Psalm 150 Discourse

Back to Psalm 150

Psalm Overview

• Grammar
• Semantics
• Story behind the Psalm
• Discourse
• Poetics

Emotions

Emotional Profile

Speech Acts

Speech Act Summary

• In terms of speech acts, Psalm 150 is simple. It begins and ends with the expression "Praise Yah!" (Hebrew: hallelujah). Although this is formally an imperative, it probably functions as an expression of praise. In between the two hallelujah's, there is a series of exhortations to praise ("Praise God" v. 1; "Praise him" (x9) vv. 1-5; "Let every living creature praise Yah" v. 6).

Speech Act Chart

• Hallelujah ("Praise Yah") occurs only in the OT book of Psalms and the NT book of Revelation.
• The LXX Psalms, translated within two or three centuries of the final editing of the Psalter, transliterated this phrase - αλληλουια (cf. Rev. 19) - which may suggest that it functioned as an expressive, just as Christians today say "Hallelujah" as an expression of praise (and not as a directive to praise). "The expression halĕlû-yāh (“praise Yah”) is more than an interjection with semantic value; it has a performative liturgical function whereby worshipers signaled their participation and approval".
• The hallelu-yah's were probably added by the final editor(s) of the Psalter with a deliberate structuring function..
• In 11QPsa 28.3, the phrase functions, according to DCH "as description of type of psalm" הלליה לדויד בן ישי
• According to HALOT, the verb הלל sometimes means (in post-exilic texts) "to exclaim Halleluia (Ezr 3:11 1C 23:5 2C 5:13 7:6 8:14 20:21 29:30 31:2)."

Repeated Roots

The following roots are repeated in Psalm 150:

• הלל ("praise") (x13)
• יה ("Yah") (x2)
• צלל ("cymbals") (x2)