The word "Hallelujah"?

Question

Hallelujah obviously comes from the Hebrew words "Hallelu yah", which mean "Praise God". However, the Christians translate their Bible and all of their prayers out of Hebrew. So why is that one word always said the Hebrew way?

PS - I'm Jewish, and I speak Hebrew, so I know the proper pronounciation and translation!

Answer 1

Cranmer translated it as "Praise Ye the Lord" in the 16th cent.
Like Hosanna or Selah,keeping Hallelujah in Hebrew makes a better acclamation than its vernacular equivalent

Answer 2

We find that when the shortened form of the Divine Name (Jah) was left in Hebrew characters by the original Jewish translators of the Septuagint, the “Christian” copyists always changed it to “Lord.” But when the original Jewish translators had incorporated it with another word or words (as in proper names, e.g., “Elijah” [which means “God is Jehovah” - p. 674, Today’s Dictionary of the Bible, Bethany House Publ., 1982] or in the phrase “Praise ye Jehovah” [Hallelu JAH]) and transliterated it into Greek characters, it became an acceptable “Greek” word (although one whose meaning they didn’t wholly understand) to the “Christian” copyists, and they didn’t change it (out of ignorance only). This is very obvious in the “Hallelujah” Psalms where, for some reason, the original Septuagint translators combined the two Hebrew words Hallelu (“Praise ye”) and Jah (“Jehovah”) and then put that new word into GREEK characters (which still had the Hebrew pronunciation of “Hallelujah”).

When the 2nd century Jew-despising “Christian” copyists saw “Jah” in Hebrew characters, they always removed it entirely or changed it to “Lord” or “God” - e.g., Ex. 15:2; Ps. 68:4, 18; Is. 26:4. But when they saw the Greek characters of “HalleluJAH” ( JAllhlouia) they always left it unchanged.

Answer 3

Actually, it arrives from a Greek word Alleluia, meaning praise the Lord. A Greek form of the Hebrew word Hallelujah, used to express joy, praise, and thanksgiving. According to my illustrated Bible dictionary; the words, "Praise the Lord," found often in Psalms. The word was probably a standardized call to worship in the Temple, since it usually appears at the beginning or end of a psalm. I was always taught it was the word used to show the highest praise offered up for God; that showed you truly thanked Him for all He is, all He has done and He is going to do.

Answer 4

The word hallelujah does not appear in the KJV Bible. But "praise the Lord" comes from two Hebrew words, "halal" and "Yahh."

Christianity grew out of Judaism. Not sure what you are asking here....

Answer 5

The literal translation is to Jump and twirl. An expression of excitement and celebration that was already known to the readers prior to the translation. No point in translating a word that everyone already know and there is no direct translation for it. The work already used to express the concept is it.

From hillel "he praised," of imitative origin, with primary sense being "to trill." To quiver with excitement. ujah for God.

To quiver with excitement for God.

Answer 6

Because it was the word that Gods followers always shouted out to praise Him. It was written in most of Psalms, which is the main source of where our praise songs originate.

Answer 7

Technically speaking, it is not "Hallelu yah" in Hebrew, but "Hal'luya". And it means "Praise Yah".

Answer 8

Hallelujah means “Praise Jah, you people,” “Jah” being the shortened form of the divine name, Jehovah.

Answer 9

The same reason that we don't translate other Hebrew words like "amen" or "hosanna".

Sounds better, i suppose.

Answer 10

Why change it? It means to Praise God like you said so why change it?