Hebrew word · Strong's H1984

הָלַל

hâlal · haw-lal' · verb · “to praise (hallelujah)”

In a sentence

Halal means to praise, boast, or celebrate — the root behind “Hallelujah” (“Praise the LORD”). It is exuberant, public, glad acclamation of God.

Halal is loud, glad praise — even boasting, but boasting in the right object: God. From it comes the famous compound hallelu-Yah, “praise Yah(weh),” the worship shout echoing through the Psalms.

Scripture commands this praise of “everything that has breath,” not as flattery but as the fitting response to who God is. To halal is to make God’s greatness known with joy.

Strong's reference

Definition: to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence, to make ashow, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate; also to stultify

KJV usage: (make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool(-ish, -ly), glory, give (light), be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, (sing, be worthy of) praise, rage, renowned, shine.

Reference gloss from Strong's Concordance (1890, public domain).

Key verses BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

Psalms 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Hallelujah!” Psalms 113:1 “Hallelujah! Give praise, O servants of the LORD; praise the name of the LORD.” Psalms 145:3 “Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.”

Original BibleDawn word study. Original-language data and the public-domain Strong's (1890) gloss are referenced; see sources.