Welcome to this new segment each week where I share the etymology and Scripture use of a word! I hope you’ll nerd out with me a bit on these Monday “Word for the Week” emails, and my prayer is they’ll help to draw you closer to God.
The Word: Praise
Imagine this: You set out for an appointment one morning. You timed your drive perfectly, but you pull into the parking lot and it seems everyone else had an appointment at the same time as you. After a few long minutes (that felt like hours) of circling the lot, approaching a fashionably late arrival time, you see it. You hustle over to a newly opened front-row parking spot, put the car in park, jump out the door, lock it behind you and get to the check-in window right on time.
You know that feeling that wells up within you? You smirk as you give them your name, knowing the receptionist has no idea the kind of victory you just achieved. You sit in the waiting area with a grin you can’t seem to wipe away and finally start to catch your breath from the adrenaline coursing through your veins. You think about texting a friend or tweeting about it because you can’t keep that success to yourself.
That’s praise.
This emotion rises within you at the recognition that you are victorious, and you can’t keep it in. Your eyes become open to the realities of goodness and God with you. In the moment, praise can make your day. When you let it sink in and allow yourself to truly see God in and all around you, praise can make your life.
Praise is an expression of gratitude and joy for an overcoming victory — be it as simple as a parking spot so you don’t miss your appointment or as grand as seeing the goodness of God through creation, protection, or love.
The earliest English existence of the word “praise” was in the 1300’s. It is related to words like “price” and “prize,” with the earliest formal definition: "‘to assess, set a price or value on’ (mid-13c.); also ‘to prize, hold in high esteem’ (late 13c.)” and as early as the 1400’s it became a commonly used word in reference to God.
As a noun, it became recognized in the 1400’s, and the current definition according to The Oxford Dictionary is “the expression of approval or admiration for someone or something.”
These definitions seem stiff to me—they’re proper and poised, but seeing the original language where “praise” is translated in the Bible is profoundly different.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6
Our English word “praise” is found 248 times in the KJV translation. The most commonly used root Hebrew word is hālal which is found 165 times. In Psalm 150 alone, we find it 13 times.
If you’ve never done a word study in Scripture, it’s important to understand that our English language pales in comparison to the amount of unique word choices the Hebrew language has. So translators do their best to translate to English based on the context and options available. Hence why some of the “praise” words are actually found to have different Hebrew roots. The more you know!
Strong’s H19841 | hālal (haw-lal')
to be clear, to shine, to boast, to make a show, to be foolish, to rave, to celebrate, to glory, to give light
It may seem silly to boast and rave about getting a front-row parking spot and being on time to your appointment, but we often feel that thrill of praise for many small moments of victory through life. Imagine how much more we ought to bring that praise to God for all He does for us!
Maybe ask God to keep your eyes open this week to all the ways creation sings His praise by glorifying Him and celebrating His goodness. Then you might just find you can’t help but do the same.
Scripture I’m Meditating On
“You make known to me the way of life; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.” Psalm 16:11
Enjoy a free phone background if you resonate with this verse this week.
Song On Repeat
Saying I Can’t Stop Thinking About
“Your life as a Christian should make nonbelievers question their disbelief in God.”
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I hope you enjoyed this new weekly segment! If you have a word to suggest for an upcoming Word for the Week email, comment or reply and let me know!
Strong’s Concordance is one of the most well-received and respected resources, and they sort the words with this numbering system, so you’ll be seeing me refer to that with each word I look to Scripture for. Also, for further in-depth word and Bible study, I HIGHLY recommend Blue Letter Bible.
Love this! Literally during my prayer 🙏🏻 time this morning (before I read this 😉) that was my ask of the Lord! To see Him in everything I encounter this week!!!
Love this new weekly segment! Which brings me to my word suggestion: love 💖