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'{{Other uses}} '''Hallelujah''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|h|æ|l|ɪ|ˈ|l|uː|j|ə}} {{respell|HAL|i|LOO|yə}}) is an English [[interjection]]. It is a [[transliteration]] of the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] word {{lang|he|הַלְּלוּיָהּ}} ([[Modern Hebrew|Modern]] ''halleluya'', [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]] ''halləlûyāh''), which is composed of two elements: {{lang|he|הַלְּלוּ}} (second-person imperative masculine plural form of the Hebrew verb ''hillel'': an exhortation to "praise" addressed to several people<ref name="Kelley169">Page H. Kelley, ''[[Biblical Hebrew]], an Introductory Grammar'', page 169. Ethics & Public Policy Center, 1959. {{ISBN|978-0-8028-0598-0}}.</ref>) and {{lang|he|יָהּ}} (the name of God [[Jah]] or [[Names of God in Judaism#Yah|Yah]]).<ref name=EBHallelujah>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/252791/hallelujah Hallelujah, also spelled Alleluia], ''Encyclopædia Britannica''</ref><ref>Brown-Driver-Briggs (Hebrew and English Lexicon, page 238)</ref><ref>page 403, note on line 1 of Psalm 113, {{Cite book | publisher = W. W. Norton & Company | isbn = 978-0-393-06226-7 | last = Alter | first = Robert | title = The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary | date = 2007}}</ref> The term is used 24 times in the [[Hebrew Bible]] (in the book of [[Psalms]]), twice in [[deuterocanonical books]], and four times in the Christian [[Book of Revelation]].<ref name=Woods/> The word is used in [[Judaism]] as part of the [[Hallel]] prayers, and in Christian prayer,<ref name=Woods>{{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= |year=1902 |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons <!-- |volume=2 (Feign-Kinsman) --> |location=New York |page=287 }}</ref> where since the earliest times<ref name=Mercer/> it is used in various ways in [[liturgy|liturgies]],<ref name=alter>{{Cite book | publisher = W. W. Norton & Company | isbn = 978-0-393-06226-7 | last = Alter | first = Robert | title = The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary | year = 2007 }}</ref> especially those of the [[Catholic Church]] and the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]],<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZrVDmaXP6HEC&pg=PA6 Andrew McGowan, "Alleluia" in ''The New Scm Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship''] (Hymns Ancient & Modern 2002 {{ISBN|978-0-33402883-3}}), p. 6</ref> both of which use the form "alleluia". ==In the Bible== הַלְּלוּיָהּ is found in 23 verses in the [[Book of Psalms]] ({{bibleverse-nb||Psalms|104–106|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Psalms|111–117|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Psalms|135|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Psalms|145–150|HE}}), but twice in Psalm 150:6. It starts and concludes a number of Psalms. The [[Greek language|Greek]] transliteration ἀλληλούϊα (''allēlouia'') appears in the [[Septuagint]] version of these Psalms, in {{bibleverse||Tobit|13:17|NRSV}} and {{bibleverse|3|Maccabees|7:13|NRSV}}, and four times in {{bibleverse||Revelation|19:1–6}}, the great song of praise to God for his triumph over the [[Whore of Babylon]].<ref name=Woods/><ref name=Mercer/> It is this usage that [[Charles Jennens]] extracted for the [[Hallelujah Chorus]] in [[Handel]]'s ''[[Messiah (Handel)|Messiah]]''.hallelujah also can mean like praise the lord almighty! ==Interpretation== 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''.<ref name="Kelley169"/> 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.<ref>George Fohrer. ''Hebrew and Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament'', under הלל. Walter de Gruyter, 1973. {{ISBN|978-3-11-004572-7}}.</ref><ref>Joseph Samuel C.F. Frey, ''A Hebrew, Latin, and English dictionary'', 1815, [https://books.google.com/books?id=TVwUAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA254 entry for הלל on page 254]</ref> The second part, [[Names of God in Judaism#Yah|Yah]], is a shortened form of [[YHWH]], the name for the Creator.<ref name=Woods/> The name ceased to be pronounced in [[Second Temple Judaism]], by the 3rd century BC due to religious beliefs.<ref>[[Stephen L. Harris|Harris, Stephen L.]] Understanding the Bible: a reader's introduction, 2nd ed. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. page 21.</ref> The correct pronunciation is not known, however, it is sometimes rendered by Christians as "[[Yahweh]]" or "[[Jehovah]]". The [[Septuagint]] translates Yah as Kyrios (the {{LORD}}), because of the Jewish custom of replacing the sacred name with "[[Names of God in Judaism#Adonai|Adonai]]", meaning "the Lord". In {{bibleverse||Psalm|150:6|HE}} the Hebrew reads ''kol han'shamah t'hallel yah halelu-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 first "hallel" and "yah" in this verse are two separate words, and the word "yah" is translated as "the LORD", or "YHWH". 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 skies 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".<ref name=Woods/> The word ''hallelujah'' occurring in the Psalms is therefore a request for a congregation to join in praise toward God. It can be translated as "Praise Yah" or "Praise [[Jah]], you people".<ref name=EBHallelujah/><ref name=alter/><ref name="wt hallelujah">[https://web.archive.org/web/20090226045835/http://watchtower.org/e/20040122/article_02.htm "Do You Know God by Name?"] watchtower.org. Retrieved 17 April 2012.</ref> Most well-known English versions of the [[Hebrew Bible]] translate the Hebrew "Hallelujah" (as at {{bibleverse|Psalm|150:1|HE}}) 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 of the Holy Scriptures|New World Translation]], "Jehovah" in the [[American Standard Version]], and "Hashem" in the [[Jewish English Bible translations#ArtScroll Tanach series|Artscroll Tanach (Orthodox Jewish)]]. 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 (Bible)|The Message]], with the spelling "Halleluyah" appearing in the [[Complete Jewish Bible]]. The Greek-influenced form "Alleluia" appears in [[Wycliffe's Bible]], the [[Knox Version]] and the [[New Jerusalem Bible]]. In the great song of praise to God for his triumph over the [[Whore of Babylon]]<ref name=Woods/> in [[Revelation 19|chapter 19]] of the [[New Testament]] book of [[Book of Revelation|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.<ref name=Mercer>[https://books.google.com/books?id=goq0VWw9rGIC&pg=PA355&dq=hallelujah+Hebrew&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1J8GUbOpIIK7hAfwu4CACQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=hallelujah%20Hebrew&f=false Scott Nash, "Hallelujah" in ''Mercer Dictionary of the Bible''] (Mercer University Press 1990 {{ISBN|978-0-86554373-7}}), p. 355</ref> In English translations this is mostly rendered as "Hallelujah",<ref>Variants of "Hallelujah" in this context are "Hallelujah (praise the Lord)" in the [[Amplified Bible]] and "Halleluyah" in [[Complete Jewish Bible]]</ref> but as "Alleluia" in several translations,<ref>[[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.</ref> while a few have "Praise the Lord",<ref>Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (LORD)</ref> "Praise God",<ref>Good News Translation</ref> "Praise our God",<ref>Worldwide English (New Testament)</ref> or "Thanks to our God".<ref>New Life Version</ref> == Usage by Jews == The word "hallelujah" is sung as part of the Hallel Psalms (interspersed between Psalms 113–150).<ref>[[David E. Garland]], ''Psalms'', Volume 5 of ''The Expositor's Bible Commentary'', page 62.</ref> In [[Tractate Shabbat]] of the Talmud, [[Rabbi Yose]] is quoted as saying that the [[Pesukei dezimra]] Psalms should be recited daily.<ref>[http://come-and-hear.com/shabbath/shabbath_118.html#118b_18 Shabbat 118b]</ref> Psalms 145-150, also known as the [[Hallel (pesukei dezimra)|Hallel of pesukei dezimra]], are included to fulfill this requirement in the liturgy for the traditional Jewish [[Shacharit]] (morning) service.<ref>Scott-Martin Kosofsky, [https://books.google.com/books?id=TsJ8rQFVnJcC&pg=PA25 The Book of Customs], Harper San Fransisco, 2004; pages 25-26.</ref> In addition, on the [[three Pilgrimage Festivals]], the [[Rosh Chodesh|new moon]] and [[Hanukkah]], Psalms 115-118 are recited.<ref>Elie Munk, [https://books.google.com/books?id=BskCNUhALp8C&pg=PA129 The World of Prayer, Vol. 2, Revised ed.], Feldheim, Jerusalem, 2007; pages 129-133.</ref> The latter psalms are known simply as [[Hallel]] with no additional qualification. {{Bibleverse|Psalms|146:10|He}}, ending with Halleluja, is the third and final biblical quotation in the [[Kedushah]]. This expanded version of the third blessing in the [[Amidah]] is said during the [[Shacharit]] and [[Mincha]] (morning and afternoon) services when there is a [[minyan]] present.<ref>Scott-Martin Kosofsky, [https://books.google.com/books?id=TsJ8rQFVnJcC&pg=PA33 The Book of Customs], Harper San Fransisco, 2004; page 33.</ref> == Usage by Christians == {{Main article|Alleluia}} For most [[Christians]], "Hallelujah" is considered a joyful word of [[praise]] to God, rather than an injunction to praise him. "'''The [[Alleluia (chant)|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 [[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#Religion|acclamation]], while in [[Eastern Christianity|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]], [[Paschal greeting|Christos anesti]] is used in the place where Hallelujah is chanted in the [[Latin liturgical rites|western rite]] expressing happiness. 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.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RE4aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wykEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7023,223759&dq=spontaneous+hallelujah+praise-the-lord&hl=en At Pipe Organ Pizza, a pipeline for prayers], ''[[Milwaukee Journal]]'', July 12, 1981</ref> == Usage in informal language == In modern English, "Hallelujah" is frequently spoken to express happiness that a thing hoped or waited for has happened.<ref>[http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/american/hallelujah Hallelujah] definition in [[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]] Dictionary</ref> An example is its use in the song "[[Get Happy (song)|Get Happy]]". == See also == * [[Alleluia]], liturgical chant * [[Alhamdulillah]] (Al-ḥamdu lillaah) (Arabic: الحمد لله), similar Arabic phrase used by [[Muslim]]s and by Arabic-speaking [[Jews]] and [[Christians]] * [[Subhan Allah]] (Subḥaanallaah) (Arabic: سبحان الله), Arabic phrase used by Muslims; cf. ''Shoobho Aloho'' (Aramaic, "Praise God"), used by Eastern Syriac Churches, Maronite, Assyrian, Antiochian Orthodox and Chaldean churches * [[Takbir]] * [[Hallelujah Chorus]] == References == {{Reflist|30em}} == External links == * {{wiktionary-inline}} [[Category:Christian prayer]] [[Category:Hallel]] [[Category:Hebrew words and phrases in the Hebrew Bible]] [[Category:Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish prayers and blessings]] [[Category:New Testament Hebrew words and phrases]] [[Category:Psalms]]'