Hallelujah — Meaning in the Bible
A Hebrew call to praise: "Praise Yah!" (Yah is a short form of God's name). Many psalms begin or end with it, and it rings out in Revelation 19.
What it means
"Praise the LORD" at the start or end of many psalms translates the Hebrew hallelu-yah. Psalm 150 closes the book with it. Psalm 106:1Psalm 150:1Psalm 150:6
In Revelation 19 a great multitude in heaven cries "Hallelujah!" Revelation 19:1–6
Key passages
- Psalm 146:1 — Praise the LORD!
- Psalm 150 — The final psalm.
- Revelation 19:1–6 — Hallelujah in heaven.
Original language
הָלַל ha.lal
Hebrew · Strong’s H1984b · gloss: “to boast: praise”
The Hebrew verb "praise", the first part of hallelu-yah. Psalm 150:1
A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
How translations differ
- In the psalms most English versions translate it "Praise the LORD"; in Revelation 19 versions keep "Hallelujah" (or "Alleluia"). Psalm 150:1Revelation 19:1
For children
Hallelujah means "Praise the Lord!" People in heaven shout "Hallelujah!" in the book of Revelation. Revelation 19:1