halleluyah

Hallelujah, also spelled hallelujah or alleluia, is a transliteration of the Hebrew הללויה (halleluyah) meaning “praise the Lord” or “praise Yahweh.” It is formed from hallel (“praise”) and Yah, a shortened form of Yahweh. The phrase functions as an exhortation: “praise Yah” or “praise the Lord.”

In the Hebrew Bible, hallelujah appears primarily as a call to praise God, notably in the Psalms. It is often used as a refrain or final word within certain liturgical sections. In Judaism, the term is retained in liturgical poetry and psalms and is widely used in hymns and prayers to express praise.

In Christianity, hallelujah is used similarly as an exclamation of praise. It occurs in translations of the New Testament, most notably in Revelation 19, and has become a common element of Christian hymnody and worship music. The phrase is widely known in Western culture through works such as Handel’s Messiah, whose famous Hallelujah Chorus is anchored by the word.

Variant spellings include alleluia (Latin liturgical usage) and more anglicized forms such as Hallelujah or hallelu-yah. The term remains a widely recognized symbol of praise across Jewish and Christian traditions.