Heaven to Earth
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain. Psalm 48:1 (English Bible) NASB
To be praised – You’re probably quite familiar with this Hebrew word. It is found in the expression “Hallelujah!” Literally, this expression means, “Praise for Yah.” The verb is halal, used more than 200 times in the Tanakh for “to praise.” But halal has two semantic domains. Both words are spelled exactly the same, but the first semantic domain is about giving off light, not about uttering praises. You will find this first domain name in Job 29:3 and 31:26. Isaiah uses it. So does Joel. Here the word describes the light shining forth from celestial bodies. Look up! Whether night or day, those lights you see in the sky are shining forth praises for the Lord.
If we didn’t know the context of the Hebrew word, we wouldn’t be able to tell whether it meant, “shining forth light” or “offering praise.” Maybe that’s the point. Perhaps reflection on the two meanings of this word led David to consider the signs of the Lord in the sky. Perhaps Paul had the same linguistic similarity in mind. Maybe it’s not about a natural theology at all. Maybe it’s about linguistics.
What lesson can we draw from this double use of halal? Well, we could start by taking a good look at the sky every time we feel as if God isn’t paying attention to us. We could remind ourselves that the presence of light is an ongoing praise operation. That would take us back to the opening creative act and hopefully reinstate our confidence that He is watching over things. Doesn’t the Bible suggest that God is light? I wonder if we ever though that John might have translated his Hebrew worldview as “God is praise, and in Him is no darkness at all.” When you open your eyes in the morning, when you first see the light of day, what comes to mind? Is that a moment of praise? Do you convert halal into halal?
Heaven has come to earth. Light shines forth, and incorporated into every photon is a moment of eternal praise. You just have to look with Hebrew eyes.
Topical Index: praise, halal, to shine forth, Psalm 48:1
TECHNICAL NOTE: On July 1 and 2 we will be upgrading the web server. This is good news. It means there is so much traffic on the site that we have to make a change. Lots of people are reading. The bad news is that it is expensive and PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON THE BLOG until we let you know it is all done. Thanks. If you don’t get your usual email, don’t worry. We are working hard to keep things going.
Every time I read this text I hear Edward Elgar’s Psalm 48
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp-q5Yt6woI
Let There Be Light
~ Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path ~
~ This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all ~ (1 John 1.5)
~ In Him was life; and the life was the light of men ~ (John 1.4)
Again therefore Yeshua spoke to them, saying, I AM the Light of the world; he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
~ to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of hasatan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me ~
~ O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles ~
…He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.…
The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin;
The Light of the world is Jesus;
Like sunshine at noonday His glory shone in,
The Light of the world is Jesus.
Come to the Light, ’tis shining for thee;
Sweetly the Light has dawned upon me;
Once I was blind, but now I can see;
The Light of the world is Jesus.
No darkness have we who in Jesus abide,
The Light of the world is Jesus;
We walk in the Light when we follow our Guide,
The Light of the world is Jesus.
Ye dwellers in darkness with sin-blinded eyes,
The Light of the world is Jesus;
Go, wash at his bidding, and light will arise,
The Light of the world is Jesus.
No need of the sunlight in heaven, we’re told,
The Light of the world is Jesus;
The Lamb is the Light in the City of Gold,
The Light of the world is Jesus.
*His invitation? “Come unto Me..”
Come to the Light, ’tis shining for thee;
Sweetly the Light has dawned upon me;
Once I was blind, but now I can see;
The Light of the world is Jesus.
“Heaven has come to earth. Light shines forth, and incorporated into every photon is a moment of eternal praise. You just have to look with Hebrew eyes.”
Excellent! Amen and Amen. It can be no coincidence that there are biblical references to specific light-induced optical phenomena in heaven: rainbows and glories (Ezekiel Ch.1; Revelation Ch.4 and Ch. 10 as I recall)
Interestingly, written with different Hebrew letters- chet or hey
חָלַל (chalal) to profane הָלַל (halal ) to praise
at a glance seems alike, but are vastly in contrast.
The translation below of Gen 4: 26, would have a totally different meaning. I heard a teaching on this verse “that men began to profane the Name”
Gen 4:26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
שִׁיר מִזְמֹור לִבְנֵי־קֹֽרַח׃ גָּדֹול יְהוָה וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד בְּעִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ הַר־קָדְשֹֽׁו׃
Knowing/learning Hebrew makes a whole lot of difference!
Heard that too. Brad Scott I think….
Or maybe Bill Cloud
David F.
Thank you. :- ) Don’t matter who; I grew while gleaning from the various Hebrew Roots teachers, and checking it out for myself. Knowing the difference makes a lot of difference. Shalom to you!
Isn’t the word halal also the word used for marriage?