Etimology, Discourse Function, and Liturgical Transformation of the Expression הללו־יה (Hallelujah): From Biblical Hebrew to Global Religious Traditions

ABSTRACT This study presents a comprehensive philological, linguistic, and liturgical analysis of the expression הַלְלוּ־יָהּ (hallelujah), with particular emphasis on its function within the Psalter and its historical transmission across Jewish and Christian traditions. While traditionally interpreted as a second person plural imperative meaning “praise Yah(weh),” derived from the root הלל (HLL) and the theophoric element יָהּ (Yah), this research demonstrates that such a grammatical explanation is insufficient to account for the expression’s behavior within the biblical text. Through an integrated methodological framework combining etymological, morphological, discourse-linguistic, and historical-liturgical analysis, the study argues that hallelujah functions as a lexicalized liturgical formula operating at multiple levels. Within the Psalter, its consistent positional distribution—particularly in Psalms 146–150—reveals its role as a discourse marker that structures textual units, marks boundaries, and contributes to compositional coherence. In addition to its structural function, the expression exhibits a clear performative dimension: it does not merely denote praise but enacts it within a liturgical context. This dual function situates hallelujah at the intersection of language, text, and ritual practice. The study further traces the historical development of the expression, highlighting its transliteration in the Septuagint (ἀλληλούϊα), its preservation in the Latin alleluia, and its continuity in both Eastern and Western Christian traditions. The findings demonstrate that הַלְלוּ־יָהּ represents a complex linguistic and theological unit that cannot be adequately understood within a single analytical framework. Instead, it must be approached as a morphological construction, a lexicalized formula, a discourse marker, and a performative act. In this way, the study contributes to a more integrated understanding of Biblical Hebrew and opens new perspectives for the analysis of liturgical language and discourse structure in ancient texts. KEYWORDS hallelujah; הַלְלוּ־יָהּ; Biblical Hebrew; Psalter; discourse marker; lexicalization; liturgical formula; performativity; speech act theory; Hebrew linguistics; textual criticism; Septuagint; Jewish liturgy; Christian liturgy; Dead Sea Scrolls; Qumran studies