We have known that there are 7 different words for praise in Hebrew: halal, yadah, todah, shabach, barak, zamar, and tehillah. But for today, “Yadah” will be our second Hebrew word for praise that we will tackle.

Hebrew Word for Praise, Yadah

Yadah appears 111 times in the Bible, and it means:

1. To revere or worship with extended hands
2. To acknowledge, praise, or give thanks
3. To lift hands

It comes from two root words, ‘yad,’ which means the open hands posture, or power, and ‘ah,’ from God’s name, Jehovah. Basically, ‘yadah’ is responding to God by lifting our hands in praise. 

That is why, when we worship God and praise Him, we feel the urge to raise our hands and lift them to Him. Even though no one has taught us about these things, our spirits and bodies naturally know how to respond to God in praise. 

When the Israelites were in a war against the Amalekites in Exodus 17, Moses positioned himself on a hill overlooking the battle. He would raise his hands, and the Israelites were winning. But when he would lower them, the Amalekites were prevailing. So Aaron and Hur supported Moses by helping him raise his hands. 

Moses’ gesture was significant. His simple act of raising his hands in worship and praise to God won them the victory.

In the same way, simply raising our hands is a form of praise to God. Praising God does not mean we have to shout or scream all the time. The very act of lifting our hands is equally pleasing as praise to God. So we can praise God anytime and anywhere just by lifting our hands to Him. 

Psalm 9:1, says “I will praise (Yadah) Thee, o LORD, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Thy marvelous works.”

Reference: Youtube | Theo Heartsill