Melech
/ˈmɛl.ɛx/noun
A Hebrew word meaning king, often used as a title for a human ruler or God.
Did you know?Melech appears in the Hebrew divine title Melech ha-Olam, “King of the Universe,” a phrase still used in Jewish blessings and prayers.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*malik-
“King or ruler; a reconstructed Semitic title for sovereignty”
Ancient Northwest Semitic
Canaanite
mlk
“King; the consonantal form underlying later Hebrew”
10th–6th Century BCE
Biblical Hebrew
מֶלֶךְ (melekh)
“King, monarch, or ruling sovereign”
3rd Century BCE–1st Century CE
Jewish Greek
μέλεχ (melech)
“A transliteration of the Hebrew title in Greek-speaking Jewish contexts”
Medieval Period
Hebrew
מֶלֶךְ (melekh)
“King; also used in liturgical titles for God”
Modern English
English
melech
“A Hebrew loanword used chiefly in religious, biblical, and academic contexts”
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