Psalms 150:1–6
Praise with horn, harp, tambourine, dance, strings, flute and cymbals
Study it word by word1Praise Yah. Praise El in his sanctuary; praise him in the vault of his strength.
2Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to the abundance of his greatness.
3Praise him with the blast of the horn; praise him with harp and lyre.
4Praise him with tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flute.
5Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with cymbals of acclamation.
6Let everything that has breath praise Yah. Praise Yah.
Its words in the original
- הַלְלוּhallu· praise; boast
Praise, extol. "Hallelujah" comes from this verb. In other forms, boast; also act like a madman.
- יָהּyah· Yah
Yah: the short form of the name YHWH. It is the form found in "Hallelujah" ("praise Yah").
- אֵלel· El, God, god
"El", an ancient Hebrew word for "God". Alone or with another title it is a name of the God of Israel: El Elyon (God Most High), El Shaddai (God Almighty). Neighboring peoples used the same word for their gods; then this translation writes "god" in lower case. It also means "mighty".
- קָדְשׁkadsh· holiness, holy place
Holiness: what is set apart for God. Also a holy place or a holy thing; "the holy of holies" is the most holy place.
- רְקִיעַrekia· vault
Something spread out and firm, like a sheet of metal beaten with a hammer. It is the "vault" of the heavens: what is seen above, like a roof spread over the earth, which God set to separate the waters below from the waters above; God called it "heavens".
- עֻזּuz· strength, might
Strength, power.
- גְבוּרֹתָיgevurotay· might
Strength, might; mighty deed, victory.
- רֹבrov· abundance
Abundance, great number; greatness.
- גֻּדְלgudl· greatness
Greatness.
- תֵקַעteka· blast
A blast, a loud sound of a wind instrument such as the horn.
- שׁוֹפָרshofar· horn (shofar)
Shofar: a ram's horn blown like a trumpet.
- נֵבֶלnevel· skin bottle, jar; harp
Skin bottle: a leather bag for keeping wine or other liquids; also a jar. The same word names a stringed instrument (the harp).
- כִנּוֹרchinor· lyre
Lyre: a small stringed instrument.
- תֹףtof· tambourine
Tambourine: a small hand drum.
- מָחוֹלmachol· dance
Dance: the round dance with which joy is celebrated.
- מִנִּיםminim· string
A string of a musical instrument; in the plural, stringed instruments. A rare word.
- עוּגָבugav· pipe, flute
Wind instrument, like a flute.
- צִלְצְלֵיtsiltsle· buzzing insect, whirring
An insect that whirs and destroys crops; which one is not known for certain. The same word names a whirring sound, and also a spear and cymbals.
- שָׁמַעshama· report, news
Report, news, what is heard said about someone.
- תְרוּעָהterua· shout, trumpet blast
A loud sound of acclamation: a blast of a trumpet or horn, a shout of joy or a battle cry.
- נְּשָׁמָהneshama· breath
Breath, blowing: the air that is breathed and gives life; "everything that has breath" is every living being.