The Hebrew title used for God as “King” in Rosh Hashanah liturgy is Melech.
Melech means “king” in Hebrew and is used as a title for God in Jewish prayer. Rosh Hashanah gives this royal image special prominence: its liturgy presents the holiday as a time when humanity acknowledges divine sovereignty and symbolically crowns God as ruler for the coming year.
The central Musaf prayer contains three major themes known as Malchuyot, Zichronot, and Shofarot. Malchuyot means “Kingship” and gathers biblical verses that proclaim God’s rule. The shofar’s ceremonial sound is also associated with a royal coronation, reinforcing the language of kingship in the service.
Melech is not a personal name and should not be confused with titles describing other roles. Navi means “prophet,” Kohen means “priest,” and Levi identifies a member of the Levite tribe. The phrase Avinu Malkeinu, “Our Father, Our King,” uses the related form Malkeinu, meaning “our King,” and is a familiar High Holy Day prayer.