halal
Picking and choosing from a list of different uses of a word is dangerous. Halal has three distinct usages in the Old Testament. Strong’s Concordance lists one of the meanings as “clamorously foolish.” It has become popular to say that halal means to act crazy and foolish in praise. I’m a fan of occasionally dancing madly in praise of God, but praise doesn’t mean acting crazy. Halal is used when David acted crazy before Abimilech (1 Sam 21:13) - this had nothing to do with praise. The NIV Concordance separates halal into three different unrelated words (see below).
When it is established that several different meanings exist for a word, the interpreter still must seek clues from the context to which meaning the author intended.
The original meaning (etymology) of a word is an unreliable guide to its current usage.
- From "Charts of the Old Testament" by John H Walton - Zondervan
Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words
Verb: הָלַל (halāl), GK 2146 (S 1984), 146x. halāl means “to praise, boast, exult.” halāl can take place in a human context, as when Pharaoh’s servants praise Sarah to him (Gen. 12:15). Absalom too receives praise for his physical appearance (2 Sam. 14:25). The wife of noble character is praised by her husband and others (Prov. 31:28, 30-31). Personal halāl (boasting) can take place because of unscrupulous activities (Ps. 52:1; Prov. 20:14; 25,14), but as Jeremiah insists, we should boast only in the Lord (Jer. 9:23-24).
The majority of uses of halāl, however, refer to praise to God. Over half of its occurrences are in the Psalms. God is worthy of praise (Ps. 18:3; 48,1), especially because of his marvelous deeds 78:4), notably his deeds of salvation 148:14). Praise is not just a momentary element in a person’s life, for the psalmist say, “I will praise the Lord all my life” 146:2). God’s people are called to praise him both with songs 149:1) and with a large variety of musical instruments (Ps. 150). And not only should people praise him, the entire creation should join in that praise 148:1-10). That familiar word “Hallelujah” (used, e.g., in Ps. 115-117) is drawn from this verb; it means “Praise the Lord.”
Three Words
(NIV Word Study Dictionary)
H2145 הָלַל1 hālal-1, v. [4] [H] to flash, radiate, shine:– radiance (1), shone (1), show (1), throws out flashes (1)
H2146 הָלַל2 hālal-2, v. [146] [P] to praise; give thanks; cheer, extol; [Pu] to be praised, be worthy of praise, be of renown; [Ht] to make one’s boast in (the name of God); “Hallelujah” is a compound of the second person plural imperative and the personal name of God: hallelu-yah, praise Yah(weh); see 2149:– praise (87), boast (11), praised (8), worthy of praise (6), boasts (4), glory (4), give praise (3), praises (3), be praised (2), glory in (2), make boast (2), praising (2), bring praise (1), cheering (1), extol (1), gave thanks (1), giving praise (1), had wedding songs (1), is praised (1), renown (1), sang praises (1), sing praise (1), sing praises (1), that purposeS (1)
H2147 הָלַל3 hālal-3, v. [16] [Q] to be arrogant; [Po] to make a fool of, to mock, rail against; [Poal] to be foolish; [Htpo] to act like a madman; act furiously:– arrogant (3), go mad (2), makes fools of (2), acted like a madman (1), boast (1), drive furiously (1), gone mad (1), madness (1), mock (1), rail (1), storm (1), turns into a fool (1)
Context (all NIV)
Words highlighted with bold are ALL halal.
Halal - 1 = to shine
Job 29:3 “when his lamp shone on my head
and by his light I walked through darkness!
Is. 13:10 The stars of heaven and their constellations
will not show their light.
The rising sun will be darkened
and the moon will not give its light.
Halal-2 = to praise
Gen. 12:15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace.
2Sam. 22:4 “I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
Psa. 117:1 Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.
Halal-3 = to act madly
1Sam. 21:13 So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.
Eccl. 2:2 “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?”
Jer. 25:16 When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them.”