#36 Hallelujah and Amen

#36: “Hallelujah and Amen!” by Brendon Wahlberg

The Bible is so much a part of our culture that some biblical Hebrew words have entered into our English language. We say them all the time, sometimes without fully knowing what they mean. Hallelujah and Amen are two good examples. There is a rich history behind both of these words, and if we are going to use them so often, we might as well know better what we are saying, right?

Hallelujah! We shout it in church, we use it in song, and we say it when great things happen. What does this ancient word mean? Hallelujah is really a transliteration of two Hebrew words, which means that the sounds of the original words are simply written out in English, and are not actually translated. A good example of a transliteration is the word “Hanukkah/Chanuka/Hanaka, etc.” The reason there are so many spellings is that this is a non-English word sounded out and written like it sounds. For the same reason, Hallelujah might be spelled Alleluia. Transliteration of the word Hallelujah goes all the way back to Greek and Latin versions of the Bible.

Hallelujah is really a phrase made up of two words, Hallelu and Jah. The first part of the word, Hallelu, is a request to the congregation to joyously praise, and the second part, Jah (or, Yah), is a short form of Yahweh, the biblical name of God. So, translated, Hallelujah means “Praise the Lord, all you people!” In the Hebrew Bible, the word Hallelujah is only found in the book of Psalms, where it is used in 16 of the 150 Psalms. As the Psalms were meant to be sung, it is fitting that we use Hallelujah in song today, just as they did long ago. Psalms 146-150 are known as the “Hallelujah Psalms.” They were meant for use in joyful public worship. In each one of these Psalms, the word Hallelujah begins and ends the Psalm.

“Praise the Lord [Hallelu Yah]! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord [Hallelu Yah]!” (Psalm 150)

In the New Testament, Hallelujah appears only in the book of Revelation (19:1-6), again as an introduction to praising God. “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, for his judgments are true and just; he has judged the great whore who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.’ Once more they said, ‘Hallelujah! The smoke goes up from her for ever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who is seated on the throne, saying ‘Amen. Hallelujah!’ And from the throne came a voice saying, ‘Praise our God, all you his servants, and all who fear him, small and great.’ Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunder-peals, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.” Despite this limited usage in the actual Bible, Hallelujah has become a household word, used by Christians everywhere to praise God.

Amen! Amen is another transliterated Hebrew word found in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. We use it today as an expression of agreement, as in “Amen to that”, and in worship, it is the almost automatic ending of a spoken prayer or a hymn. But how was Amen used originally? It may be translated in several ways, including “so be it”, “truly”, “certainly”, “may it be so”, “let it happen”, and “verily.”

Amen appears in many places in the Hebrew Bible. Here are examples of Jeremiah using Amen to say “so be it.” “So shall you be my people, and I will be your God, that I may perform the oath that I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day. Then I answered, ‘So be it [Amen], Lord.’” (Jeremiah 11:4-5) “and the prophet Jeremiah said, ‘Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord fulfill the words that you have prophesied.” (Jeremiah 28:6)

Amen was also used in the Psalms as a liturgical response, appearing along with Hallelujah. “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say, ‘Amen.’ Praise the Lord [Hallelu Yah]! (Psalm 106:48) The book of Psalms is divided into five parts, and the ending of each part is marked by an Amen, or even a double Amen, as in “Amen and Amen.” (Psalm 41:13)

Early Christians adopted the use of Amen as a confirmatory response to a prayer, as shown by these passages. “I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also; I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will sing praise with the mind also. Otherwise, if you say a blessing with the spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say the ‘Amen’ to your thanksgiving, since the outsider does not know what you are saying?” (1 Corinthians 14:15-16) “[...] to bring about the obedience of faith - to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever! Amen.” (Romans 16:26-27) According to the writer Justin Martyr (150 CE), second century Christians said Amen to the blessing after the Eucharist.

Besides those kinds of liturgical usage, Amen also has a special place in the words of Jesus. In the gospels, Jesus uses Amen in an exclusive and unusual way: not to close a prayer, but as an introduction to his next words, which is meant to emphasize the importance, authority, and truth of what he is about to say. Here are two examples. In one, Jesus even uses a double Amen! (Note that the word Amen has been translated as “truly” in the NRSV.) “For truly [Amen] I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:18) “And he said to him, ‘Very truly [Amen, Amen], I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’” (John 1:51)

Finally, Amen can be an aspect of God. Amen is the embodiment of truth and faithfulness associated with God – this is used to powerful effect in the words of Isaiah, when he calls God the “God of Amen.” “Then whoever invokes a blessing in the land shall bless by the God of faithfulness [of Amen], and whoever takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of faithfulness [of Amen]” (Isaiah 65:16). And in Revelation 3:14, Jesus is called “the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God’s creation.” Paul says of Jesus, “For in him every one of God’s promises is a ‘Yes.’ For this reason it is through him that we say the ‘Amen’, to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:20) Therefore it is fitting that the New Testament itself ends with the word Amen. “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.” (Revelation 22:20-21)