Season of Praise: Halal

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Dec. 19 - Halal (Strong's 1984)

This is another primitive root verb with a bunch of meanings depending upon the tense and context.

The Strong's Hebrew/Chaldee Dictionary in the back of my Zodhiates defines 1984 as:   to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causat. to celebrate; also to stultify: -- (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.

Can I just say....'(clamorously) foolish'?  Can you see why this is my favorite word for praise?  'Cause 'Clamorously foolish' could SO be part of my personality description.

This is a noisy praise.  A boasting, loud, clear, shining, celebratory praise.  A praise that makes other folks shake their heads and wonder if the sister really has it all together.

And...personal opinion here...I think for some folks, this is the breakthrough praise.  When we stop caring about how we look or what other people are thinking or whether or not we look foolish and just let ourselves react from the innermost core of who we are to who God is and what He has really done.  Because once we learn - really learn- how to walk before God, with that relationship being the primary focus in life-- how can the opinion of any one else influence us anymore?

Now, don't get me wrong, here, I'm not advocating being loud and wild in every praise situation.  The Spirit will not cause a commotion that will detract from the worship of the moment.  But there ARE times when the whole assembly celebrates, and a full expression of whatever praise is in the heart is an addition to the glory...and the  breakthrough comes when we give over caring what people think and focus on praising God.

Although it isn't described specifically as praise in the text, we have a perfect picture of a Halal praise in 2 Samuel 6, when David had the Ark of the Covenant returned to Jerusalem and 'danced before the Lord with all his might' (verse 14).

Clamorously foolish, indeed...David's wife, Michal, was embarrassed by his behavior and scolded him when he came to bless his household.  But David basically replied, 'B-B-B-Baby, you ain't seen n-n-n-nothin' yet' -- declaring that he celebrated for God and all He had done, and that he would make himself more contemptible, abase himself even further, to celebrate before God.

The Blue Letter Bible scholars report that Halal is used 165 times in the Old Testament...and  the King James translators rendered it most often as Praise - 117 times, to be exact.  It was translated Glory 14 times; Boast 10 times;  Mad eight times; Shine and Foolish three times each; Fools, Commended and Rage, twice each; and one time each as Celebrate, Give, Marriage and Renowned.

Here's how some of the verses are translated in the Amplified:

2 Sam. 22:4 - I call on the Lord, Who is worthy to be praised [Halal], and I am saved from my enemies.

1 Chron 16:4 -  He appointed Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to celebrate (by calling to mind), thanking and praising [Halal] the Lord, the God of Israel;

1 Chron 16:10 - Glory [Halal] in His holy name; let the heart of those rejoice who seek the Lord!

1 Chron 23:5 - And, said David, 4,000 shall be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise [Halal] the Lord with the instruments which I made for praise [Halal].

2 Chron 5:13 - And when the trumpeters and singers were in unison, making one sound to be heard in praising [Halal] and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and other instruments for song, and praised [Halal] the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure for ever, then the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud,

2 Chron 20:19 - And the Levites, of the Kohathites and Korahites, stood up to praise [Halal] the Lord God of Israel with a very loud voice.

2 Chron 23:12 - 13 - When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising [Halal] the king, she went into the Lord's house to the people; And behold, there the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with musical instruments led in singing of praise [Halal].  Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason! Treason!

Ezra 3: 10 - 11 -  And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their vestments with trumpets, and the Levite sons of Asaph with their cymbals, to praise [Halal] the Lord, after the order of David king of Israel. They sang responsively, praising [Halal] and giving thanks to the Lord, saying For He is good, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure for ever toward Israel.  And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised [Halal] the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid!


Ps 22:22-23 - I will declare your name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise [Halal] You.  You who fear - revere and worship - the Lord, praise [Halal] Him!

Ps. 56:4 - By (the help of ) God I will praise [Halal] His Word; on God I lean, rely and confidently put my trust; I will not fear; what can man who is flesh do to me?

Ps 102:18 - Let this be recorded for a generation yet unborn, and a people yet to be created shall praise [Halal] the Lord.

Ps 113: 1 - Praise [Halal] the Lord! -- Hallelujah!  Praise [Halal], O servants of the Lord, praise [Halal] the name of the Lord!


Ps. 150:  Praise [Halal] the Lord!  Praise [Halal] God in His sanctuary; praise [Halal] Him in the heavens of His power!   Praise [Halal] Him for His mighty acts, praise [Halal] Him according to the abundance of His greatness!  Praise [Halal] Him with trumpet sound; praise [Halal] Him with lute and harp!  Praise [Halal] Him with tambourine and (single or group) dance; praise [Halal] Him with stringed and wind instruments or flutes! Praise [Halal] Him with sounding cymbals; praise [Halal] Him with loud clashing cymbals!  Let everything that  has breath and every breath of life praise [Halal] the Lord!  Praise [Halal] you the Lord!  Hallelujah!

Joel 2:26 - And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise [Halal] the name of the Lord, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you.  And My people shall never be put to shame.


Wow.  Typing all of that has made me want to give a Halal praise myself...God is amazing and worthy of our praise!  He made Himself nothing, took the nature of a servant, walked among us, and loved us to the point of death...then turned death backwards and loves us still.   There is no one like Him...rejoice this Christmas, because He came to US!

Hallelujah!