Seven Hebrew Words for Praise - Part 2

Seven Hebrew Words for Praise

1. HALLAL

1. HALLAL is a primary Hebrew root word for praise. Our word "hallelujah" comes from this base word. It means "to be clear, to praise, to shine, to boast, show, to rave, celebrate, to be clamorously foolish."

Psalm 113:1-3 Praise (hallal) ye the Lord, praise (hallal) o ye servants of the Lord, praise (hallal) the name of the Lord.

Psalm 113:1–3 NKJV

1 Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord! 2 Blessed be the name of the Lord From this time forth and forevermore! 3 From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord’s name is to be praised.

2. YADAH

2. YADAH is a verb with a root meaning, "the extended hand, to throw out the hand, therefore to worship with extended hand, to lift the hands."

According to the Lexicon, the opposite meaning is "to bemoan, the wringing of the hands."

2 Chronicles 20:21 Give thanks (yadah) to the Lord, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 63:1 So I will bless thee as long as I live; I will (yadah) lift up my hands in Thy name.

3. TOWDAH

3. TOWDAH comes from the same principle root word as yadah, but is used more specifically. Towdah literally means, "an extension of the hand in adoration, avowal, or acceptance."

By way of application, it is apparent in the Psalms and elsewhere that it is used for thanking God for "things not yet received" as well as things already at hand.

Psalm 50:14 Offer unto God praise (towdah) and pay thy vows unto the Most High.

Jeremiah 33:10 NKJV

10 “Thus says the Lord: ‘Again there shall be heard in this place—of which you say, “It is desolate, without man and without beast”—in the cities of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast,

Jeremiah 33:11 (NKJV)

11 the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: “Praise (yadah) the Lord of hosts, For the Lord is good, For His mercy endures forever”— and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise (towdah) into the house of the Lord. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,’ says the Lord.

4. SHABACH

4. SHABACH means, "to shout, to address in a loud tone, to command, to triumph."

Psalm 47:1 O clap your hands, all peoples; shout (shabach) to God with the voice of joy (or triumph).

Psalm 145:4 One generation shall praise (shabach) Thy works to another and declare Thy mighty acts.

Isaiah 12:6 Cry aloud and shout (shabach) for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

OTHER REFERENCES:

Psalm 63:3 NKJV

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You.

Psalm 117:1 NKJV

1 Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!

Psalm 145:4 NKJV

4 One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.

Ecclesiastes 4:2 NKJV

2 Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead, More than the living who are still alive.

5. BARAK

5. BARAK means "to kneel down, to bless God as an act of adoration, to salute."

Psalm 95:6 O come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel (barak) before the Lord our maker.

1 Chronicles 29:20 Then David said to all the assembly, "Now bless (barak) the Lord your God." And all the assembly blessed (barak) the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed low and did homage to the Lord and to the king.

Psalm 34:1 I will bless (barak) the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 34:2–3 NKJV

2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.

OTHER REFERENCES: Judges 5:2

Judges 5:2 NKJV

2 “When leaders lead in Israel, When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the Lord!

Psalm 72:15 NKJV

15 And He shall live; And the gold of Sheba will be given to Him; Prayer also will be made for Him continually, And daily He shall be praised.

Psalm 96:2 NKJV

2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

Psalm 103:1–2 NKJV

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:

6. ZAMAR

6. ZAMAR means "to pluck the strings of an instrument, to sing, to praise; a musical word which is largely involved with joyful expressions of music with musical instruments.

Psalm 21:13 Be exalted O Lord, in Thine own strength, so will we sing and praise (zamar) Thy power.

1Chronicles 16:9 Sing to Him, sing praises (zamar) to Him; speak of all His wonders.

Psalm 57:8-9 Awake my glory; awake harp and lyre, I will awaken the dawn! I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord among the peoples; I will sing praises (zamar) to Thee among the nations.

OTHER REFERENCES:

Judges 5:3 NKJV

3 “Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I, even I, will sing to the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.

2 Samuel 22:50 NKJV

50 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name.

Psalm 61:8 NKJV

8 So I will sing praise to Your name forever, That I may daily perform my vows.

Psalm 147:1 NKJV

1 Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.

Psalm 147:7 NKJV

7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; Sing praises on the harp to our God,

7. TEHILLAH

7. TEHILLAH is derived from the word halal and means "the singing of halals, to sing or to laud; perceived to involve music, especially singing; hymns of the Spirit or praise.”

Psalm 22:3 Yet Thou art holy, O Thou who art enthroned upon the praises (tehillah) of Israel.

Isaiah 61:3 To grant to those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise (tehillah) instead of the spirit of fainting, So they shall be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

OTHER REFERENCES:

Exodus 15:11 NKJV

11 “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Deuteronomy 10:21 NKJV

21 He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.

Nehemiah 9:5 NKJV

5 And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said: “Stand up and bless the Lord your God Forever and ever! “Blessed be Your glorious name, Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!

Psalm 9:14 NKJV

14 That I may tell of all Your praise In the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation.

Psalm 22:25 NKJV

25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.

Jeremiah 48:2 NKJV

2 No more praise of Moab. In Heshbon they have devised evil against her: ‘Come, and let us cut her off as a nation.’ You also shall be cut down, O Madmen! The sword shall pursue you;

Conclusion:

Matthew 4:4–11 NKJV

4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ” 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

The Three Temptations:

Sensual Gratification - Meeting your own need.

Materialistic Gratification - Look to other things/others to meet your need.

Authoritarian Gratification - Looking to power for fulfillment.

1 John 2:16 NKJV

16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

Romans 6:16–22 NKJV

16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.