Hallelujah - wikipedia Hallelujah For other uses, see Hallelujah ( disambiguation ). Hallelujah ( / ˌhælɪˈluːjə / HAL - i - LOO - yə ) is an English interjection. It is a transliteration of the Hebrew word הַלְּלוּיָהּ ( Modern halleluya, Tiberian halləlûyāh ), which is composed of two elements : הַלְּלוּ ( second - person imperative masculine plural form of the Hebrew verb hillel : an exhortation to `` praise '' addressed to several people ) and יָהּ ( the name of God Jah or Yah ). The term is used 24 times in the Hebrew Bible ( in the book of Psalms ), twice in deuterocanonical books, and four times in the Christian Book of Revelation. The word is used in Judaism as part of the Hallel prayers, and in Christian prayer, where since the earliest times it is used in various ways in liturgies, especially those of the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, both of which use the form `` alleluia ''. Contents 1 In the Bible 2 Interpretation 3 Usage by Jews 4 Usage by Christians 5 Usage in informal language 6 See also 7 References 8 External links In the Bible הַלְּלוּיָהּ is found in 23 verses in the Book of Psalms ( 104 -- 106, 111 -- 117, 135, 145 -- 150 ), but twice in Psalm 150 : 6. It starts and concludes a number of Psalms. The Greek transliteration ἀλληλούϊα ( allēlouia ) appears in the Septuagint version of these Psalms, in Tobit 13 : 17 and 3 Maccabees 7 : 13, and four times in Revelation 19 : 1 -- 6, the great song of praise to God for his triumph over the Whore of Babylon. It is this usage that Charles Jennens extracted for the Hallelujah Chorus in Handel 's Messiah. Interpretation 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 hillel. However, `` hallelujah '' means more than simply `` praise Jah '' or `` 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. The second part, Yah, is a shortened form of YHWH, the name for the Creator. The name ceased to be pronounced in Second Temple Judaism, by the 3rd century BC due to religious beliefs. The correct pronunciation is not known, however, it is sometimes rendered by Christians as `` Yahweh '' or `` Jehovah ''. The Septuagint translates Yah as Kyrios ( the LORD ), because of the Jewish custom of replacing the sacred name with `` Adonai '', meaning `` the Lord ''. In Psalm 150 : 6 the Hebrew reads kol han'shamah t'hallel yah halelu - yah ; 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 `` 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 Psalm 68 : 4 -- 5 `` who rides upon the skies by his name Yah '' and Exodus 15 : 2 `` 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 ''. 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 ''. Most well - known English versions of the Hebrew Bible translate the Hebrew `` Hallelujah '' ( as at Psalm 150 : 1 ) as two Hebrew words, generally rendered as `` Praise ( ye ) '' and `` the LORD '', but the second word is given as `` Yah '' in the Lexham English Bible and Young 's Literal Translation, `` Jah '' in the New World Translation, `` Jehovah '' in the American Standard Version, and `` Hashem '' in the Artscroll Tanach ( Orthodox Jewish ). 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 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. In English translations this is mostly rendered as `` Hallelujah '', but as `` Alleluia '' in several translations, while a few have `` Praise the Lord '', `` Praise God '', `` Praise our God '', or `` Thanks to our God ''. Usage by jews The word `` hallelujah '' is sung as part of the Hallel Psalms ( interspersed between Psalms 113 -- 150 ). In Tractate Shabbat of the Talmud, Rabbi Yose is quoted as saying that the Pesukei dezimra Psalms should be recited daily. Psalms 145 - 150, also known as the Hallel of pesukei dezimra, are included to fulfill this requirement in the liturgy for the traditional Jewish Shacharit ( morning ) service. In addition, on the three Pilgrimage Festivals, the new moon and Hanukkah, Psalms 115 - 118 are recited. The latter psalms are known simply as Hallel with no additional qualification. Psalms 146 : 10, ending with Halleluja, is the third and final biblical quotation in the 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. Usage by Christians Main article : Alleluia 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 expressing happiness. 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. Usage in informal language In modern English, `` Hallelujah '' is frequently spoken to express happiness that a thing hoped or waited for has happened. An example is its use in the song `` Get Happy ''. See also Alleluia, liturgical chant 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 ; cf. Shoobho Aloho ( Aramaic, `` Praise God '' ), used by Eastern Syriac Churches, Maronite, Assyrian, Antiochian Orthodox and Chaldean churches Takbir Hallelujah Chorus References ^ Jump up to : Page H. Kelley, Biblical Hebrew, an Introductory Grammar, page 169. Ethics & Public Policy Center, 1959. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8028 - 0598 - 0. ^ Jump up to : Hallelujah, also spelled Alleluia, Encyclopædia Britannica Jump up ^ Brown - Driver - Briggs ( Hebrew and English Lexicon, page 238 ) Jump up ^ page 403, note on line 1 of Psalm 113, Alter, Robert ( 2007 ). The Book of Psalms : A Translation with Commentary. W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978 - 0 - 393 - 06226 - 7. ^ Jump up to : Woods, F.H. ( 1902 ). `` Hallelujah ''. In James Hastings. A Dictionary of the Bible. New York : Charles Scribner 's Sons. p. 287. ^ Jump up to : Scott Nash, `` Hallelujah '' in Mercer Dictionary of the Bible ( Mercer University Press 1990 ISBN 978 - 0 - 86554373 - 7 ), p. 355 ^ Jump up to : Alter, Robert ( 2007 ). The Book of Psalms : A Translation with Commentary. W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978 - 0 - 393 - 06226 - 7. Jump up ^ Andrew McGowan, `` Alleluia '' in The New Scm Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship ( Hymns Ancient & Modern 2002 ISBN 978 - 0 - 33402883 - 3 ), p. 6 Jump up ^ George Fohrer. Hebrew and Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament, under הלל. Walter de Gruyter, 1973. ISBN 978 - 3 - 11 - 004572 - 7. Jump up ^ Joseph Samuel C.F. Frey, A Hebrew, Latin, and English dictionary, 1815, entry for הלל on page 254 Jump up ^ Harris, Stephen L. Understanding the Bible : a reader 's introduction, 2nd ed. Palo Alto : Mayfield. 1985. page 21. Jump up ^ 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. Jump up ^ `` Do You Know God by Name ? '' watchtower.org. Retrieved 17 April 2012. Jump up ^ Variants of `` Hallelujah '' in this context are `` Hallelujah ( praise the Lord ) '' in the Amplified Bible and `` Halleluyah '' in Complete Jewish Bible Jump up ^ 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. Jump up ^ Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation ( LORD ) Jump up ^ Good News Translation Jump up ^ Worldwide English ( New Testament ) Jump up ^ New Life Version Jump up ^ David E. Garland, Psalms, Volume 5 of The Expositor 's Bible Commentary, page 62. Jump up ^ Shabbat 118b Jump up ^ Scott - Martin Kosofsky, The Book of Customs, Harper San Fransisco, 2004 ; pages 25 - 26. Jump up ^ Elie Munk, The World of Prayer, Vol. 2, Revised ed., Feldheim, Jerusalem, 2007 ; pages 129 - 133. Jump up ^ Scott - Martin Kosofsky, The Book of Customs, Harper San Fransisco, 2004 ; page 33. Jump up ^ At Pipe Organ Pizza, a pipeline for prayers, Milwaukee Journal, July 12, 1981 Jump up ^ Hallelujah definition in Macmillan Dictionary External links The dictionary definition of hallelujah at Wiktionary Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hallelujah&oldid=807503178 '' Categories : Christian prayer Hallel Hebrew words and phrases in the Hebrew Bible Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish prayers and blessings New Testament Hebrew words and phrases Psalms Hidden categories : Articles containing Hebrew - language text Talk Contents About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская Български Català Čeština Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Interlingua Italiano עברית ქართული Latina Lietuvių Lingála Lumbaart मराठी Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Română Русский Sardu Slovenčina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog ไทย Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 28 October 2017, at 11 : 24. 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Question: how many times is hallelujah mentioned in the bible
Answer: 24 times in the Hebrew Bible (in the book of Psalms), twice in deuterocanonical books, and four times in the Christian Book of Revelation