Lexical Summary hillul: Praise, celebration Original Word: הִלּוּל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance merry, praise From halal (in the sense of rejoicing); a celebration of thanksgiving for harvest -- merry, praise. see HEBREW halal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom halal Definition a rejoicing, praise NASB Translation festival (1), praise (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [הִלּוּל] noun [masculine] (Late Hebrew id.) only plural הִלּוּלִים rejoicing, praise: 1 וִיַּעֲשׂוּ הִלּוּלִים Judges 9:27 i.e. a vintage-rejoicing, merry-making, connected with thanksgiving וַיָּבאֹוּ בֵּית אֱלֹהֵיהֶם etc. (i.e. god baal-Berith, see Judges 9:4). 2 of praise to ׳י, ׳פקדֶשׁ ה Leviticus 19:24 (H) holiness of praise, i.e. a consecrated thing in token of thanksgiving for fruit, offered in 4th year (compare Late Hebrew). Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope הִלּוּל (hillul) signifies exuberant rejoicing directed to a deity. In Scripture it appears only twice, yet it gathers around it the ideas of vocal celebration, festive praise, and the consecration of fruit or labor to the LORD. Cultic and Agricultural Context Leviticus 19:24 legislates the vineyard’s “praise‐offering” year: “In the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD”. The first three years’ produce was untouchable; the fourth belonged entirely to God in a public act of jubilation. Israel’s worship was thus entwined with its agrarian calendar. Harvest did not culminate merely in private benefit but in communal, God‐honoring celebration, underscoring that the land’s bounty was covenantal gift rather than human achievement (Deuteronomy 8:10–18). Connection with Praise and Worship Hillul expands the concept of praise from speech to substance. To consecrate fruit as hillul was to embody Psalm 24:1, acknowledging, “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof.” Later prophets envision similar rejoicing when the nations stream to Zion (Isaiah 25:6–9), hinting that hillul foreshadows universal worship. Canonical Usage 1. Leviticus 19:24 anchors hillul to holiness, linking rejoicing with sanctification. Theological Themes • Lordship: All produce belongs to God; praise is acknowledgment rather than embellishment of His glory. Christological Implications The consecrated fruit of the fourth year anticipates the “firstfruits” motif fulfilled in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20). Just as the vineyard’s earliest mature yield was dedicated to God, so the resurrection of Jesus inaugurates a harvest of redeemed lives offered in perpetual hillul. Hebrews 13:15 exhorts, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.” The writer merges Levitical imagery with Christian worship, demonstrating continuity between Testaments. Practical Application for Ministry • Stewardship: Encourage congregations to treat income, time, and abilities as fruit reserved first for the Lord, transforming giving into joyous celebration. Hillul, though rare in vocabulary, provides a rich template for understanding how tangible offerings, joyous sound, and consecrated living converge in biblical worship—past, present, and future. Forms and Transliterations הִלּוּלִ֑ים הִלּוּלִ֖ים הלולים hil·lū·lîm hilluLim hillūlîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 19:24 HEB: פִּרְי֑וֹ קֹ֥דֶשׁ הִלּוּלִ֖ים לַיהוָֽה׃ NAS: shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. KJV: thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD INT: fruit shall be holy of praise to the LORD Judges 9:27 2 Occurrences |
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