Revelation 19:1
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
Greek word · Strong G239
What does Hallelujah mean?
Hallelujah means “praise the LORD” — literally “praise Yah”. It comes from the Hebrew hallelu-yah: hallelu, “praise ye” (from the verb halal, H1984), and Yah, the short form of God's name (H3050). It is an invitation: whoever says hallelujah calls others to praise God with them.
ἀλληλουϊα
allēlouïa · transliteration
- In Strong’s lexicon
- praise ye Jah!, an adoring exclamation
- In the King James
- Alleluia4
- Appears in
- 4 verses
See the full G239 entry →Also in the lexicon: H1984 הָלַל · H3050 יָהּ
The meaning of Hallelujah in the Bible
In the Old Testament, hallelujah opens and closes many psalms, especially from Psalm 104 to 150. The King James translates it rather than transliterating it: the Psalter ends “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 150:6), and that last line is hallelujah. Psalms 113–118, the Hallel, were sung at Israel's great feasts, and they were probably the hymn Jesus and his disciples sang after the Last Supper (Matthew 26:30).
In the New Testament the word appears in Greek letters (allelouia, G239) only in Revelation 19 — four times, in heaven's chorus celebrating God's victory: “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth” (Revelation 19:6). The Bible ends with the same invitation as the Psalms.
Where Hallelujah appears
Revelation 19:6
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Psalms 150:6
Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Psalms 106:1
Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Frequently asked questions
- Is hallelujah in the Bible?
- Yes. In Hebrew it is in the Psalms, where the King James translates it “Praise ye the LORD”; in Greek it appears as “Alleluia” in Revelation 19:1, 3, 4 and 6.
- What is the difference between hallelujah and hosanna?
- Hallelujah is praise (“praise the LORD”); hosanna is a plea that became acclamation (“save, we pray”). Both come from Hebrew and passed into English untranslated.
More Bible words
- Shalom
- Yahweh (YHWH)
- Selah
- Elohim
- Agape
- Adonai
- Hosanna
- Amen
- Abba
- Immanuel
- Tetelestai
- Kairos
- El Shaddai
- Maranatha
- Ebenezer
- Jehovah Jireh
- Jehovah Rapha
- El Roi
- Metanoia
- Jehovah Nissi
- Hesed
- Rhema
- Koinonia
- Logos
- Sheol
- Nephilim
- Number 7
- Number 3
- Number 12
- Number 40
- 666
- 444
- 333
- 222
- 111
- Iniquity
- Gentleness
- Longsuffering
- Grace
- Lasciviousness
- Concupiscence
- Strife
- Covetousness
- Reproach
- Redemption
- Godliness
- Burnt offering
- Sodomite
- Heretic
- Exhort
- Equity
- Would to God
- Stiff-necked