JOTS FROM OLD JAKE
Praise to Father God
Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2007 - 5:07 p.m.
ALLELUIA OR HALLELUJAH�
Which is it?
While singing some songs like the Hallelujah Chorus and others, my mind wondered as to which word should be used when singing the songs. One time I heard a minister say that you should always say, �Alleluia and not ever Hallelujah.� Thinking about this today I decided to look into the scriptures and see what is mentioned there. I could only find the word �Alleluia� in the King James Translation, and only four times. All four times are in Revelation 19. The word �Hallelujah� is not in the King James Version at all, but is found as the word used in two other translations: New Revised Standard Version and New International Version.
Either word in the Hebrew, according to Strong�s Concordance, is allelouia. Which means praise ye Jah. Jah is the shortened form of the sacred name of the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which is Jehovah.
The reason for my concern on this issue is derived from Muslim�s saying, "praise Allah," when they are beheading Christians and others. I know that the god they are worshiping is not that Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Thus not the God I worship whom is the creator of all things.
Since, when I sing Alleluia or Hallelujah, I am singing praises to my God. Although I know that the Lord knows what is in my heart and who my praise is meant for, I just do not want to give the devil any latitude to argue who I worship. I tried to look up the name Allah in the Bible to no avail. The closest I could come to that is the word, �Alvah� which means: moral perverseness:--iniquity. My online dictionary says that Allah is an Arabic word and is the Muslim deity, but is also used by the Arabic Christians.
I conclude from this that: It is permissible to use either word. Since I know that either word means praise to the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and myself; not to the god of Islam.
Blessings to y�all and�
Be ye filled with the Holy Spirit!
References:
Revelation 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: KJV
Revelation 19:1 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power to our God, NRSV
Revelation 19:1 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, NIV
Strong�s numbers:
239. allelouia, al-lay-loo'-ee-ah; which means praise ye Jah. An adoring exclamation of praise to the Lord.
(3050. Yahh, yaw; contr. for H3068, and mean. the same; Jah, the sacred name:--Jah, the Lord, most vehement. Cp. names in "-iah," "-jah.")
3068. Yehovah, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Comp. H3050, H3069.
933. 'Alvah, al-vaw'; or ` 'Alyah, al-yaw'; the same as H5932; Alvah or Aljah, an Idumaean:--Aliah, Alvah.
5932. 'alvah, al-vaw'; for H5766; moral perverseness:--iniquity.
