Hallelujah
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Hallelujah (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell) is a transliteration of the Hebrew word Template:Lang (Modern halleluya, Tiberian halləlûyāh), which is composed of two elements: Template:Lang (second-person imperative masculine plural form of the Hebrew verb hallal: 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 Template:Lang (Yah).<ref name=EBHallelujah>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, Template:Cite book</ref>
Most well-known English versions of the Hebrew Bible translate the Hebrew "Hallelujah" (as at Template:Bibleverse) as two Hebrew words, generally rendered as "Praise (ye)" and "the Template:LORD", but the second word is given as "Yah" in the Lexham English Bible and Young's Literal Translation, "Jehovah" in the American Standard Version, and "Hashem" in the Orthodox Jewish Bible. 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, 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 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>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>
הַלְּלוּיָהּ is found 24 times in the book of Psalms, and the Greek transliteration ἀλληλούϊα appears in the Septuagint version of these Psalms, in Template:Bibleverse and Template:Bibleverse and four times in Template:Bibleverse.<ref name=Mercer/> The word is used in Judaism as part of the Hallel prayers, and in Christian prayer,<ref name=Woods>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> where since the earliest times<ref name=Mercer/> it is used in various ways in liturgies,<ref name=alter>Template:Cite book</ref> especially those of the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church,<ref>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".
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In the Bible
The term is used 24 times in the Hebrew Bible (mainly in the book of Psalms, e.g. Template:Bibleverse-nb, Template:Bibleverse-nb, where it starts and concludes a number of Psalms) and four times in Greek transliteration in the Christian Book of Revelation.<ref name=Woods/>
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 name="Kelley169"/> However, "hallelujah" means more than simply "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, entry for הלל on page 254</ref>
The second part, 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>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 Template:LORD), because of the Jewish custom of replacing the sacred name with "Adonai", meaning "the Lord".
In Template:Bibleverse 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> It appears in the Hebrew Bible as הללו-יה and הללו יה. In Template:Bibleverse 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 Template:Bibleverse "who rides upon the deserts by his name Yah" and Template:Bibleverse "Yah is my strength and song". It also often appears at the end of Israelite theophoric names 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">"Do You Know God by Name?" watchtower.org. Retrieved 17 April 2012.</ref>
The Greek transliteration, ἀλληλούϊα (allēlouia) appears in Template:Bibleverse, the great song of praise to God for his triumph over the Whore of Babylon.<ref name=Woods/>
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>
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.<ref>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>Hallelujah definition in Macmillan Dictionary</ref> An example is its use in the song "Get Happy".
See also
- Alhamdulillah (Al-ḥamdu lillaah) (Arabic: الحمد لله), similar Arabic phrase used by Muslims and by Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians
- Subhan'Allah (Subḥaanallaah) (Arabic: سبحان الله), Arabic phrase used by Muslims
- Hallelujah Chorus
- Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen song)
