7 Hebrew Words of Praise
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Introduction
Introduction
Today as we continue in the spiritual discipline of Worship we are going to talk about 7 different words. All of which are important words in the Hebrew. All of which are types of Praise to YHWH. They all are at some point translated in english as praise but they are not the same. They are very different words with very different meanings. In the LEB that I have been using lately for its literalness there are 252 instances of the word praise in the English and these seven words dominate the Hebrew.
Hallal
Hallal
Hallal is a primary Hebrew root word for praise. The Word “Hallelujah” come from this bas word. It means boast, brag, or rave about God even to the point of appearing foolish. It is the most common word for praise. It would relate to you at you favorite sports game screaming and carrying on.
Praise Yah!
Praise, O servants of Yahweh,
praise the name of Yahweh.
Let the name of Yahweh be blessed,
from now until forever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
let the name of Yahweh be blessed.
Praise (hallal) Yah - Halleluyah
Let them praise his name with dancing;
let them sing praises to him with tambourine and lyre.
Let hem praise(Hallal) His name
OTHER REFERENCES: Judges 16:24; 2 Samuel 14:25; 2 Chronicles 7:6; Ezra 3:10-11; Nehemiah 5:13; Psalms 18:3, 56:4, 63:5, 150:2-4; Isaiah 62:9; Jeremiah 20:13; Joel 2:26
The word is even used 4 times in the New Testament in Revelation 19:1-7
And I heard something like the sound of a great crowd and something like the sound of many waters and something like the sound of powerful thunder, saying,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord God, the All-Powerful, reigns!
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him the glory,
because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has prepared herself.
Unfortunately, for most of us, if we shout and scream and brag on God we may be labeled as fanatics, as if something is wrong with us.
Do we admire our God for who he is in our worship gatherings?
Do we shine the light on him or our own personal experience?
Are we willing to be emboldened enough in our public worship to “make a show” that displays our foolishness?
Yadah
Yadah
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."
And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed singers to Yahweh who were giving praise to the splendor of his holiness when they went out before the army. And they said, “Give thanks to Yahweh, for his loyal love is everlasting!”
Give thanks (yadah) to the Lord, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his loyal love
and his wonderful deeds for the children of humankind,
Oh that men would praise (yadah) the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men.
OTHER REFERENCES: Genesis 29:35, 49:8; 2 Chronicles 7:3,6; Psalms 67:3, 108:3; Isaiah 12:1,4; Jeremiah 33:11
Yadah pictures a three-year-old child, hands raised, running towards daddy, crying, “Hold me, daddy, hold me!”
Yadah is often translated as, “giving thanks.”
It is often a cry for help. Yadah praise is used when we are in desperate straits and need a victory from the Lord. Raising the hands is one of the most explosive and meaningful expressions of praise. Raising the hands is an international sign of surrender. A worshiping person raises hands in adoration and surrender to God.
Todah
Todah
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.
Thuse it is a word of Thanksgiving. and praise and a trust that God will deliver.
It is a type of sacrifice that is communal. We join our voices together in Todah (Praise)
Offer to God a thank offering
and pay your vows to the Most High.
Offer unto God praise (towdah) and pay thy vows unto the Most High. Psalm 50:23 Whoso offereth praise (towdah) glorifieth Me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
And they will come from the towns of Judah, and from all around Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the Shephelah, and from the hill country, and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and grain offerings, and frankincense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of Yahweh.
Frankincense and Todah
OTHER REFERENCES: Psalms 42:4, 56:12; Jeremiah 17:26; Jeremiah 33:11
Shabach
Shabach
SHABACH means, "to shout, to address in a loud tone, to command, to triumph." For example, the pagan king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzare, was truck insane by Godbecause of his pride. When God restored his sanity seven years later, Nebuchadnezzar whouted words of Shabbat Praise
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and honor the king of heaven, for all his works are truth, and his ways are justice and that he is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
All you peoples, clap your hands.
Shout to God with a voice of rejoicing.
O clap your hands, all peoples; shout (shabach) to God with the voice of joy (or triumph).
One generation will laud your works to another,
and will declare your mighty deeds.
One generation shall praise (shabach) Thy works to another and declare Thy mighty acts.
Inhabitant of Zion, shout out and sing for joy,
for the holy one of Israel is great in your midst.”
Cry aloud and shout (shabach) for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
This is the victory shout. As God has given you the victory over th foes in your way. The Shout in triumph, Because God is for you and who can stand against you.
Barak
Barak
BARAK means "to kneel down, to bless God as an act of adoration, to salute." It also is a word that we translate as bless. We bless God with our Praise, with our bowing down before him.
Come in, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before Yahweh, our maker.
O come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel (barak) before the Lord our maker.
And David said to all the assembly, “Bless Yahweh your God!” And all the assembly blessed Yahweh, the God of their ancestors. And they bowed down and prostrated themselves before Yahweh and the king.
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.
I will bless Yahweh at all times;
his praise shall be in my mouth continually.
I will bless (barak) the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Then he said, “Naked I came out from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. Yahweh gives, and Yahweh takes. Let Yahweh’s name be blessed.”
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21).
Zamar
Zamar
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.
Be exalted, O Yahweh, in your strength,
and we sing and praise your power.
Be exalted O Lord, in Thine own strength, so will we sing and praise (zamar) Thy power.
Sing to him; sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
Sing to Him, sing praises (zamar) to Him; speak of all His wonders.
Awake, my glory;
Awake, harp and lyre.
I will awake the dawn.
I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord;
I will give you praise among the nations.
Zamar speaks of rejoicing. Use Zamar when you are rejoicing after God has done something great for you.
Zamar is translated into the New Testament has “Psallo”.
“Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).
One Writer called Zamar the third most prolific word for praise in the Old Testament, used 44times.
Zamar inspires synchronized and orderly singing–adding precision to our worship. We can sing the same melody better with the accompaniment of an instrument or group of instruments. The lyre is just an example and what they would have used
Does not our gathering deserve prepared music to guide our singing of praises?
Tehillah
Tehillah
TEHILLAH is derived from the word halal and means "the singing of hallals”
Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
Yet Thou art holy, O Thou who art enthroned upon the praises (tehillah) of Israel.
to give for those in mourning in Zion,
to give them a head wrap instead of ashes,
the oil of joy instead of mourning,
a garment of praise instead of a faint spirit.
And they will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of Yahweh, to show his glory.
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.
Tehillah involves music and singing-especially singing. Singing is vital to the worship of God. There are over 300 Bible mandates to sing, this world alone showing up 56 times in the OT. This word suggests that God himself is a song of praise. We might say it like this, “God is our song.”
So if Hallal is acting the fool in praise of God, then Tahillah is adding music to it.
Next Step
Next Step
What is your favorite word for Praise
Have you accepted Jesus so that you may praise
Gesenius, Wilhelm, and Samuel Prideaux Tregelles. Gesenius’ Hebrew and Chaldee lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures 2003
Swanson, James. Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) 1997
Taylor, Jack, Broadman Press, The Hallelujah Factor 1983
BDB