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I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise (halal) you.
Psalm 22: 22 (NIV)
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INTRODUCTION
Halal is the Hebrew word for praise. It means “to shine (or flash brightly), boast, to praise, to act like a fool or madman” and encourages us to uninhibited worship. The word halal appears 165 times in the Old Testament. (2, 3) It derives from the root verb הלל (halal). It is a word that holds so many meanings that some scholars have split this root into three different roots.
I WILL HALAL YOU
Even when I walk through the valley of the shadows of death,
even when I need to pass through an emotional storm,
even when I am wearied down and sad,
in those moments when I am tempted to turn away,
I will praise you instead.
"I will praise (halal) you", said David in Psalm 22: 22. There are not many among God’s chosen ones who were after God’s own heart as David was. He was truly an exceptional man, an exceptional king who revered God and feared Him enough not to slay Saul when given the chance. He was one who also knew how to halal God with true abandon even to the point of being scorned by his wife as a result.
Halal is one of the seven Hebrew words for praise. (2) It means “to shine (or flash brightly), boast, to praise, to act like a fool or madman” and encourages us to uninhibited worship. (3)
And as a madman, David worshipped Yahweh despite his royal status. He put Yahweh above himself and the opinion of men. (2)
ETYMOLOGY
The word halal appears 165 times in the Old Testament. (2, 3) It derives from the root verb הלל (halal). It is a word that holds so many meanings that some scholars have split this root into three different roots:
Root number one denotes what lamps and celestial bodies do: shine and emit light.
Root number two means to be boastful or to praise
Root number three means to be insane, or rather irrational. (4)
At Abarim Publications they hold a differing opinion. They believe these three different meanings can very well come from the same root.
Here at Abarim Publications we are not at all convinced that these three seemingly different groups of meanings are so dissimilar that the existence of three separate verbs is the only logical conclusion. (4)
Halal denotes an exuberance they claim further. They see symmetry between the shining of a star and the praising of a worshiper. It speaks of letting go of restraints and inhibitions, and, entirely depending on the heart behind it, can result in either a complete surrender to God's control or a detrimental flight without anyone at the helm. (4)
WHY HALAL MATTERS
We were designed to be imagers of our Creator and to worship. We are to let go every once in a while and worship our Lord, God Almighty without constraint. (3)
God is after all worthy of our praise. He is worthy of our exuberant praise. Praise that draws attention like a light flashing in the darkness. (3)
God is also worthy of our boasting. He is so great and so great are His works that we have no other option but to boast about who He is and what He has done. We should be so enthralled with our Father that we should want to share and boast about Him with everyone we meet. (3)
And He is worthy even of our foolishness. Our acts of worship should be so bright and full of joy that we may appear the fool before others. We are to set aside our self-consciousness and dignity to magnify God in humility yet without inhibition. (2, 3)
CONCLUSION
The Hebrew word halal, usually translated as praise, derives from the root halal and holds many different meanings. It means “to shine (or flash brightly), boast, to praise, to act like a fool or madman” and encourages us to uninhibited worship. We were designed to be imagers of our Creator and to worship. We are to let go every once in a while and worship our Lord, God Almighty without constraint. God is after all worthy of our praise, our boasting, and acts of worship others would consider as foolish.
Application
Take one moment through the upcoming week and worship Yah without restraint.
SOURCE
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Worship Arts Conservatory. What is Worship? Halal. December 17, 2015. Available at https://worshiparts.net/what-is-worship-halal/
Christa. One Of The 7 Hebrew Words For Praise, “Halal”. Christian Learning. June 12, 2021. Available at https://www.christianlearning.com/one-of-the-7-hebrew-words-for-praise-halal/
Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary. The Old Testament Hebrew word: הלל. Available at https://www.abarim-publications.com/Dictionary/he/he-l-l.html
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