Hallelujah

Hallelujah (/ˌhælɪˈluːjə/ HAL-ə-LOO-yə) is an English interjection. It is a transliteration of the original Hebrew word הַלְּלוּיָהּ (Modern halleluya, Tiberian halləlûyāh).

Kelley explains that this Hebrew word is composed of two elements: הַלְּלוּ (second-person imperative masculine plural form of the Hebrew verb hillel: an exhortation to "praise" addressed to several people^[1]) and יָהּ (the name of God Jah or Yah).^[2]^[3]^[4] The Septuagint translates Yah as Kyrios (the LORD).

Most well-known Christian versions of the Hebrew Bible translate the Hebrew "Hallelujah" (as at Psalm 150:1) as two Hebrew words, generally rendered as "Praise (ye)" and "the LORD", but the second word is given as "Yah" in the Lexham English Bible and Young's Literal Translation, "Jah" in the New World Translation, "Jehovah" in the American Standard Version. Instead of a translation, the transliteration "Hallelujah" is used by JPS Tanakh, International Standard Version, Darby Translation, God's Word Translation, Holman Christian Standard Bible, and The Message. The Greek-influenced form "Alleluia" appears in Wycliffe's Bible, the Knox Version and the New Jerusalem Bible.

In Psalm 150:6 the Hebrew reads hallel yah; twice ^[5] It appears in the Hebrew Bible as הללו-יה and הללו יה. In Psalm 148:1 the Hebrew says "הללו יה hallelu yah".

In the great song of praise to God for his triumph over the Whore of Babylon^[6] in chapter 19 of the New Testament book of Revelation, the Greek word ἀλληλούϊα (allēluia), a transliteration of the same Hebrew word, appears four times, as an expression of praise rather than an exhortation to praise.^[7] In English translations this is mostly rendered as "Hallelujah",^[8] but as "Alleluia" in several translations,^[9] while a few have "Praise the Lord",^[10] "Praise God",^[11] "Praise our God",^[12] or "Thanks to our God".^[13]

Hallelujah is found twice in Psalm 150:6; and the Greek transliteration ἀλληλούϊα appears in the Septuagint version of these Psalms, in Tobit 13:17 and 3 Maccabees 7:13 and four times in Revelation 19.^[7] The word is used in Christian prayer,^[6] where since the earliest times^[7] it is used in various ways in liturgies,^[14] especially those of the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church,^[15] both of which use the form "alleluia".

In the Hebrew Bible

The term is used 24 times in the Hebrew Bible (mainly in the book of Psalms, e.g. 111–117, 145–150, where it starts and concludes a number of Psalms).

Usage by Jews

הַלְּלוּיָהּ appears often in Jewish daily liturgy and also in liturgy for special occasions referred to as the Hallel.

In the Christian Bible

It is used four times in Greek transliteration in the Christian Book of Revelation.^[6]

The Greek transliteration, ἀλληλούϊα (allēlouia) appears in Revelation 19:1–6, the great song of praise to God for his triumph over the Whore of Babylon.^[6] It is this usage that Charles Jennens extracted for the Hallelujah Chorus in Handel's Messiah.

In the Hebrew Bible hallelujah is actually a two-word phrase, not one word. The first part, hallelu, is the second-person imperative masculine plural form of the Hebrew verb hillel.^[1] However, "hallelujah" means more than simply "praise Jah" or "praise Yah", as the word hallel in Hebrew means a joyous praise in song, to boast in God. Hallel could also refer to someone who acts madly or foolishly.^[16]^[17] The word hallelujah can be translated as "Praise Yah" or "Praise Jah, you people".^[2]^[14]^[18]

Usage by Christians

For most Christians, "Hallelujah" is considered a joyful word of praise to God, rather than an injunction to praise him. "The Alleluia" refers to a traditional chant, combining the word with verses from the Psalms or other scripture. In the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, and in many older Protestant denominations, the Alleluia, along with the Gloria in excelsis Deo, is not spoken or sung in liturgy during the season of Lent, instead being replaced by a Lenten acclamation, while in Eastern Churches, Alleluia is chanted throughout Lent at the beginning of the Matins service, replacing the Theos Kyrios, which is considered more joyful. At the Easter service and throughout the Pentecostarion, Christos anesti is used in the place where Hallelujah is chanted in the western rite.

In contemporary worship among many Protestants, expressions of "Hallelujah" and "Praise the Lord" are acceptable spontaneous expressions of joy, thanksgiving and praise towards God, requiring no specific prompting or call or direction from those leading times of praise and singing.^[19]

In the Book of Revelation Chapter 19 we read " After this I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying: Alleluia! Salvation, glory and might belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments..... A voice coming from the throne said: "Praise our God, all you his servants, and you who revere him, small and great." Then I heard something like the sound of a great multitude or the sound of rushing water or mighty peals of thunder, as they said: Alleluia! The Lord has established his reign, our God, the almighty. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory..."

Usage in informal language

In modern English, "Hallelujah" is frequently spoken to express happiness that a thing hoped or waited for has happened.^[20] An example is its use in the song "Get Happy".

References

^ ^a ^b Page H. Kelley, Biblical Hebrew, an Introductory Grammar, page 169. Ethics & Public Policy Center, 1959. ISBN 978-0-8028-0598-0.
^ ^a ^b Hallelujah, also spelled Alleluia, Encyclopædia Britannica
^ Brown-Driver-Briggs (Hebrew and English Lexicon, page 238)
^ page 403, note on line 1 of Psalm 113, Alter, Robert (2007). The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-06226-7.
^ All quotes from the Hebrew are taken from Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, EDITIO FUNDITUS RENOVATA, cooperantibus H. P. Ruger et J. Ziegler ediderunt K. Elliger et W. Rudolph, Textum Masoreticum curavit H. P. Ruger MASORAM ELABORAVIT G. E. WEIL, Editio quinta emendata opera A. Schenker, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Woods, F. H. (1902). "Hallelujah". In James Hastings (ed.). A Dictionary of the Bible. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 287.
^ ^a ^b ^c Scott Nash, "Hallelujah" in Mercer Dictionary of the Bible (Mercer University Press 1990 ISBN 978-0-86554373-7), p. 355
^ Variants of "Hallelujah" in this context are "Hallelujah (praise the Lord)" in the Amplified Bible and "Halleluyah" in Complete Jewish Bible
^ King James Version and its recent revisions, the 21st Century King James Version and the New King James Version, the Douay-Rheims Bible, the Knox Version, the New Jerusalem Bible, the Phillips New Testament, Wycliffe's Bible, and Young's Literal Translation.
^ Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (LORD)
^ Good News Translation
^ Worldwide English (New Testament)
^ New Life Version
^ ^a ^b Alter, Robert (2007). The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-06226-7.
^ Andrew McGowan, "Alleluia" in The New Scm Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship (Hymns Ancient & Modern 2002 ISBN 978-0-33402883-3), p. 6
^ George Fohrer. Hebrew and Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament, under הלל. Walter de Gruyter, 1973. ISBN 978-3-11-004572-7.
^ Joseph Samuel C.F. Frey, A Hebrew, Latin, and English dictionary, 1815, entry for הלל on page 254
^ "Do You Know God by Name?" watchtower.org. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
^ At Pipe Organ Pizza, a pipeline for prayers, Milwaukee Journal, July 12, 1981
^ Hallelujah definition in Macmillan Dictionary

External links

The dictionary definition of hallelujah at Wiktionary

[Kelley169-1] Page H. Kelley, Biblical Hebrew, an Introductory Grammar, page 169. Ethics & Public Policy Center, 1959. ISBN 978-0-8028-0598-0.

[EBHallelujah-2] Hallelujah, also spelled Alleluia, Encyclopædia Britannica

[3] Brown-Driver-Briggs (Hebrew and English Lexicon, page 238)

[4] 403, note on line 1 of Psalm 113, Alter, Robert (2007). The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-06226-7.

[5] All quotes from the Hebrew are taken from Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, EDITIO FUNDITUS RENOVATA, cooperantibus H. P. Ruger et J. Ziegler ediderunt K. Elliger et W. Rudolph, Textum Masoreticum curavit H. P. Ruger MASORAM ELABORAVIT G. E. WEIL, Editio quinta emendata opera A. Schenker, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft.

[Woods-6] Woods, F. H. (1902). "Hallelujah". In James Hastings (ed.). A Dictionary of the Bible. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 287.

[Mercer-7] Scott Nash, "Hallelujah" in Mercer Dictionary of the Bible (Mercer University Press 1990 ISBN 978-0-86554373-7), p. 355

[8] Variants of "Hallelujah" in this context are "Hallelujah (praise the Lord)" in the Amplified Bible and "Halleluyah" in Complete Jewish Bible

[9] King James Version and its recent revisions, the 21st Century King James Version and the New King James Version, the Douay-Rheims Bible, the Knox Version, the New Jerusalem Bible, the Phillips New Testament, Wycliffe's Bible, and Young's Literal Translation.

[10] Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (LORD)

[11] Good News Translation

[12] Worldwide English (New Testament)

[13] New Life Version

[alter-14] Alter, Robert (2007). The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-06226-7.

[15] Andrew McGowan, "Alleluia" in The New Scm Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship (Hymns Ancient & Modern 2002 ISBN 978-0-33402883-3), p. 6

[16] George Fohrer. Hebrew and Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament, under הלל. Walter de Gruyter, 1973. ISBN 978-3-11-004572-7.

[17] Joseph Samuel C.F. Frey, A Hebrew, Latin, and English dictionary, 1815, entry for הלל on page 254

[wt_hallelujah-18] "Do You Know God by Name?" watchtower.org. Retrieved 17 April 2012.

[19] At Pipe Organ Pizza, a pipeline for prayers, Milwaukee Journal, July 12, 1981

[20] Hallelujah definition in Macmillan Dictionary

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]