Day 1 of 75 · The reign foundations

M-L-K

malkuta: the reign

מלכותא · מלכא

ܡܰܠܟ݁ܽܘܬ݂ܳܐ · ܡܰܠܟ݁ܳܐ

The feel

M-L-K is the root of reigning. Malka is the king, and malkuta is his reign, the act of ruling rather than a place on a map. That is why the Qala says the reign where most translations say the kingdom. Malka, king, appears 70 times in the Gospels.

The root family

Form	Pattern	Script	Standard	Qala rendering
malkā	concrete noun	מלכא ܡܰܠܟ݁ܳܐ	king	king: the one who reigns
malkutā	abstract noun in -utā	מלכותא ܡܰܠܟ݁ܽܘܬ݂ܳܐ	kingdom	the reign
Mālek	proper name	מלך ܡܳܠܶܟ݂	Malchus	Malchus: the servant's name in John 18:10, built on the king-root

In the Gospels the verb to reign appears in Luke: "He will reign over the house of Jacob" (Luke 1:33), "to reign over us" (Luke 19:14) and "to reign over them" (Luke 19:27).

In his voice

Matthew 22:2

"The reign of the heavens is like a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.

malkutā … malkā, "the reign … a king." The parable opens with both words, and both come from the same root.

Matthew 18:23

This is why the reign of the heavens is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.

malkutā … malkā again. In Aramaic the comparison is close to a pun: the reign is like a king at work.

Matthew 25:34

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the reign prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

malkā, "the King." He speaks, and the reign is what he hands over, the way an estate passes to heirs.

Practice

Say "May your reign come" slowly, a few times, picturing a reign arriving rather than a place. Then say the root and its two words aloud: M-L-K, malka, malkuta.

Connections

ʾ-B, the Father Sh-M-Y, the heavens malkā: king malkutā: the reign Mālek: Malchus

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