MALLUCHI

(Malʹlu·chi) [my counselor].

A priestly family whose representative served in the days of High Priest Joiakim, and in the days of Ezra and Governor Nehemiah.—Neh. 12:12, 14, 26.

The name “Malluchi” is in the Masoretic text with the q^eriʹ or marginal notation that it should be read as “Melicu,” which latter form is found in the Authorized Version. Several ancient Greek manuscripts, including the Alexandrine, Vatican No. 1209 and the Sinaitic (as well as the Lagardian edition) read “Malluch,” which some scholars think was the original form. These scholars suggest (but there is no way of proving it) that the adding of “i” (yohdh [י] in Hebrew) at the end of the name came about when the first letter of the following word was unintentionally repeated in manuscript copying.