H8416 H8416
Praise, song of praise, or renown; verbal and musical celebration of God's character, deeds, and the fame they confer.
Tehillah is the word that names the entire book of Psalms in Hebrew (Sefer Tehillim). It moves fluidly between the act of praising, the song that carries the praise, and the renown that results from it. When Moses declares that God is 'your praise' (Deut 10:21), he means both the object of worship and the source of Israel's fame. Jeremiah uses it differently — nations become 'a praise' or lose their praise as God exalts or judges. The multilingual glosses reveal this breadth: Spanish alabanza and German Lobpreis cover both the act and the product, while French louange captures the warm vocal quality the Hebrew implies.
Senses
1. praise, act of praising — The act or expression of praising God, encompassing verbal declarations, liturgical worship, and personal adoration. This dominant sense (45 occurrences) appears with every pronominal suffix — 'my praise,' 'your praise,' 'his praise' — showing that praise in Hebrew is always relational. Key passages include the call to 'declare his praise' (Isa 42:10) and Nehemiah's great assembly of praise (Neh 12:46). German Lobpreis and French louange both underscore the active, vocal nature of this sense. 45×
AR["-التَّسْبِيحِ", "التَّسْبِيحُ", "بِتَسْبيحِكَ", "تَسبيحٍ", "تَسبيحَهُ", "تَسبيحُهُ", "تَسبيحِهِ", "تَسْبيحٌ", "تَسْبيحَةً", "تَسْبيحَهُ", "تَسْبيحُهُ", "تَسْبيحِهِ", "تَسْبِيحًا", "تَسْبِيحٌ", "تَسْبِيحَةً", "تَسْبِيحَةٌ", "تَسْبِيحَتُهُ", "تَسْبِيحَهُ"]·ben["তাঁর-প্রশংসা", "তাঁর-প্রশংসা।", "তাঁর-প্রশংসার।", "তার-প্রশংসা", "তোমার-প্রশংসা", "প্রশংসা", "প্রশংসার", "প্রশংসার-বিষয়"]·DE["Lobpreis", "[תהלה]", "dein-Lobpreis", "ein-Lobpreis", "sein-Lobpreis"]·EN["His-praise", "Praise", "Your-praise", "a-praise", "his-praise", "is-praise", "praise"]·FR["louange", "sa-louange"]·heb["תהילה", "תהילת-ו", "תהילת-ך", "תהילתו", "תהלה"]·HI["उसकी-स्तुति", "उसकी-स्तुति-की", "उसकी-स्तुति-को", "और-बुलाया-जाएगा", "स्तुति", "स्तुति-उसकी", "स्तुति-के", "स्तुति-तेरी"]·ID["Pujian", "pujian", "pujian-Nya"]·IT["lode"]·jav["Kidung-pepujian", "Pangalembana", "pamuji", "pamuji-Panjenenganipun", "pangalembana", "pangalembana-ipun", "pangalembananipun", "pepujen", "pepujen-Panjenengan", "pepujen-Panjenenganipun", "pepujian", "pepujian-ipun", "pujèné"]·KO["그-의-찬송-이", "그-의-찬양-을", "그-의-찬양-의", "그-의-찬양이", "그의-찬양을", "주-의-찬양을", "찬송", "찬양", "찬양-을", "찬양-이도다", "찬양으로", "찬양을", "찬양의", "찬양이", "찬양이라"]·PT["Louvor", "Seu-louvor", "de-seu-louvor", "louvor", "louvor-dele", "o-louvor", "seu-louvor", "teu-louvor", "é-o-louvor"]·RU["-хвалу-Его", "славу", "славу-Его", "хвала", "хвала-Его", "хвалой", "хвалу", "хвалу-Ему", "хвалу-Твою", "хвалы", "хвалы-Ему"]·ES["Alabanza", "alabanza", "por-alabanza", "su-alabanza", "tu-alabanza"]·SW["la-sifa", "sifa", "sifa-yake", "sifa-yako", "sifa-zake", "ya-sifa-zake"]·TR["ilahi", "ovgu", "ovgunun", "ovgusunu", "övgü", "övgünü", "övgünün", "övgüsü", "övgüsü-O'nun", "övgüsünü", "övgüsünün", "övgüyle"]·urd["اُس-کی-حمد", "اُس-کی-حمد-کو", "اُس-کی-حمد-کی", "تعریف", "تیری-حمد", "حمد", "حمد-کی"]
Deut 10:21, 1 Chr 16:35, 2 Chr 20:22, Neh 9:5, Neh 12:46, Ps 22:25, Ps 33:1, Ps 34:1, Ps 35:28, Ps 40:3, Ps 48:10, Ps 51:15 (+33 more)
2. renown, fame, praiseworthy quality — Renown, fame, or the quality of being praiseworthy, often in the construction letehillah ('for a praise'). Deuteronomy 26:19 promises Israel will be set 'for a praise' above all nations — meaning as a source of worldwide renown. Jeremiah inverts this: Moab's tehillah is silenced (48:2), Babylon the 'praise of the whole earth' is seized (51:41). Spanish para alabanza and French pour louange capture this resultative sense well, showing that praise can become a public standing. 7×
AR["تَسْبِيحُ", "فَخْرُ", "لِ-تَسْبِيحٍ", "لِتَسْبِيحٍ", "لِلتَّسْبِيحِ", "وَ-لِ-تَسْبِيحٍ", "وَلِلتَّسْبِيحِ"]·ben["-প্রশংসার-জন্য", "ও-প্রশংসার-জন্য", "গৌরব", "প্রশংসা", "প্রশংসার-জন্য"]·DE["Lobpreis", "[ולתהלה]", "[לתהלה]", "fuer-loben", "und-Lobpreis"]·EN["and-for-a-praise", "and-for-praise", "for-a-praise", "for-praise", "praise-of", "the-praise-of"]·FR["[לתהלה]", "et-louange", "et-pour-louange", "louange", "pour-louer"]·heb["ו-ל-תהילה", "ל-תהילה", "תהילת", "תהלת"]·HI["और-के-लिए-प्रशंसा", "और-स्तुति-के-लिए", "के-लिए-प्रशंसा", "प्रशंसा", "स्तुति-को"]·ID["dan-menjadi-pujian", "dan-untuk-pujian", "menjadi-pujian", "pujian", "untuk-pujian"]·IT["e-lode", "lode", "per-lode"]·jav["kanggé-pamuji", "lan-kanggé-pangalem", "lan-pangalem", "pakurmatan", "pamujan", "pangalem"]·KO["(전)-찬양으로", "그리고-에게-찬양", "그리고-찬양-으로", "에게-찬양", "자랑이", "찬양으로-", "찬양이"]·PT["e-para-louvor", "louvor-de", "para-louvor"]·RU["для-хвалы", "и-для-славы", "и-славою", "слава", "славою", "славы"]·ES["alabanza-de", "para-alabanza", "y-para-alabanza"]·SW["kwa-sifa", "na-kwa-sifa", "sifa", "sifa-ya"]·TR["ve-övgü-olarak", "ve-övgüye", "övgü-için", "övgü-olarak", "övgüsü", "övgüye"]·urd["اور-حمد-کے-لیے", "تعریف", "تعریف-کے-لیے", "حمد", "حمد-کے-لیے"]
3. songs of praise, hymns — Specific compositions or hymns of praise, typically appearing in the plural tehillot. Exodus 15:11 asks 'who is like you, majestic in praises?' — referring to God's praiseworthy deeds recounted in song. Psalm 22:3 places God as 'enthroned on the praises of Israel,' treating these hymns as the very seat of divine presence. The plural form signals concrete literary or liturgical works rather than the abstract act of praising. 6×
AR["التَّسْبِيحَاتِ", "تَسْبِيحَاتِ", "تَسْبِيحَاتِكَ", "وَ-تَسْبِيحَاتِ"]·ben["-এবং-প্রশংসাগুলি", "তোমার-প্রশংসাগুলি", "প্রশংসা", "প্রশংসাগুলি", "প্রশংসায়"]·DE["Lobpreis", "auf-der-Lobpreis-", "dein-Lobpreis", "der-Lobpreis-", "praises", "und-Lobpreis"]·EN["and-praises-of", "on-the-praises-of", "praises", "the-praises-of", "your-praises"]·FR["et-louange", "louange", "praises"]·heb["ו-תהילות", "תהילות", "תהילותיך"]·HI["और-स्तुतियाँ", "तेरी-स्तुति-की", "स्तुति", "स्तुति-में", "स्तुतियाँ", "स्तुतियों-में"]·ID["dan-pujian-pujian", "pujian", "pujian-Mu", "pujian-pujian"]·IT["e-lode", "lode", "praises"]·jav["kalawan-pamuji", "lan-pangalembana", "pangalembana", "pangalembana-", "pujian", "pujian-Panjenengan"]·KO["그리고-찬양들을", "찬양들-에", "찬양들-을", "찬양들을", "찬양들의"]·PT["e-louvores-de", "em-louvores,", "louvores-de", "nos-louvores", "os-louvores", "os-teus-louvores"]·RU["и-хвалы-", "на-хвалах", "хвалами", "хвалы", "хвалы-", "хвалы-Твои"]·ES["alabanzas", "alabanzas-de", "las-alabanzas-de", "tus-alabanzas", "y-alabanzas-de"]·SW["na-sifa", "sifa", "sifa-za", "sifa-zako"]·TR["ovgulerini-", "ve-ovgulerni-", "övgülerde", "övgülerinde-", "övgülerini", "övünceleri"]·urd["اور-تعریفیں", "تعریفیں", "تیری-حمد-کو", "حمد", "حمدوں"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† תְּהִלָּה n.f. praise, song of praise (cf. Arabic يَهْلِيلٌ, the shouting of a sacred formula; SprengerMuḥammad iii. 527 WeSkizzen iii. 107 ff. 114.117.214 NöZMG 1887, 723 RSSem i. 411 CheOP 460) abs. ת׳ Is 60:18 + 19 times + Je 49:25 Kt, v. infr.; cstr. תְּהִלַּת Je 48:2 + 2 times; sf. תְּהִלָּתִי Je 17:14 + 6 times; תְּהִלָּֽתְךָ Dt 10:21, ψ 48:11, תְּהִלָּתֶ֑ךָ ψ 35:28 + 6 times;…