The Expressions of Praise: Our Hebrew

Legacy
by Dr. Roy Blizzard

The many songs of praise found in the Old Testament, notably in the
Psalms, give abundant evidence that praise formed a significant part of
Hebrew worship. Praise is equally important in our Christian experience;
indeed, it is part of the rich heritage of the Jewish roots of our faith. Too
often, however, we do not understand praise in its full biblical
expressions.
What is praise? How do we praise? In English, the word "praise" simply
means "an expression of approval, esteem, or commendation." Although
this can help us understand how we use the word, it does not begin to
explain what praise is meant to be in a biblical sense, or how it is to be
utilized in our daily lives. To find the answers to these questions, we
must look at "praise" and examine it in light of how it was first used in
the Bible.
As you probably know, much of the Bible was originally written in
Hebrew. And in the Hebrew language there are many different words
which have been translated into English as "praise." There also are a
number of words that relate to the concept of praise. Let's look briefly at
a few of these words, see how each is used, and then note their various
shades of meaning.

Barach

The first word we will note that is translated as "praise" in English is the
Hebrew word barach (bah-RACH). Barach means "to kneel," "to bless,"
or "to adore with bended knee." When used by man with reference to
God, it means "to endue with power for success, prosperity, and long
life." To barach (or bless) the Lord is to adore Him on bended knee in
reverence and love. To adore the Lord literally means to worship Him.
But here we are faced with a dilemma: if we worship Him, what do we
do? When we hear the word "worship," most of us think of form or
ceremony or ritual--but this is not what worship means at all. Worship is
simply an attitude of our innermost being directed toward God. Barach
is a beautiful expression of that attitude, as shown by David in Psalm
103:1-2:
 Bless (barach) the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me,
Bless his holy name.
Bless (barach) the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all his benefits.

Halal

The next Hebrew word translated many times as "praise" is halal (hah-
LAHL). Halal comes from a Semitic root that means "to shout" or "to
cry aloud," and it is used in almost 100 passages in the Old Testament.
To halal praise is "to shout for joy, to rejoice, to be sincerely and deeply
thankful."
Hallelujah.
Praise ye the Lord from the heavens;
Praise him in the heights.
Praise ye him, all his messengers;
Praise ye him, all his hosts.
Praise ye him, sun and moon;
Praise ye him, all ye stars of light.
Praise him, ye heavens of heavens,
And ye waters that are above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord;
For he commanded, and they were created.
Psalm 148:1-5
In this passage, every time the word "praise" is used in English, it is the
Hebrew halal.

Gadal

Another Hebrew word that is used in the context of "praise" is the word
gadal (gah-DAHL). It is translated into English principally as
"magnify." This is an important word for us because it is used many
times in poetry as a synonym for praise.
O magnify (gadal) the Lord with me;
And let us exalt his name together.
Psalm 34:4.
Gadal literally means "to cause to become great," and it calls on the
worshiper to ascribe greatness to the Lord and to His name.
Zamar and Shir
The Hebrew word zamar (za-MAHR) means "to make music to God." A
zimra is "a song" or "music." Zamir means "to sing," and a mizmor is "a
psalm."
Shir (sheer) means basically "a song," and carries with it the more
specific meaning of vocal music. The rabbis explained that a mizmor was
a psalm with instrumental accompaniment, while a shir mizmor was a
choral group.

I will sing (shir) unto the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praise (zamar) to my God while I have my
being.
Psalm 104:33

The making of the music can be either with voices or instruments, as

singing is not always implied in the usage of the word zamir.

Yadah

Perhaps the most significant of the Hebrew words translated as "praise"

is yadah (yah-DAH). It is important because it refers to prayer as well as
praise, and its meaning lies at the very heart of worship. The root yadah
literally means "to throw" or "to cast." When it is used in the biblical
text, it takes on the meaning of confession or declaration of who God is
and what He does.

Hallelujah.
O give thanks (yadah) unto the Lord,
For he is good:
For his mercy endureth forever.
Psalm 106:1

Public proclamation or confession of God's attributes and actions is

certainly regarded as one of the most important aspects of true praise.
But confession of God's greatness is not all that yadah means. The root
word has another meaning, perhaps even more important. Yadah, when
applied within the context of prayer, still retains the root meaning of
confession. However, instead of it being the confession of God's
attributes, it becomes the confession of our sins unto God.

Praise in our Lives

We can see that there are many different forms of praise, and that each
form is designed to express unique elements of worship. Knowing these
things, an important question still remains: How do we offer praise in a
manner worthy of engaging the attention and response of God?
I believe that the key to answering this question can be found in two
passages of Scripture from the Book of Judges:

And it came to pass after the death of Joshua, that the

children of Israel asked of the Lord, saying, Who shall go
up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?
And the Lord said: Judah shall go up [first]; behold, I have
delivered the land into his hand.
Judges 1:1-2.

And the children of Israel arose, and went up to Bethel, and asked
counsel of God; and they said: Who shall go up for us first to battle
against the children of Benjamin? And he Lord said: Judah [shall go up]
first.
Judges 20:18
How interesting! In battle, Judah is to go up first. God gives the
directive: "When you go up into battle let Judah go up first." Why Judah
and not one of the other tribes, such as Levi? One could assume that
Levi should have gone up first since it was the priestly tribe. But no, God
says, "Let Judah go up first." Maybe, one could suggest, it was because
Judah was the tribe from which the promised Messiah was to come--the
tribe of the House of David. But I do not believe that this really explains
it.
What does Judah mean? Judah comes from the Hebrew root yadah, and
as we have already learned, yadah has a two-fold meaning: the
confession of God's attributes and actions, and the confession of our
shortcomings (or sins). Can you catch the spiritual significance of God
declaring that, in battle, "Judah (yadah) shall go up first?"
Our battle against the enemy of God is a spiritual one, which we, as
believers, must face daily. But God has given us the directive: "Let
yadah go up first!" As we confess the attributes and actions of God
(yadah--praise), we realize who and what God is. And this leads us, as
believers, to realize and confess (yadah--prayer) our own inadequacies
and our need for repentance and reconciliation, thereby establishing a
proper relationship with God.
In other words, as we realize and confess who and what God is, by this
very act of confession, we simultaneously recognize the omnipotence,
magnificence, and true greatness of the One who "...is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John
1:7). Our confession of sin is a declaration of His ability and willingness
to forgive, and in bestowing forgiveness, to make us what He is--
righteous.
In the recognition of God's nature, we begin to understand something of
our own nature, and in this understanding of our true identity, all the
other forms of praise spontaneously burst forth.
As believers in the 20th century, we are often unaware of our rich
Hebrew heritage. Our understanding of praise can be greatly enriched by
returning to our Hebrew roots--examining our Old Testament heritage of
praise--and then beginning to incorporate these principles into our daily
lives.