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'{{otheruses}} {{wiktionarypar|hallelujah|alleluia}} {{TOCright}} '''Hallelujah''', '''Halleluyah''' and the [[Latin]] form '''[[Alleluia]]''' are [[transliteration]]s of the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] word {{lang|he|הַלְּלוּיָהּ}} ([[Standard Hebrew|Standard]] ''Halleluya'', [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]] ''Halləlûyāh'') meaning "Praise ({{lang|he|הַלְּלוּ}}) Jehovah" or "Praise Yahweh" (from the first two letters of the [[Tetragrammaton]] [[יהוה]]) ({{lang|he|יָהּ}}) and is similar to the Arabic phrase ''[[Alhamdulillah]]'', used by [[Muslim]]s and by Arabic-speaking [[Jews]] and [[Christians]]. ''Hallelujah'' is found primarily in the book of [[Psalms]]. The word is used in [[Judaism]] as part of the [[Hallel]] prayers, and in Christian prayer, particularly in the [[Catholic Mass]]. It has been accepted into the [[English language]] and has a similar pronunciation in many other languages. ==In the Bible== The term is used 24 times in the [[Hebrew Bible]] (mainly in the book of [[Psalms]], e.g. {{bibleverse-nb||Psalms|111–117|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Psalms|145–150|HE}}, where it starts and concludes a number of Psalms) and four times in [[Greek language|Greek]] transliteration in the Christian [[Book of Revelation]]. The word ''hallelujah'' occurring in Psalms is a Hebrew request for a congregation to join in praise. It can be translated as "Praise Yahweh, you people", and is usually worded in English contexts as "Praise ye the LORD" or "Praise the LORD". This is not a direct translation, as [[Names of God in Judaism#Yah|Yah]] represents the first two letters of [[YHWH]], the name for the Creator, and not the title "lord".<ref>E.g. {{cite encyclopedia |last=Woods|first=F. H. |authorlink= |editor=[[James Hastings]] |encyclopedia=[[Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible|A Dictionary of the Bible]] |title=Hallelujah |url=http://www.ccel.org/ccel/hastings/dictv2/Page_287.html |accessdate= |date=1902 |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons |volume=2 (Feign-Kinsman) |location=New York |id= |page=287 }}</ref> To give fuller meaning in this context, ''Hallelujah'' could rightly be translated "Praise Yahweh", or "Praise Jehovah" (signified by ''Jah'').<ref>[[William Robertson Smith]] in his ''The Religion of the Semites'' suggested that the ''hallelujah'' originated as a cry made at the moment the throat of a sacrificial victim was cut.</ref> 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 ''hallal.''<ref>Page H. Kelley, ''[[Biblical Hebrew]], an Introductory Grammar,'' page 169. Ethics & Public Policy Center, 1959. ISBN 978-0-8028-0598-0.</ref> However, "hallelujah" means more than simply "praise Yah", as the word ''hallel'' in Hebrew means a joyous praise, to boast in God, or to act madly or foolishly.<ref>George Fohrer. ''Hebrew and Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament,'' under הלל. Walter de Gruyter, 1973. ISBN 978-3-11-004572-7.</ref> The second part, ''Yah,'' is a shortened form of Yahweh [[YHWH]], sometimes rendered in English as "[[Jehovah]]". The [[Septuagint]] translates Yah as Kyrios (the LORD). In {{bibleverse||Psalm|150:6|HE}} the Hebrew reads ''kol han'shamah t'hallel yah;''<ref>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.</ref> the final word ''"yah"'' is translated as "[[the LORD]]", or "YHWH". It appears in the Hebrew Bible as הללו~יה and הללו יה. In {{bibleverse||Psalm|148:1|HE}} the Hebrew says "הללו יה ''hallelu yah".'' It then says ''"hallelu eth-YHWH"'' as if using ''"yah"'' and "YHWH" interchangeably. The word ''"Yah"'' appears by itself as a divine name in poetry about 49 times in the Hebrew Bible (including ''hallelu yah''), such as in {{bibleverse||Psalm|68:4–5|HE}} "who rides upon the deserts by his name ''Yah"'' and {{bibleverse||Exodus|15:2|HE}} ''"Yah'' is my strength and song". It also often appears at the end of Israelite [[theophoric name]]s such as [[Isaiah]] ''"yeshayah(u),'' Yahweh is salvation" and [[Jeremiah]] ''"yirmeyah(u),'' Yahweh is exalted". ''Halelujah'' appears in Revelation 19 in Greek transliteration as "hallelouia" (ἁλληλουϊά), the great song of praise to God for his triumphant reign. This transliteration also appears in the Septuagint. ==Usage by Christians== For most [[Christians]], "Hallelujah" is considered a joyful word of [[praise]] to God, rather than an injunction to praise him. In the [[Latin Rite]] of the [[Catholic Church]], and in many older [[Protestantism|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 Christianity|Eastern Churches]], Alleluia is chanted throughout the Lent in the beginning of the [[Matins]] service, replacing the [[Theos Kyrios]], which is considered more joyful. At the Easter service and throughout the [[Pentecostarion]], [[Paschal greeting|Christos anesti]] is used in the place where Hallelujah is chanted in the [[Latin liturgical rites|western rite]]. Among many Protestant Christians, the 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. ==See also== *[[Subhan'Allah]] & [[Alhamdulillah]], two similar Arabic words meaning ''praise be to God'' *[[Messiah (Handel)#"Hallelujah"|Hallelujah Chorus]] *[[Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen song)]] ==References== {{Reflist}} [[Category:Christian prayer]] [[Category:Christian terms]] [[Category:Hebrew words and phrases in the Hebrew Bible]] [[Category:New Testament Hebrew words and phrases]] [[Category:Psalms]] [[ar:هللويا]] [[ca:Al·leluia]] [[cs:Aleluja]] [[de:Halleluja]] [[el:Αλληλούια]] [[eo:Haleluja]] [[es:Aleluya]] [[fa:هله‌لویا]] [[fi:Halleluja]] [[fr:Alléluia]] [[he:הללויה]] [[hr:Aleluja]] [[ia:Alleluia]] [[id:Haleluya]] [[it:Alleluia]] [[ja:ハレルヤ]] [[ko:할렐루야]] [[ln:Aleluya]] [[lt:Aleliuja]] [[mr:हॅलेलुह्या]] [[ms:Hallelujah]] [[nl:Hallelujah]] [[nn:Halleluja]] [[no:Halleluja]] [[pl:Alleluja]] [[pt:Aleluia]] [[ro:Aleluia]] [[ru:Аллилуйя]] [[sc:Alleluia]] [[sk:Haleluja (slovo)]] [[sr:Алелуја]] [[sv:Halleluja]] [[th:ฮาลเลลูยาห์]] [[tl:Aleluya]] [[zh:哈利路亞]]'