Many people, Christians and non-Christians, use the term “Hallelujah!” to mean something like “What a relief!” or “Fantastic!” What they probably don’t realize, however, is that they are using a Hebrew Imperative. The expression, “Hallelujah,” is made up of two Hebrew words: הַלְלוּ (hallelu) and יָהּ (yah). The first of these words, hallelu, is a Piel Imperative (mp) from the root הלל, meaning “to praise.” The second word in the expression, yah, is a short form of the divine