Edit filter log

'{{Short description|Religious interjection}} {{about||the Leonard Cohen song|Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen song) |other uses|Hallelujah (disambiguation)}} [[File:Hallelu Yah.JPG|thumb|900px|''Hallelujah'' written in [[Modern Hebrew]]]] '''''Hallelujah''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|h|æ|l|ə|ˈ|l|uː|j|ə}} {{respell|HAL|ə|LOO|yə}}; {{lang-hbo|{{Script/Hebr|הַלְלוּ־יָהּ}}|{{lang|he|hallū-Yāh}}}}, [[Modern Hebrew|Modern]] {{lang-he|{{Script/Hebr|הַלְּלוּ־יָהּ}}|{{lang|he|halləlū-Yāh}}|praise [[Jah|Yah]]}}) is an [[interjection]] from the [[Hebrew]] language, used as an expression of gratitude to God.<ref name="Young1993"/><ref name="Hardon1985"/> The term is used 24 times in the [[Hebrew Bible|Tanakh]] (in the book of [[Psalms]]), twice in [[deuterocanonical books]], and four times in the Christian [[Book of Revelation]].<ref name="Woods" /> The phrase is used in [[Judaism]] as part of the [[Hallel]] prayers, and in Christian prayer,<ref name="Woods">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Woods|first=F. H. |editor=James Hastings |editor-link=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 |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 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/bookofpsalmstran0000unse }}</ref> especially those of the [[Catholic Church]], the [[Lutheran Church]]es 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><ref name="Fakes1994">{{cite book |last1=Fakes |first1=Dennis R. |title=Exploring Our Lutheran Liturgy |date=1994 |publisher=CSS Publishing |isbn=978-1-55673-596-7 |page=68 |language=en}}</ref> the three of which use the Latin form [[alleluia]] which is based on the alternative Greek transliteration.<ref name="Young1993">{{cite book |last1=Young |first1=Carlton R. |title=Companion to the United Methodist Hymnal |date=1993 |publisher=Abingdon Press |isbn=978-0-687-09260-4 |page=204 |language=en |quote=Alleluia is the Latin form of Hallelujah, an acclamation formed by joining "Hallelu" (to praise) with the first syllable in a Hebrew name for God, Yahweh.}}</ref> ==Etymology== Hallelujah is a [[transliteration]] of {{lang-he|הַלְלוּ יָהּ}} ({{transliteration|he|hallū yāh}}), which means "praise ye Jah!" (from {{Script/Hebrew|הַלְלוּ}}, "praise ye!" <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 {{Script/Hebrew|יָהּ}}, "Jah".)<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 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/bookofpsalmstran0000unse }}</ref> The word ''hallēl'' in Hebrew means a joyous praise in song. The second part, Yah, is a shortened form of [[Tetragrammaton|YHWH]] ([[Yahweh]] or [[Jehovah]] in modern English). ==Interpretation== In the [[Hebrew Bible]] ''hallelujah'' is actually a two-word phrase, ''hal(e)lu-Yah'', and not one word. The first part, ''hallu'', is the second-person imperative masculine plural form of the Hebrew verb ''hillel''.<ref name="Kelley169"/> The phrase "hallelujah" translates to "praise Jah/Yah",<ref name="Hardon1985">{{cite book |last1=Hardon |first1=John |title=Pocket Catholic Dictionary: Abridged Edition of Modern Catholic Dictionary |date=4 September 1985 |publisher=Crown Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-385-23238-8 |page=13 |language=en |quote=Alleluia. Hebrew ''hallelujah'' "praise Yahweh".}}</ref><ref name="GreenmanSumner2004">{{cite book |last1=Greenman |first1=Jeffrey P. |last2=Sumner |first2=George R. |title=Unwearied Praises: Exploring Christian Faith Through Classic Hymns |date=2004 |publisher=Clements Publishing Group |isbn=978-1-894667-48-7 |page=84 |language=en |quote=The term "Alleluia" or "Hallelujah" represents a call to praise derived from the Hebrew "Hallelu Yah" (a shortened form for Yahweh), which simply means, "Praise the Lord." It is common for Psalms used in Temple worship to begin and end with "Alleluia". Likewise, in the New Testament's description of heavenly worship, we find "Hallelujah" as the centre of the multitude's "roar" of praise. They sum up creation's praise by singing: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!" (Revelation 19:6-7) Given the prominence of "Alleluia" as a biblical form of praise, it is no surprise that one of the greatest Easter hymns, "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" repeats "Alleluia" at the end of each line.}}</ref> though it carries a deeper meaning as the word ''halel'' in Hebrew means a joyous praise in song, to boast in God.<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]], and is a shortened form of his name "God, Jah, or Jehovah".<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 in non-Jewish sources as "[[Yahweh]]" or "[[Jehovah]]". The [[Septuagint]] translates Yah as ''[[Kyrios]]'' (the {{LORD}}, stylized in all-capitals in English),<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is the difference between lord, Lord and LORD? {{!}} AHRC |url=https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/god-yhwh/difference-between-lord-Lord-and-LORD.htm |access-date=2024-04-14 |website=www.ancient-hebrew.org}}</ref> because of the Jewish custom of replacing the sacred name with "[[Names of God in Judaism#Adonai|Adonai]]", meaning "my Lord". In {{bibleverse||Psalm|150:6|HE}} the Hebrew reads ''kol han'shamah t'halel yah hallu-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 [[Psalm|148]]:1 the Hebrew says ''hallu Yah hallu eth-YHWH'', notably including both the shortened ''Yah'' and the full name of ''YHWH''. Most well-known English versions of the [[Hebrew Bible]] translate the Hebrew "Hallelujah" (as at {{bibleverse|Psalm|150:1|HE}}) as "Praise the {{LORD}}", though "{{LORD}}" is instead translated as "Yah" in the [[Lexham English Bible]], [[Young's Literal Translation]], and [[Literal Standard Version]], "[[Jah]]" in the [[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures|New World Translation]], "Jehovah" in the [[American Standard Version]], and "[[Names of God in Judaism#HaShem|HaShem]]" in the [[Jewish English Bible translations#ArtScroll Tanach series|Artscroll Tanach (Orthodox Jewish)]]. Rather than directly translating it, the [[JPS Tanakh]], [[International Standard Version]], [[Darby Translation]], [[God's Word Translation]], [[Holman Christian Standard Bible]], and [[The Message (Bible)|The Message]] render the term as "Hallelujah", 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 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&dq=hallelujah+Hebrew&pg=PA355 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> The linguist [[Ghil'ad Zuckermann]] argues that the word ''Hallelujah'' is usually not replaced by a ''praise God!'' translation due to the belief in [[iconicity]]: the perception that there is something intrinsic about the relationship between the sound of the word and its meaning.<ref>[[Ghil'ad Zuckermann|Zuckermann, Ghil'ad]] (2003), [[Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew]]. [[Palgrave Macmillan]]. {{ISBN|9781403917232}} / {{ISBN|9781403938695}} [http://www.palgrave.com/br/book/9781403917232]</ref>{{rp|62}} ==In the Bible== [[File:Hallelujah,_manuscript_on_parchmen_france.jpg|thumb|13th century French manuscript; the words "Hallelu-Yah" at the end of [[Psalm 148]] and at the start of [[Psalm 149]] appear above and below the man's left-pointing hand.]] [[File:Two times "Hallelujah" - Hallelujah, manuscript on parchmen france (cropped).jpg|thumb|Two times "Hallelu-Yah" (הַלְלוּ יָהּ), cropped from the manuscript page above. French 13th century.]] הַלְלוּיָהּ is found in 24 verses in the [[Book of Psalms]]<ref>Psalm 104:35; 105:45; 106:1, 48; 111:1; 112:1; 113:1, 9; 115:18; 116:19; 117:2; 135:1, 3, 21; 146:1, 10; 147:1, 20; 148:1, 14; 149:1, 9; 150:1, 6.</ref> ({{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]]''. This transliteration is the basis of the alternative Latin transliteration "Alleluia" that is also used by Christians.<ref name="Young1993"/> == 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>[https://www.sefaria.org/Shabbat.118b?lang=bi Shabbat 118b], [[Sefaria]]</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 Francisco, 2004; pages 25-26.</ref> In addition, on the [[three Pilgrimage Festivals]], the [[Rosh Chodesh|new moon]] and [[Hanukkah]], Psalms 113-118 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 (prayer)|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 Francisco, 2004; page 33.</ref> == Usage by Christians == {{Further|Alleluia}} [[File:Christian mass singing hallelujah.ogg|thumb|[[Christian Mass]], singing Hallelujah]] For most [[Christians]], "Hallelujah" is considered a joyful word of [[praise]] to God, rather than an injunction to praise him. The word "[[Alleluia]]", a Latin derivative of the Hebrew phrase "Hallelujah" has been used in the same manner, though in [[Christian liturgy]], the "Alleluia" specifically refers to a traditional chant, combining the word with verses from the Psalms or other scripture. In the [[Latin liturgical rites]] of the [[Catholic Church]], and in many older [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denominations, such as the [[Lutheran Church]]es, 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Why_don't_we_use_alleluias_during_Lent.pdf|title=Why don't we use alleluias during Lent?|year=2013|publisher=[[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]]|language=en|access-date=22 March 2018}}</ref> 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 day-to-day situations, the expressions of "Hallelujah" and "Praise the Lord" are used by Christians as spontaneous expressions of joy, thanksgiving and praise towards God.<ref name="Meacock2022">{{cite book |last1=Meacock |first1=Ron |title=Glimpse of Glory: Understanding Revelation |date=31 August 2022 |publisher=WestBow Press |isbn=978-1-6642-7420-4 |language=en |quote=Hallelujah and “Praise the Lord” have become acceptable spontaneous expressions of joy, thanksgiving, and praise towards God in many Christian denominations.}}</ref> In [[contemporary worship]] services across denominational lines, the use of these jubilatory phrases require 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] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313051757/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RE4aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wykEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7023,223759&dq=spontaneous+hallelujah+praise-the-lord&hl=en |date=2016-03-13 }}, ''[[Milwaukee Journal]]'', July 12, 1981</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Charismatic Catholicism is alive and well |url=https://cruxnow.com/faith/2014/09/charismatic-catholicism-is-alive-and-well |publisher=[[Crux (online newspaper)|Crux]] |access-date=12 December 2022 |language=en |date=26 September 2014 |quote=The appeal of charismatic prayer “starts with praise and worship,” said Mr. Soares, who is now director of Charismatic Renewal Services for the Archdiocese of Boston. “But as you get deeper, you start to see other things besides just the amen and hallelujah. You see people more rooted in their history.”}}</ref> In [[Methodist]] worship, "Hallelujah!" is a frequently used [[ejaculatory prayer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jesus.org.uk/blog/radical-christian-history/shouting-methodists|title=Shouting Methodists|date=20 January 2007|publisher=Jesus Fellowship|language=en|access-date=3 April 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222082112/https://jesus.org.uk/blog/radical-christian-history/shouting-methodists/|archive-date=22 December 2018}}</ref> == In popular culture == 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]]". "[[Hallelujah (Milk and Honey song)|Hallelujah]]" was the winning song of the [[Eurovision Song Contest 1979]], performed in Hebrew by [[Milk and Honey (Israeli group)|Milk and Honey]], including [[Gali Atari]], for [[Israel]]. [[Leonard Cohen]]'s 1984 song [[Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen song)|"Hallelujah"]] was initially rejected by Columbia Records for lacking commercial appeal, was popularized through covers by [[John Cale]] (1991) and [[Jeff Buckley]] (1994), achieved "modern ubiquity" after its inclusion in the animated movie ''[[Shrek]]'' (2001), and reached the ''Billboard'' charts upon Cohen's death in 2016.<ref name=Guardian_20220629>{{cite news |last1=LeDonne |first1=Rob |title='More than a song': the enduring power of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jun/29/hallelujah-leonard-cohen-documentary |work=The Guardian |date=June 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703101529/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jun/29/hallelujah-leonard-cohen-documentary |archive-date=July 3, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref> == See also == * [[Praise the Lord (greeting)|Praise the Lord]], a greeting phrase used by many Christians * [[Alleluia]], the Christian liturgical chant * ''[[Alhamdulillah]]'' ({{lang|ar|ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ}}), similar Arabic phrase used by [[Muslim]]s and by Arabic-speaking [[Jews]] and [[Christians]] * ''[[Takbir|Allahu Akbar]]'' ({{lang|ar|ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ}}), similar Arabic phrase * ''[[Tasbih|Subhan Allah]]'' ({{lang|ar|سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّٰهِ}}), similar Arabic phrase * "[[My Sweet Lord]]", a 1970 song by George Harrison which includes hallelujah along with [[Hare Krishna (mantra)|Hare Krishna]] == References == {{Reflist|30em}} == External links == {{wikiquote}} * {{wiktionary-inline}} {{Psalms}} {{Authority control}} [[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]] [[Category:English words]]'