Word Study for H4391 (מְלָא) | Strong's Concordance

mᵉlâʼ /mel-aw'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) corresponding to מָלֵא

Meaningto fill

KJV usagefill, be full.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mᵉlâʼ — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Aramaic word mᵉlâʼ, represented by H4391, means to fill or be full. Though it appears only 2 times across 2 unique verses, its uses in the book of Daniel are distinct and powerful, corresponding to the Hebrew מָלֵא.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H4391 is used to illustrate two different kinds of "fullness." Prophetically, it describes the stone in Nebuchadnezzar's dream that destroyed an image, became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth Daniel 2:35. It is also used in a personal, emotional context to describe how King Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury in his confrontation with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Daniel 3:19.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Aramaic words provide context for the meaning of H4391:

H2528 chĕmâʼ (anger; fury): This word is paired directly with H4391 to describe the specific emotion that Nebuchadnezzar was full of Daniel 3:19.
H772 ʼăraʻ (the earth; by implication (figuratively) low; earth, interior): This term identifies the realm that was completely filled by the mountain in Daniel's vision Daniel 2:35.
H1722 dᵉhab (gold; gold(-en)): This word describes the material of the first part of the image that was destroyed before the stone filled the earth, representing a worldly kingdom Daniel 2:35.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4391 is revealed in its two distinct applications:

Prophetic Dominion: The use of filled to describe the mountain covering the earth points to an absolute and final establishment of a new power that completely displaces all that came before it Daniel 2:35.
Intensity of Human Opposition: By describing Nebuchadnezzar as full of fury, the term highlights the peak of human rage against unwavering faith, setting the stage for a miraculous act of divine deliverance Daniel 3:19.

Summary

In summary, H4391 is a concise Aramaic term whose significance lies in its contrasting applications. It conveys both a prophecy of an all-encompassing physical presence and the intensity of a consuming human emotion. Though rare, mᵉlâʼ demonstrates how a single word can capture concepts as vast as the whole earth and as personal as a heart filled with fury.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

הִתְמְלִי
מְלָת

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

2 verses, all in Daniel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.