What does hallelujah mean?
Hallelujah is a compound of two Hebrew words: halal (H1984), "to praise, to boast, to shine," and Yah (H3050), the shortened form of YHWH. Literally: "Praise Yah!" It is not an exclamation of feeling but an imperative — a summons addressed to others to join in praise.
In the Psalms the KJV translates the phrase rather than transliterating it:
“Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.”Psalms 150:1 (KJV)
In the New Testament the word crosses into Greek untranslated, where the KJV spells it "Alleluia" — the great shout of the redeemed:
“And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:”Revelation 19:1 (KJV)
So every time the word is sung, in any language, a fragment of God's own Hebrew name is being spoken: hallelu-YAH.
Trace halal (H1984) through the Psalms →Word studies behind this answer
More Bible questions
- • What was Jesus' real name in Hebrew?
- • What does agape love mean in the Bible?
- • What does YHWH mean? (God's name in the Bible)
- • What does Selah mean in the Psalms?
- • What does hosanna mean?
- • What birds did Noah send out from the ark?
Verse text quoted from the King James Version. Study any passage free at Ekdia — no ads, no subscriptions.