Hallelujah

“Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.” (Psalm 68:4)

Psalm 68:4NLT

Sing praises to God and to his name!  Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the LORD—  rejoice in his presence!

Psalm 68:4NKJV

Sing to God, sing praises to His name;Extol Him who rides on the clouds,By His name YAH,And rejoice before Him.

The name JAH, by which this verse exhorts us to praise the Lord, is a contracted form of Jehovah, or Yahweh, which is the commonly used name of the self-existing, self-revealing God, usually shown as LORD in English. When combined with the Hebrew verb for “praise“(hallal ), it becomes “Hallelujah,” meaning “Praise ye the LORD!”

It is no coincidence that this word, “Hallelujah,” occurs exactly 22 times in the book of Psalms, also known as the book of the Praises of Israel, for there are exactly 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, the language which God used to reveal His eternal word (119:89) to man Your eternal word, O LORD, …      stands firm in heaven.. This serves to remind us that the very purpose of human languages is to praise the Lord who created us and has died to redeem us.

The first occurrence in the psalms of “Hallelujah” is translated as “Praise ye the LORD” and occurs right at the very end of the great psalm extolling God’s creation, the Flood, and providential care of the post-Flood world (see 104:35). Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth; …      let the wicked disappear forever.

   Let all that I am praise the LORD.

   Praise the LORD!

It is noteworthy that the last ten occurrences of “Hallelujah” are at the introduction and closing of each of the last five psalms (146–150). These last five psalms comprise a grand epilogue to the five books of the Psalms, each of which ends with a glorious and eternal doxology

Psalm 146

 1Praise the LORD!

   Let all that I am praise the LORD. …    2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live. …      I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.

 3 Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; …      there is no help for you there. … 4 When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, …      and all their plans die with them. … 5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel[a] as their helper, …      whose hope is in the LORD their God. … 6 He made heaven and earth, …      the sea, and everything in them. …      He keeps every promise forever. … 7 He gives justice to the oppressed …      and food to the hungry. …   The LORD frees the prisoners. …    8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. …   The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down. …      The LORD loves the godly. … 9 The LORD protects the foreigners among us. …      He cares for the orphans and widows, …      but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.

 10 The LORD will reign forever. …      He will be your God, O Jerusalem,[] throughout the generations.

Psalm 147

 1Praise the LORD!

   How good to sing praises to our God! …      How delightful and how fitting! … 2 The LORD is rebuilding Jerusalem…      and bringing the exiles back to Israel. … 3 He heals the brokenhearted …      and bandages their wounds. … 4 He counts the stars …      and calls them all by name. … 5 How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! …      His understanding is beyond comprehension! … 6 The LORD supports the humble, …      but he brings the wicked down into the dust.

 7 Sing out your thanks to the LORD; …      sing praises to our God with a harp. … 8 He covers the heavens with clouds, …      provides rain for the earth, …      and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures. … 9 He gives food to the wild animals …      and feeds the young ravens when they cry. … 10 He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse …      or in human might. … 11 No, the LORD’s delight is in those who fear him, …      those who put their hope in his unfailing love.

 12 Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem! …      Praise your God, O Zion! … 13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates …      and blessed your children within your walls. … 14 He sends peace across your nation …      and satisfies your hunger with the finest wheat. … 15 He sends his orders to the world— …      how swiftly his word flies! … 16 He sends the snow like white wool; …      he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes. … 17 He hurls the hail like stones.[c]…      Who can stand against his freezing cold? … 18 Then, at his command, it all melts. …      He sends his winds, and the ice thaws. … 19 He has revealed his words to Jacob, …      his decrees and regulations to Israel. … 20 He has not done this for any other nation; …      they do not know his regulations.

Psalm 148

 1Praise the LORD!

   Praise the LORD from the heavens! …      Praise him from the skies! … 2 Praise him, all his angels! …      Praise him, all the armies of heaven! … 3 Praise him, sun and moon! …      Praise him, all you twinkling stars! … 4 Praise him, skies above! …      Praise him, vapors high above the clouds! … 5 Let every created thing give praise to the LORD, …      for he issued his command, and they came into being. … 6 He set them in place forever and ever. …      His decree will never be revoked.

 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, …      you creatures of the ocean depths, … 8 fire and hail, snow and clouds,[d]…      wind and weather that obey him, … 9 mountains and all hills, …      fruit trees and all cedars, … 10 wild animals and all livestock, …      small scurrying animals and birds, … 11 kings of the earth and all people, …      rulers and judges of the earth, … 12 young men and young women, …      old men and children.

 13 Let them all praise the name of the LORD. …      For his name is very great; …      his glory towers over the earth and heaven! … 14 He has made his people strong, …      honoring his faithful ones— …      the people of Israel who are close to him.

   Psalm 149

 1Praise the LORD!

   Sing to the LORD a new song. …      Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.

 2 O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. …      O people of Jerusalem,[e] exult in your King. … 3 Praise his name with dancing, …      accompanied by tambourine and harp. … 4 For the LORD delights in his people; …      he crowns the humble with victory. … 5 Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. …      Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.

 6 Let the praises of God be in their mouths, …      and a sharp sword in their hands— … 7 to execute vengeance on the nations …      and punishment on the peoples, … 8 to bind their kings with shackles …      and their leaders with iron chains, … 9 to execute the judgment written against them. …      This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones.

Psalm 150

 1Praise the LORD!

   Praise God in his sanctuary; …      praise him in his mighty heaven! … 2 Praise him for his mighty works; …      praise his unequaled greatness! … 3 Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; …      praise him with the lyre and harp! … 4 Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; …      praise him with strings and flutes! … 5 Praise him with a clash of cymbals; …      praise him with loud clanging cymbals. … 6Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD!

   Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

(note 41:1372:1989:52106:48145:21). The word “praise” occurs more in the book of Psalms than in all the rest of the Bible put together, so it is appropriate that its conclusion should be on such a high note of praise.

Finally, the very last verse of the Psalms cries out: “ Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD”Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD” Psalm 150:6 Hallelujah!