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The Seven Hebrew Words for Praise, Pt. 2
Psalm 63:1-8 (NASB) says, “1 O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
4 So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
6 When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches,
7 For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.”
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
4 So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
6 When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches,
7 For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.”
“Give thanks unto the LORD, for His mercy endures forever” (1 Chronicles 16:34, 41; Ezra 3:11; Psalm 106:1; 107:1; 118:1, 29; 136:1-3, 26).
Here are the last three Hebrew words for praise:
5) Zamar – properly to touch the strings or parts of a musical instrument, that is, play upon it; to make music, accompanied by the voice; hence to celebrate in song and music:—give praise, sing forth praises, psalms.* 2 Samuel 22:50 says, “Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.” Psalm 30:4 says, “Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.” Psalm 66:2 says, “Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.” Psalm 71:22-23 says, “22I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel. 23My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.” Psalm 149:3 says, “ Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.” Isaiah 12:5 says, “Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.” Psalm 150:1-6 says, “1Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. 2Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. 3Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. 4Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 5Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. 6Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”
6) Shabach – properly to address in a loud tone, that is, (specifically) loud; figuratively to pacify (as if by words):—commend, glory, keep in, praise, still, triumph.* In other words, it is a shout that stills your adversary, silencing any form of defeat, doubt or negativity! Psalm 63:3 says, “Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.” Psalm 106:47 says, “Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.” Psalm 145:4 says, “One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.” (also Joshua 6)
7) Tehillah – laudation; specifically (concretely) a hymn:—praise. It is a praise of intercession. It could also be seen as a combination of these other praises.* Psalm 22:3 says, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” Psalm 34:1 says, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 35:28 says, “And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.” Psalm 79:13 says, “So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will show forth thy praise to all generations.” Psalm 148:14 says, “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.”
There are so many ways to praise God, and none of them are wrong. It could be boasting on the things He has done for you, kneeling down in humility, playing music, singing songs, giving God a shout of praise, standing in intercession, lifting yours hand in surrender and adoration, or giving God a sacrifice. Whatever it looks like, as long as it is from the heart, that is all that matters! He will be honored and receive it! We have so much to give God thanks for. It should be something we do not just do on a day or throughout a week, but rather every day of every year!