ETYMOLOGY, DISCOURSE FUNCTION, AND LITURGICAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE EXPRESSION HALLELUJAH: FROM BIBLICAL HEBREW TO GLOBAL RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
Željko Stanojević
Independent Researcher in Hebrew Linguistics and Biblical Philology
Institute for Hebrew Language and Literature, Belgrade
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0717-6184
Abstract
This study presents a comprehensive philological, linguistic, and liturgical analysis of the expression hallelujah (הַלְלוּ־יָהּ), with particular emphasis on its function within the Psalter and its historical transmission across Jewish and Christian traditions. While traditionally interpreted as a second person plural imperative meaning “praise Yah(weh),” derived from the root הלל (HLL) and the theophoric element יה (Yah), this research demonstrates that such a grammatical explanation is insufficient to account for the expression’s behavior within the biblical text.
Through an integrated methodological framework combining etymological, morphological, discourse-linguistic, and historical-liturgical analysis, the study argues that hallelujah functions as a lexicalized liturgical formula operating at multiple levels. Within the Psalter, its consistent positional distribution—particularly in Psalms 146–150—reveals its role as a discourse marker that structures textual units, marks boundaries, and contributes to compositional coherence.
In addition to its structural function, the expression exhibits a performative dimension: it does not merely denote praise but enacts it within a liturgical context. The study further traces the historical development of the expression, including its transliteration into Greek (ἀλληλούϊα), its preservation in Latin (alleluia), and its continuity within Jewish, Eastern Christian, and Western Christian liturgical traditions.
The findings demonstrate that hallelujah represents a complex linguistic and theological unit that cannot be adequately understood within a single analytical framework. Instead, it must be approached simultaneously as a morphological construction, a lexicalized formula, a discourse marker, and a performative act.
Description
The present study investigates the etymology, discourse function, and liturgical transformation of the Hebrew expression hallelujah (הַלְלוּ־יָהּ), one of the most globally recognized formulas originating from Biblical Hebrew. Combining methodologies from Hebrew philology, Semitic linguistics, discourse analysis, liturgical studies, and textual criticism, the research re-examines the expression beyond its traditional translation as “praise Yah(weh).”
Particular attention is devoted to the positional distribution of hallelujah within the Psalter, especially in Psalms 146–150, where the expression functions not merely as a lexical element but as a structural and discourse-organizing marker. The study argues that the formula operates at multiple levels simultaneously: grammatical, poetic, liturgical, performative, and compositional.
The paper additionally explores the historical transmission of the expression through the Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate, Jewish liturgy, Christian liturgical traditions, Gregorian chant, and modern religious usage. Special emphasis is placed on the process through which hallelujah evolved from a Hebrew imperative construction into a globally recognized sacred formula preserved across languages and religious traditions.
The study contributes to Biblical Hebrew studies, discourse linguistics, liturgical philology, and the analysis of performative religious language.
Keywords
Hallelujah; הַלְלוּ־יָהּ; Biblical Hebrew; Hebrew philology; Psalter; discourse marker; liturgical formula; lexicalization; performativity; Semitic linguistics; textual criticism; Septuagint; Jewish liturgy; Christian liturgy; Dead Sea Scrolls; Qumran studies; speech act theory; Psalms
Research Areas
Hebrew Linguistics; Biblical Philology; Semitic Studies; Historical Linguistics; Liturgical Studies; Qumran Studies; Religious Language; Discourse Analysis
Citation
Stanojević, Željko.
Etymology, Discourse Function, and Liturgical Transformation of the Expression Hallelujah: From Biblical Hebrew to Global Religious Traditions.
Belgrade: Institute for Hebrew Language and Literature.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19628742
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Additional Information
Language: English
Type: Research Article
Core Concepts: Hallelujah; הַלְלוּ־יָהּ; Biblical Hebrew discourse; liturgical language; lexicalization; performative religious formulas; Psalter composition; Semitic philology