Definition and Importance
Praise, in the biblical context, refers to the act of expressing admiration, gratitude, and reverence towards God. It is a fundamental aspect of worship and is deeply embedded in the life of believers. Praise is not only a response to God's character and deeds but also a commandment found throughout Scripture. It is an acknowledgment of God's sovereignty, goodness, and mercy.

Biblical Foundation
The Bible is replete with exhortations to praise God. The Psalms, in particular, are a rich tapestry of praise, with many psalms dedicated entirely to this purpose. Psalm 150:6 declares, "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Hallelujah!" This verse encapsulates the universal call to praise, emphasizing that all creation is invited to participate in glorifying God.

Forms of Praise
Praise can be expressed in various forms, including singing, speaking, praying, and living a life that honors God. Singing is perhaps the most common form, as seen in Ephesians 5:19 , "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord." This verse highlights the communal and personal aspects of musical praise.

Purpose of Praise
Praise serves multiple purposes in the life of a believer. It is a means of drawing near to God, as stated in James 4:8 , "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." Praise also shifts the focus from oneself to God, fostering humility and dependence on Him. Additionally, it is a powerful tool for spiritual warfare, as demonstrated in 2 Chronicles 20:22 , "As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated."

Praise in the New Testament
The New Testament continues the theme of praise, with Jesus Himself offering praise to the Father. In Matthew 11:25 , Jesus says, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children." The early church also exemplified a life of praise, as seen in Acts 2:47 , "praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Praise as a Lifestyle
For believers, praise is not limited to specific times or places but is a lifestyle. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 instructs, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." This passage encourages continuous praise and gratitude, regardless of circumstances, as an expression of faith and trust in God's plan.

Eternal Praise
The Bible also points to the eternal nature of praise. Revelation 5:13 provides a glimpse of heavenly worship: "And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying: 'To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever!'" This vision underscores the everlasting praise that will be offered to God by all creation.

Conclusion
While this entry does not include a formal conclusion, it is evident that praise is an integral part of the Christian faith, deeply rooted in Scripture and essential for a vibrant spiritual life.1. (v.) To commend; to applaud; to express approbation of; to laud; -- applied to a person or his acts.

2. (v.) To extol in words or song; to magnify; to glorify on account of perfections or excellent works; to do honor to; to display the excellence of; -- applied especially to the Divine Being.

3. (v.) To value; to appraise.

4. (v.) Commendation for worth; approval expressed; honor rendered because of excellence or worth; laudation; approbation.

5. (v.) Especially, the joyful tribute of gratitude or homage rendered to the Divine Being; the act of glorifying or extolling the Creator; worship, particularly worship by song, distinction from prayer and other acts of worship; as, a service of praise.

6. (n.) The object, ground, or reason of praise.

PRAISE

praz (tehillah, "psalm," "praise," todhah, "confession" "thanksgiving," shabhach, "to praise" "glorify," zamar, yadhah, "to stretch out the hand," "confess"; aineo, epaineo, (epainos):

1. Its Meaning:

The word comes from the Latin pretium, "price," or "value," and may be defined generally as an ascription of value or worth. Praise may be bestowed upon unworthy objects or from improper motives, but true praise consists in a sincere acknowledgment of a real conviction of worth. Its type may be seen in the representation given in the Apocalypse of the adoration of God and of the Lamb, which is inspired by a sense of their worthiness to be adored (Revelation 4:11; Revelation 5:12).

2. With Man as Its Object:

Man may be the object of praise, and may receive it either from God or from his fellow-men. In the former case (Romans 2:29 1 Corinthians 4:5) the praise is inevitably just, as resting on a divine estimate of worth; in the latter case its value depends upon the grounds and motives that lie behind it. There is a praise which is itself a condemnation (Luke 6:26), an honor which seals the eyes in unbelief (John 5:44), a careless use of the epithet "good" which is dishonoring to God (Luke 18:19). This is the "praise of men" which Jesus warned His followers to shun as being incompatible with the "praise of God" (Matthew 6:1-4; compare John 12:43 Galatians 1:10 1 Thessalonians 2:6). On the other hand, there is a praise that is the instinctive homage of the soul to righteousness (Luke 23:47), the acknowledgment given to well-doing by just government (Romans 13:3 1 Peter 2:14), the tribute of the churches to distinguished Christian service (2 Corinthians 8:18). Such praise, so far from being incompatible with the praise of God, is a reflection of it in human consciousness; and so Paul associates praise with virtue as an aid and incentive to holy living on which the mind should dwell (Philippians 4:8).

3. With God as Its Object:

In the Bible it is God who is especially brought before us as the object of praise. His whole creation praises Him, from the angels of heaven (Psalm 103:20 Revelation 5:11) to those lower existences that are unconscious or even inanimate (Psalm 19:1-4; Psalm 148:1-10 Revelation 5:13). But it is with the praises offered to God by man, and with the human duty of praising God, that the Scriptures are principally concerned. In regard to this subject the following points may be noticed:

(1) The Grounds of Praise.

Sometimes God is praised for His inherent qualities. His majesty (Psalm 104:1) or holiness (Isaiah 6:3) fills the mind, and He is "glorified as God" (Romans 1:21) in view of what He essentially is. More frequently He is praised for His works in creation, providence, and redemption. References may be dispensed with here, for the evidence meets us on almost every page of the sacred literature from Genesis to Revelation, and the Book of Psalms in particular, from beginning to end, is occupied with these themes. When God's operations under these aspects present themselves, not simply as general effects of His power and wisdom, but as expressions of His personal love to the individual, the nation, the church, His works become benefits, and praise passes into blessing and thanksgiving (Pss 34; 103; Ephesians 1:3 1 Peter 1:3).

(2) The Modes of Praise.

True praise of God, as distinguished from false praise (Isaiah 29:13 Matthew 15:8), is first of all an inward emotion-a gladness and rejoicing of the heart (Psalm 4:7; Psalm 33:21), a music of the soul and spirit (Psalm 103:1 Luke 1:46 f) which no language can adequately express (Psalm 106:2 2 Corinthians 9:15). But utterance is natural to strong emotion, and the mouth instinctively strives to express the praises of the heart (Psalm 51:15 and passim). Many of the most moving passages in Scripture come from the inspiration of the spirit of praise awakened by the contemplation of the divine majesty or power or wisdom or kindness, but above all by the revelation of redeeming love. Again, the spirit of praise is a social spirit calling for social utterance. The man who praises God desires to praise Him in the hearing of other men (Psalm 40:10), and desires also that their praises should be joined with his own (Psalm 34:3). Further, the spirit of praise is a spirit of song. It may find expression in other ways-in sacrifice (Leviticus 7:13), or testimony (Psalm 66:16), or prayer (Colossians 1:3); but it finds its most natural and its fullest utterance in lyrical and musical forms. When God fills the heart with praise He puts a new song into the mouth (Psalm 40:3). The Book of Psalms is the proof of this for the Old Testament. And when we pass to the New Testament we find that, alike for angels and men, for the church on earth and the church in heaven, the higher moods of praise express themselves in bursts of song (Luke 2:14 Ephesians 5:19 Colossians 3:16 Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:3; Revelation 15:3). Finally, both in the Old Testament and New Testament, the spirit of song gives birth to ordered modes of public praise. In their earlier expressions the praises of Israel were joyful outbursts in which song was mingled with shouting and dancing to a rude accompaniment of timbrels and trumpets (Exodus 15:20 2 Samuel 6:5, 14). In later times Israel had its sacred Psalter, its guilds of trained singers (Ezra 2:41 Nehemiah 7:44), its skilled musicians (Pss 42; 49, etc.); and the praise that waited for God in Zion was full of the solemn beauty of holiness (Psalm 29:2; Psalm 96:9). In the New Testament the Psalter is still a manual of social praise. The "hymn" which Jesus sang with His disciples after the Last Supper (Matthew 26:30) would be a Hebrew psalm, probably from the Hallel (Pss 113-118) which was used at the Passover service, and various references in the Epistles point to the continued employment of the ancient psalms in Christian worship (1 Corinthians 14:26 Ephesians 5:19 Colossians 3:16 James 5:13). But the Psalter of the Jewish church could not suffice to express the distinctive moods of Christian feeling. Original utterance of the spirit of Christian song was one of the manifestations of the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 14:15-17). Paul distinguishes hymns and spiritual songs from psalms (Ephesians 5:19 Colossians 3:16); and it was hymns that he and Silas sang at midnight in the prison of Philippi (Acts 16:25 the Revised Version (British and American)). But from hymns and songs that were the spontaneous utterance of individual feeling the development was natural, in New Testament as in Old Testament times, to hymns that were sung in unison by a whole congregation; and in rhythmic passages like 1 Timothy 3:16 Revelation 15:3, we seem to have fragments of a primitive Christian hymnology, such as Pliny bears witness to for the early years of the 2nd century, when he informs Trajan that the Christians of Bithynia at their morning meetings sang a hymn in alternate strains to Christ as God (Ep. x.97).

SeePERSECUTION.

(3) The Duty of Praise.

Praise is everywhere represented in the Bible as a duty no less than a natural impulse and a delight. To fail in this duty is to withhold from God's glory that belongs to Him (Psalm 50:23 Romans 1:20 f); it is to shut one's eyes to the signs of His presence (Isaiah 40:26), to be forgetful of His mercies (Deuteronomy 6:12), and unthankful for His kindness (Luke 6:35). If we are not to fall into these sins, but are to give to God the honor and glory and gratitude we owe Him, we must earnestly cultivate the spirit and habit of praise. From holy men of old we learn that this may be done by arousing the soul from its slothfulness and sluggishness (Psalm 57:8; Psalm 103:1), by fixing the heart upon God (Psalm 57:7; Psalm 108:1), by meditation on His works and ways (Psalm 77:11), by recounting His benefits (Psalm 103:2), above all, for those to whom He has spoken in His Son, by dwelling upon His unspeakable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15; compare Romans 8:31, 1John 3:1).

See also WORSHIP.

J. C. Lambert

1868. epainos -- praise
... praise. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: epainos Phonetic Spelling:
(ep'-ahee-nos) Short Definition: commendation, praise Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1868.htm - 7k

1867. epaineo -- to praise
... to praise. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epaineo Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ahee-neh'-o) Short Definition: I praise, commend Definition: I praise, commend ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1867.htm - 7k

134. aineo -- to praise
... aineo. 135 . to praise. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: aineo Phonetic Spelling:
(ahee-neh'-o) Short Definition: I praise Definition: I praise. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/134.htm - 6k

136. ainos -- praise (noun)
... ainos. 137 . praise (noun). Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: ainos
Phonetic Spelling: (ah'-ee-nos) Short Definition: praise Definition: praise ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/136.htm - 6k

133. ainesis -- praise
... praise. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: ainesis Phonetic Spelling:
(ah'-ee-nes-is) Short Definition: praise Definition: praise, commendation. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/133.htm - 6k

2127. eulogeo -- to speak well of, praise
... to speak well of, praise. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: eulogeo Phonetic
Spelling: (yoo-log-eh'-o) Short Definition: I bless Definition: (lit: I speak ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2127.htm - 8k

2129. eulogia -- praise, blessing
... praise, blessing. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: eulogia Phonetic
Spelling: (yoo-log-ee'-ah) Short Definition: adulation, praise, blessing ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2129.htm - 7k

1391. doxa -- opinion (always good in NT), hence praise, honor ...
... opinion (always good in NT), hence praise, honor, glory. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: doxa Phonetic Spelling: (dox'-ah) Short Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1391.htm - 7k

5214. humneo -- to sing to, to laud
... Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: humneo Phonetic Spelling: (hoom-neh'-o) Short
Definition: I sing, sing hymns to Definition: I sing, sing hymns to, praise ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5214.htm - 7k

239. hallelouia -- hallelujah, alleluia (an adoring exclamation)
... Part of Speech: Hebrew Form (Indclinable) Transliteration: hallelouia Phonetic Spelling:
(al-lay-loo'-ee-ah) Short Definition: Hallelujah, Praise the Lord ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/239.htm - 7k

8416. tehillah -- praise, song of praise
... 8415, 8416. tehillah. 8417 . praise, song of praise. Transliteration: tehillah
Phonetic Spelling: (teh-hil-law') Short Definition: praise. ...
/hebrew/8416.htm - 6k

2167. zamar -- to make music (in praise of God)
... 2166, 2167. zamar. 2168 . to make music (in praise of God). Transliteration:
zamar Phonetic Spelling: (zaw-mar') Short Definition: praises. Word Origin a prim ...
/hebrew/2167.htm - 6k

1984b. halal -- to be boastful, to praise
... 1984a, 1984b. halal. 1985 . to be boastful, to praise. Transliteration:
halal Short Definition: praise. Word Origin a prim. root ...
/hebrew/1984b.htm - 6k

4110. mahalal -- praise
... praise. Transliteration: mahalal Phonetic Spelling: (mah-hal-awl') Short Definition:
praise. Word Origin from halal Definition praise NASB Word Usage praise (1) ...
/hebrew/4110.htm - 6k

1974. hillul -- a rejoicing, praise
... 1973, 1974. hillul. 1975 . a rejoicing, praise. Transliteration: hillul Phonetic
Spelling: (hil-lool') Short Definition: festival. ... merry, praise. ...
/hebrew/1974.htm - 6k

7624. shebach -- to laud, praise
... 7623b, 7624. shebach. 7625 . to laud, praise. Transliteration: shebach Phonetic
Spelling: (sheb-akh') Short Definition: praised. ... praise. ...
/hebrew/7624.htm - 6k

7623b. shabach -- to laud, praise
... 7623a, 7623b. shabach. 7624 . to laud, praise. Transliteration: shabach
Short Definition: praise. Word Origin a prim. root Definition ...
/hebrew/7623b.htm - 5k

3029. yeda -- to praise
... to praise. Transliteration: yeda Phonetic Spelling: (yed-aw') Short Definition:
thanks. ... (Aramaic) corresponding to yadah; to praise -- (give) thank(-s). ...
/hebrew/3029.htm - 6k

4111. Mahalalel -- "praise of God," great-grandson of Seth, also a ...
... "praise of God," great-grandson of Seth, also a man of Judah. Transliteration:
Mahalalel Phonetic Spelling: (mah-hal-al-ale') Short Definition: Mahalalel. ...
/hebrew/4111.htm - 6k

7318. romam -- extolling, praise
... 7317, 7318. romam. 7319 . extolling, praise. Transliteration: romam Phonetic
Spelling: (ro-mawm') Short Definition: praises. Word ...
/hebrew/7318.htm - 6k

Praise.
... PRAISE. PRAISE. 14,14,4,7,8. "Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.
Praise ye the Lord.""Psalm 150:6. "Lobe den Herren". [53]Joachim Neander. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/borthwick/hymns from the land of luther/praise.htm

A Song of Praise
... BIBLE STORIES AND RELIGIOUS CLASSICS A SONG OF PRAISE. To God, ye choir above,
begin A hymn so loud and strong That all the universe ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/a song of praise.htm

Praise Ye Jehovah!
... Morning and Evening Songs. PRAISE YE JEHOVAH! Praise ye Jehovah, All ye
men who fear Him! Let us ... bringing. Praise ye Jehovah! The ...
/.../gerhardt/paul gerhardts spiritual songs/praise ye jehovah.htm

Praise and Adoration
... II. THE CHRISTIAN YEAR Praise and Adoration. [945]249 All people that on earth do
dwell [946]250 From all that dwell below the skies [947]251 O God of God! ...
/.../praise and adoration.htm

Praise and Prayer.
... PRAISE AND PRAYER. PRAISE AND PRAYER. 8,6,8,6. ... [44]Spitta. transl., Jane Borthwick,
1855. We praise and bless Thee, gracious Lord,. Our Saviour kind and true,. ...
/.../borthwick/hymns from the land of luther/praise and prayer.htm

Blessedness and Praise
... VOLUME I: PSALMS I to XLIX BLESSEDNESS AND PRAISE. ... 'Let every thing that hath
breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.'"Psalm 150:6. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/blessedness and praise.htm

Exhortation to Praise.
... INTRODUCTION AND CLOSE OF WORSHIP. 3. " Exhortation to Praise. 3. SM
Montgomery. Exhortation to Praise. 1 Stand up and bless ...
/.../adams/hymns for christian devotion/3 exhortation to praise.htm

A Song of Praise to God from Great Britain.
... Hymns. Book 2. Composed on Divine Subjects. Hymn 2:1. A song of praise to
God from Great Britain. 1 Nature with all her powers shall ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watts/hymns and spiritual songs/hymn 2 1 a song of.htm

Praise
... The Treasury of Sacred Song. Book First LVII PRAISE. King of glory, King of peace, ...
Thou didst hear me. Seven whole days, not one in seven,. I will praise Thee; ...
//christianbookshelf.org/palgrave/the treasury of sacred song/lvii praise.htm

In Praise of Hosius.
... Chapter II. 5. In praise of Hosius. Of the great Hosius [1409] , who answers
to his name, that confessor of a happy old age, it ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/5 in praise of hosius.htm

Praise (487 Occurrences)
... act of glorifying or extolling the Creator; worship, particularly worship by song,
distinction from prayer and other acts of worship; as, a service of praise. ...
/p/praise.htm - 47k

Praise-offering (5 Occurrences)
Praise-offering. Praised, Praise-offering. Praise-offerings .
Multi-Version Concordance Praise-offering (5 Occurrences). ...
/p/praise-offering.htm - 7k

Praise-offerings (2 Occurrences)
Praise-offerings. Praise-offering, Praise-offerings. Praises .
Multi-Version Concordance Praise-offerings (2 Occurrences). ...
/p/praise-offerings.htm - 7k

Yah (40 Occurrences)
... He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him; my father's God,
and I will exalt him. ... A people which will be created will praise Yah. (WEB). ...
/y/yah.htm - 15k

Extol (23 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To praise highly; to lift up; to elevate;
as to extol one's virtues. 2. (vt) To elevate by praise...
/e/extol.htm - 12k

Praising (35 Occurrences)
... (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Praise. ... Luke 5:25 And straight away he got up before them, and
took up his bed and went away to his house giving praise to God. (See NIV). ...
/p/praising.htm - 16k

Praises (66 Occurrences)
... them. (KJV WBS). Romans 15:11 and again, 'Praise the Lord, all ye nations;
and laud Him, all ye peoples;' (See NIV). 2 Corinthians ...
/p/praises.htm - 24k

Renown (24 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) The state of being much known and talked of; exalted reputation derived
from the extensive praise of great achievements or accomplishments; fame ...
/r/renown.htm - 14k

Corded (37 Occurrences)
... and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah and Mattithiah; under the direction of their father Jeduthun
who, acting as a prophet, with corded instruments gave praise and glory to ...
/c/corded.htm - 18k

Commend (22 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To mention with approbation; to praise; as, to commend a person or an act. ...
5. (n.) Commendation; praise. 6. (n.) Compliments; greetings. Int. ...
/c/commend.htm - 15k

What does it mean to praise the Lord? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean to praise God? | GotQuestions.org

What is the difference between praise and worship? | GotQuestions.org

Praise: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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