the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Encyclopedias
Regem-Melech
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (Heb. Re'gem Me'lek, רֶגֶם מֶלֶךְ friend of the king; Sept. Ἀρβεσεὲρ [v. r. Ἀρβεσεσὲρ ) ὁ βασιλεύς; Vilg. Rogommelech), the name of a person who, in connection with Sherezer, was sent on behalf of some of the captivity to make inquiries at the Temple concerning fasting (Zechariah 7:2). B.C. cir. 517. In the A.V. the subject of the verse appears to be the captive Jews in Babylon and Bethel, or "the house of God" is regarded as the accusative after the verb of motion. The Sept. takes "the king" as the nominative to the verb "sent," considering the last part of the name Regem-melech as an appellative, and not as a proper name. What reading the Sept. had it is difficult to conjecture. In the Vulgate, Sherezer, Regem- melech, and their men are the persons who sent to the house of God. The Peshito-Syriac has a curious version of the passage: "And he sent to Bethel, to Sherezer and Rab-mag; and the king sent and his men to pray for him before the Lord;" Sharezer and Rab-mag being associated in Jeremiah 39:3; Jeremiah 39:13. The Hexaplar-Syriac, following the Peshito, has" Rab-mag." On referring to Zechariah 7:5, the expression "the people of the land" seems to indicate that those who sent to the Temple were not the captive Jews in Babylon, but those who had returned to their own country; and this being the case, it is probable that in Zechariah 7:2 "Bethel" is to be taken as the subject: "and Bethel," i.e. the inhabitants of Bethel, "sent." From its connection with Sherezer, the name Regem-melech (lit. "king's friend," comp. 1 Chronicles 27:33) was probably an Assyrian title of office. (See RAB-MAG)
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Regem-Melech'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/r/regem-melech.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
