Seven Hebrew Words for Praise

4. towdah (to-daw’) – (noun)

an extension of the hand…

adoration, specifically a choir of worshippers…

sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving, offering …

Psalm 50:23
He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.

This word speaks specifically of a SACRIFICE OF PRAISE…

Praising God when it costs me something,
when I don’t feel close to Him,
when I feel irritable or out of sorts.

When it demands something of me…
that’s when I’m making a sacrifice.

…Blessed be Your name when I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness, Blessed be Your name…
…Blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering, Blessed be Your name…
Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise
And when the darkness closes in, Lord, Still I will say:
Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your glorious name.
(BLESSED BE YOUR NAME,

Beth Redman, Matt Redman ©2002 Kingsway's Thankyou Music)

Seven Hebrew Words for Praise (Part 2)

2. shabach (shaw-bakh’) – (verb)
to address in a loud tone…
to commend…
to glory…
to praise…
to triumph…
to praise with a shout…

Psalm 63:3 - Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify [shout to] you.

Psalm 117:1 - Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol him [shout to him], all you peoples.

Remember the shout at Jericho! (Joshua 6)

15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak
and marched around the city seven times…

16 The seventh time around,
when the priests sounded the trumpet blast,
Joshua commanded the people,
"Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! …

20 When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted,
and at the sound of the trumpet,
when the people gave a loud shout,
the wall collapsed;
so every man charged straight in,
and they took the city.

LORD, I will praise You with a shout, in a loud tone.

Not a yawn, not a whisper!

Give me boldness to praise you,
and not be preoccupied with what others will think.

There are times to be still,
and other times when we are right to SHOUT our praise!

Seven Hebrew Words for Praise (Part 1)

1. halal (haw-lal’) – (verb)

to praise… to shine…

to make a show… to boast…

and thus to be clamorously foolish…

to rave… to celebrate…

This is the most commonly used word for praise,

found 165 times in Bible,

131 times translated as “praise” or “glory.”

In Psalm 150, every time the word praise is used, it uses this VERB:

1 Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

Here we are instructed to praise God in a clamorously foolish way.
To praise him with a blast of the trumpet.

Exuberant praise.

Extravagant praise.
None of this hands-in-the-pocket praise!

We are urged to praise Him with the tambourine and dancing.

It’s a celebration, after all!
Christ has risen from the dead and defeated the power of our enemy.
Celebration is appropriate!
Why wouldn’t I dance and make a show for my Master, my Leader, my Lord?
When I go to hockey games, I yell (that’s what Canadians do).
Why would I be forever silent and timid at church?

We are commanded to praise Him with a clash of cymbals.

Not with soft and dainty cymbals.
Loud clanging cymbals!