Hallelujah
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This is an article about the religious word of praise; for an article about the French bicycle manufacturer, see Alleluia
Hallelujah, Halleluyah, or Alleluia, is a transliteration of the Hebrew word הַלְּלוּיָהּ (Standard Hebrew Halləluya, Tiberian Hebrew Halləlûyāh) meaning "[Let us] praise (הַלְּלוּ) God (יָהּ)" (or "Praise (הַלְּלוּ) [the] Lord (יָהּ)".) It is found mainly in the book of Psalms. It has been accepted into the English language. The word is used in Judaism as part of the Hallel prayers.
For most Christians, Alleluia is considered the most joyful word of praise to God. In many denominations, the Alleluia, along with the Gloria in Excelsis Deo, it is not spoken or sung during the season of Lent, instead being replaced by a Lenten acclamation.
Halleluyah is a composite of Hallelu and Yah. It literally translates from Hebrew as "Praise Yah, [you people!]" or simply "Praise Yah!" Yah is the shortened form of the name YHWH, referred to as the Tetragrammaton.
The term is used about 24 times in the Hebrew Bible (mainly in the book of Psalms (e.g. 113-118), where it starts and concludes a number of Psalms and four times in Greek transliteration in Revelation.
See also
Other usages
- Hallelujah is also the title of a song by Leonard Cohen, also sung by John Cale, Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, India Arie and k. d. lang
- Another song called "Hallelujah", performed by Milk and Honey and Gali Atari, won the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest for Israel.