Malchiram is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Malchiram was a descendant of King David, named in the royal genealogies recorded in the book of 1 Chronicles. He appears in a list of sons born to Jeconiah (also called Jehoiachin), the king of Judah who was carried away captive to Babylon. The genealogy in 1 Chronicles 3 traces the line of David through the period of the Babylonian exile and beyond, showing that the Davidic line did not end with the captivity but continued through Jeconiah’s sons.
Malchiram is mentioned only once in the King James Bible, in 1 Chronicles 3:18, where he is listed alongside his brothers: “Malchiram also, and Pedaiah, and Shenazar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.” These men were sons of Jeconiah, born during or after the exile. The passage offers no narrative about Malchiram’s life, deeds, or character. He is simply named as part of the family line.
What Scripture records of Malchiram is thus limited to his place in the genealogy. His inclusion matters because it preserves the record of David’s descendants after the throne had been taken away and the people had been deported. In the biblical account, being named in this list means he belonged to the covenant line through which God’s promises to David were carried forward. Nothing is said of his occupation, his faith, or his death; he remains one link in a chain that the Chronicler took care to record.
The Name
The name Malchiram is a Hebrew compound name. It is commonly understood to mean something like “my king is exalted” or “king of height,” built from elements related to “king” (melek) and “high” or “exalted” (ram). This meaning is generally regarded as well established among Hebrew name studies, though the exact nuance can vary slightly depending on how the components are read. In the context of a royal genealogy, a name carrying the idea of an exalted king fits naturally, though Scripture itself does not comment on why Jeconiah gave his son this name.
A Closing Thought
Malchiram’s life is hidden from us; we know only his name on a list. Yet that is enough to remind us that God’s faithfulness does not depend on how much of our story is remembered by others. He was part of a line that seemed finished—a captive king’s son in a foreign land—and still God was quietly preserving His promises through ordinary, unnamed-in-history people. Most of us will never be famous, but we can be faithful links in the chain of God’s work, known fully by Him even when the world takes no notice.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 3:18 — Malchiram also, and Pedaiah, and Shenazar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.