Lexical Summary
tehillah: Praise, song of praise, adoration, glory
Original Word:תְּהִלָּה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:thillah
Pronunciation:teh-hil-LAH
Phonetic Spelling:(teh-hil-law')
KJV: praise
NASB:praise, praises, praising, song of praise
Word Origin:[fromH1984 (הָלַל - To praise)]
1. laudation
2. (specifically, concretely) a hymn
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
deep place, depth
Fromhalal; laudation; specifically (concretely) a hymn -- praise.
see HEBREWhalal
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
halalDefinitionpraise, song of praise
NASB Translationpraise (47), praises (6), praising (1), song of praise (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(compare Arabic
, the shouting of sacred formula; Sprenger
Muhammad iii.527 We
Skizzen iii.107 ff. 114. 117. 214 Nö
ZMG 1887, 723 RS
Semitic i. 411 Che
OP 460) absolute
Isaiah 60:18 19t. +
Jeremiah 49:25 Kt, see ifrom; construct
Jeremiah 48:2 2t.; suffix
Jeremiah 17:14 6t.;
Deuteronomy 10:21;
Psalm 48:11,
Psalm 35:38 6t.;
Psalm 9:15; on
Psalm 9:15 as error for #NAME?-, see Ol
§ 131 k; 39 c Sta
§ 354 b Hup Now and others
on the passage.
Isaiah 42:10 10t.; plural absolute
Exodus 15:11; construct
Psalm 22:4 3t.; —
praise, adoration, thanksgiving, paid toPsalm 48:11as thy name, O God, so is thy praise to the ends of the earth,Psalm 111:10 ,Psalm 34:2continually is his praise in my mouth ("" ) comparePsalm 71:6, alsoPsalm 71:8,Psalm 51:7,Psalm 119:171,Psalm 145:21 ("" ); as sung,song of praisePsalm 106:12;Nehemiah 12:46; comparePsalm 40:4 (appositive ) &Isaiah 42:10 (appositiveid.), alsoIsaiah 33:1 ("" ); see perhapsPsalm 148:14 (Che; yet see De VB); note furtherPsalm 109:1;Psalm 22:4inhabiting the praises of Israel;Nehemiah 9:5exalted above all blessing and praise; compare alsoIsaiah 48:9 ("" ), & ofpraise due toIsaiah 42:8.
general, public, praise (compare also above especiallyPsalm 22:4;Psalm 33:1;Psalm 106:12;Nehemiah 12:46); —Psalm 100:4enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise; PlalmPsalm 149:1; comparePsalm 22:26;Psalm 65:2;Psalm 66:2;Psalm 147:1; before the army 2Chronicles 20:22; in exhortation to the peoplesPsalm 66:8 ("" ), compareIsaiah 42:12.
praise-song, as title,Psalm 145:1 (so Late Hebrew & , , =Psalms).
, etc., of , demanding praise: —Exodus 15:11 (song), i.e. terrible in attributes that call for praise ("" & ); often (both singular and plural) of Yahweh's deeds with verbPsalm 9:15;Psalm 78:4;Psalm 79:13;Isaiah 43:21, also +Psalm 102:22; withPsalm 106:2 ("" ); + withPsalm 35:28; withIsaiah 60:6; + , withIsaiah 63:7; vid alsoPsalm 106:47 =1 Chronicles 16:35to give thanks unto thy holy name, to glory in thy praises (= praiseworthy deeds).
renown, fame, glory:
Jeremiah 49:25 (on Qr see Hi Ges§ 80. 2 b); compare perhapsIsaiah 61:3mantle of renown (renown as a mantle, compare De VB; > Displendid garment; but Bi Che Du read and translatepraise, song of praise, compare ).
of ,Habakkuk 3:3his splendour hath covered (the) heavens, and of his renown the earth is full. Also
figurative,praise, renown, = object of praise, possessor of renown; used (a) of IsraelDeuteronomy 26:19 (absolute),Jeremiah 13:11 (+ )Jeremiah 33:9 (+ and ) — all "" , ; see alsoIsaiah 61:11, & perhapsPsalm 148:14 (see below
above); (b) of JerusalemIsaiah 62:7, alsoZephaniah 3:19,20 (both "" ), all these with verb or ; compareIsaiah 60:18; (c) of BabylonJeremiah 51:41; (d) of MoabJeremiah 48:2; (e) of ,Deuteronomy 10:21,Jeremiah 17:14 (no verb)
Topical Lexicon
Overview of UsageThe noun תְּהִלָּה occurs approximately fifty–seven times in the Old Testament, designating praise directed toward the LORD, praise offered for His mighty acts, or the subject that occasions such praise. It spans the Torah, the historical books, the writings, and the prophets, revealing a consistent biblical theology of worship and witness.
Praise as the Glory of God
Tehillah often defines praise as something that belongs intrinsically to God’s nature and reputation. Moses anticipates a future song inDeuteronomy 10:21, “He is your praise and He is your God,” tying praise directly to divine identity. LikewisePsalm 22:3 states, “Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel,” indicating that praise is both the atmosphere and acknowledgment of His holiness.
Personal and Corporate Praise in the Psalms
The Psalter contains the greatest concentration of usages, displaying both individual (Psalm 22:25; 40:3) and congregational (Psalm 33:1; 106:12) praise. InPsalm 34:1 David vows, “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.” By contrast,Psalm 149:1 summons the assembly: “Sing to the LORD a new song, His praise in the congregation of the saints.” The Psalms portray praise as a spiritual reflex to deliverance, a liturgical act in the temple, and a lifestyle of trust.
Praise and Covenant History
In the historical narratives praise punctuates covenant milestones. After the Red Sea crossing Israel sings a song of tehillah (Exodus 15, implied in verse 11’s “Who is like You… doing wonders?”). Following the dedication of Solomon’s temple, the triune refrain “He is good; His loving devotion endures forever” is called “praise” in2 Chronicles 5:13; 8:14. These moments bind praise to covenant memory and temple liturgy.
Prophetic Calls to Praise
The prophets use tehillah both to rebuke and to renew. Isaiah repeatedly announces future, worldwide praise (Isaiah 42:10–12; 43:21; 60:6), portraying Israel as a nation “formed… to declare My praise” (Isaiah 43:21). Habakkuk, in the face of impending judgment, ends his oracle with a song that becomes tehillah (Habakkuk 3:3’s superscription). Thus praise is eschatological and missionary, anticipating global acknowledgment of Yahweh.
Messianic Dimensions
Psalm 22:22, cited inHebrews 2:12, places tehillah on the lips of Messiah: “I will declare Your name to My brothers; in the assembly I will praise You.” The Servant Song ofIsaiah 61:3 promises that the Messiah will grant “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair,” forecasting His redemptive exchange. Through the Messiah, praise becomes both fulfilled and multiplied.
Praise and the Nations
Tehillah encompasses a universal scope.Psalm 66:8 commands, “Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of His praise be heard.”Isaiah 42:12 extends the call to “the islands,” illustrating God’s intent that praise transcend Israel’s borders. This outward trajectory undergirds the missionary impetus of biblical worship.
Eschatological Hope
Praise is portrayed as the inevitable outcome of final redemption.Isaiah 61:11 foresees a day when “the Lord GOD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all the nations.” The closing line of the Hebrew Psalter,Psalm 145:21, anticipates unending praise: “My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD; let every creature bless His holy name forever and ever.” Thus tehillah culminates in everlasting worship.
Theological Significance
1. God is both the object and source of praise; He inspires what He deserves.
2. Praise is inseparable from remembrance of salvation history.
3. Authentic praise unites doxology and proclamation; it tells His deeds (Psalm 9:14) and magnifies His character (Psalm 106:2).
4. Praise reorients the worshiper from circumstance to sovereignty, often surfacing amid lament (Psalm 42:5;Isaiah 61:3).
5. Eschatologically, praise anticipates cosmic renewal when every tongue acknowledges the LORD.
Ministry Implications
• Praise is a primary means of discipleship; children learn God’s acts through sung testimony (Psalm 78:4).
• Corporate worship should be word–saturated, recounting scriptural acts of God (Nehemiah 9:5–38).
• Praise fuels mission; declaring His glory among the nations (Psalm 96:3) is itself praise.
• Pastoral care may clothe the mourning with “a garment of praise” by directing hearts to unchanging truths (Isaiah 61:3).
• Eschatological praise shapes perseverance; believers endure present trials knowing their future song (Isaiah 35:10;Revelation 19:1 echoing Old Testament tehillah).
Strong’s 8416 therefore threads through Scripture as the heart–cry of redeemed people, the witness to the nations, and the proleptic song of the coming kingdom, inviting every generation to join the unending chorus: “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Hallelujah!” (Psalm 150:6).
Forms and Transliterations
בִּתְהִלָּ֑ה בִּתְהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃ בתהלה בתהלתך׃ וְלִתְהִלָּ֖ה וְלִתְהִלָּ֗ה וּ֝תְהִלָּת֗וֹ וּתְהִלָּ֔ה וּתְהִלָּ֗ה וּתְהִלָּֽה׃ וּתְהִלָּת֖וֹ וּתְהִלָּתִ֖י וּתְהִלֹּ֥ת ולתהלה ותהלה ותהלה׃ ותהלת ותהלתו ותהלתי לִתְהִלָּ֖ה לִתְהִלָּ֣ה לתהלה תְ֝הִלָּתִ֗י תְּ֝הִלָּת֗וֹ תְּ֭הִלָּתְךָ תְּֽהִלָּת֥וֹ תְּהִלַּ֣ת תְּהִלַּ֥ת תְּהִלָּ֑ה תְּהִלָּ֖ה תְּהִלָּ֗ה תְּהִלָּ֤ה תְּהִלָּ֥ה תְּהִלָּ֪ה תְּהִלָּ֫תֶ֥יךָ תְּהִלָּֽה׃ תְּהִלָּת֖וֹ תְּהִלָּתִ֖י תְּהִלָּתֶ֑ךָ תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃ תְּהִלָּתֽוֹ׃ תְּהִלֹּ֣ת תְּהִלּ֣וֹת תְּהִלּ֥וֹת תְֽהִלָּ֫תִ֥י תְהִלָּ֓ה תְהִלָּ֔ה תְהִלָּֽה׃ תְהִלָּתְךָ֖ תְהִלָּתִ֖י תְהִלָּתִ֣י תְהִלֹּ֖ת תְּהִלָּ֑ת תהלה תהלה׃ תהלות תהלת תהלתו תהלתו׃ תהלתי תהלתיך תהלתך תהלתך׃ biṯ·hil·lā·ṯe·ḵā biṯ·hil·lāh bithilLah biṯhillāh bithillaTecha biṯhillāṯeḵā liṯ·hil·lāh lithilLah liṯhillāh tə·hil·lā·ṯe·ḵā tə·hil·lā·ṯə·ḵā ṯə·hil·lā·ṯə·ḵā tə·hil·lā·ṯî ṯə·hil·lā·ṯî tə·hil·lā·ṯōw tə·hil·lāh ṯə·hil·lāh tə·hil·laṯ tə·hil·lāṯ tə·hil·lō·wṯ tə·hil·lōṯ ṯə·hil·lōṯ tehilLah təhillāh ṯəhillāh tehilLat təhillaṯ təhillāṯ tehillateCha tehilLaTeicha təhillāṯeḵā təhillāṯəḵā ṯəhillāṯəḵā tehilLaTi təhillāṯî ṯəhillāṯî tehillaTo təhillāṯōw tehilLot təhillōṯ ṯəhillōṯ təhillōwṯ ū·ṯə·hil·lā·ṯî ū·ṯə·hil·lā·ṯōw ū·ṯə·hil·lāh ū·ṯə·hil·lōṯ utehilLah ūṯəhillāh utehillaTi ūṯəhillāṯî utehillaTo ūṯəhillāṯōw utehilLot ūṯəhillōṯ velithilLah wə·liṯ·hil·lāh wəliṯhillāh
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