The plural Hebrew command (הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֙הּ [“praise ye the LORD”]) that has been transliterated as “Hallelujah” occurs 25 times in the OT, and all but one of these is in the Psalms:
Ps. 104:35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.
Ps. 105:45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.
Ps. 106:48 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.
Ps. 111:1 Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
Ps. 112:1 Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
Ps. 113:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
Ps. 113:9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.
Ps. 115:18 But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD.1
Ps. 116:19 In the courts of the LORD’S house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.
Ps. 117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
Ps. 135:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.
Ps. 135:3 Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.
Ps. 135:21 Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.
Ps. 146:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
Ps. 146:10 The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.
Ps. 147:1 Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
Ps. 147:20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.
Ps. 148:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
Ps. 148:14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.
Ps. 149:1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
Ps. 149:9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.
Ps. 150:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
Ps. 150:6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Jer. 20:13 Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.
On two other occasions, an equivalent expression is found that has the full form of the Hebrew word for “Lord” as its direct object instead of the shortened form “Jah” (הַֽלְל֣וּ אֶת־יְ֭הוָה [“praise the LORD”]):
Ps. 117:1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
Ps. 148:7 Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
These 27 occurrences of the plural command to praise the Lord show just how profoundly God has stressed the importance of praising Him as the Lord!
1Even though the command has been rendered in this verse as “praise the LORD” instead of “praise ye the LORD,” the Hebrew is the same: הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ.
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