revelation 21:23).

Key Takeaways for Today

1. Evaluate traditions and symbols: do they exalt the Lord or rival Him?
2. Support leaders who courageously align practice with Scripture.
3. Remember that genuine reform often begins with exposing idols hidden in respected places.

Forms and Transliterations
מֶ֣לֶךְ מלך me·leḵ Melech meleḵ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
2 Kings 23:11
HEB: לִשְׁכַּת֙ נְתַן־ מֶ֣לֶךְ הַסָּרִ֔יס אֲשֶׁ֖ר
NAS: by the chamber of Nathan-melech the official,
KJV: by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain,
INT: by the chamber of Nathan-melech the official which

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5419
1 Occurrence


me·leḵ — 1 Occ.

5418
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