“God Save the King” was originally written by an unknown author and circulated in three stanzas during the reign of Britain’s King George Ⅱ, circa 1745. This Hebrew translation, “El Shemor haMelekh,” as translated by Hyman Hurwitz with an added fourth stanza, was first published in his The Etymology and Syntax of the Hebrew Language (1831), pp. 276-279, during the reign of King William Ⅳ (1765-1837). For the Hebrew adaptation for queens, find “God Save the Queen” as prepared for Queen Victoria during and after her Jubilee in 1887. “God Save the King” is the current National Anthem (ההמנון הלאומי) of the United Kingdom, containing the first and third stanzas.

Source(s)

the national anthem at the coronation of king charles iii (Ephraim Mirvis, Office of the Chief Rabbi 2023) p. 10

God Save the King (English, The Gentleman’s Magazine 1745-10-15)

“אֵל שְׁמֹר הַמֶּֽלֶךְ | God Save the King (Hebrew translation with an additional stanza by Hyman Hurwitz 1831)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.

Hyman Hurwitz

Hyman Hurwitz (1770–1844) was a learned Jew who became first professor of Hebrew at University College, London. He was born in Poznań, Poland in 1770, came to England about 1797 and conducted a private academy for Jews at Highgate, where he established a close friendship with Samuel Taylor Coleridge and corresponded with him. Coleridge once described Hurwitz as "the first Hebrew and Rabbinical Scholar in the Kingdom." In 1828, on Coleridge's recommendation, he was elected professor of the Hebrew language and literature at University College, London. His inaugural lecture was published. He died on 18 July 1844. Hurwitz was buried in the Brady Street Cemetery near Whitechapel in London's East End.

Unknown Author(s)

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Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)

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William IV (1765-1837), King of the United Kingdom and King of Hanover (1830-1837), Duke of Clarence and St Andrews (1789-1830), Admiral (1798), Admiral of the Fleet (1811), Lord High Admiral (1827-1828), 1837

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17