Defining praise and worship

[KirkPsalm]

From another thread i've been inspired to ask he question, what are the differences\distinctions\definitions between praise and worship?

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Try this site to help with contextual definitions:
Worship

H7812 - šāḥâ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nkjv)

H7812 - שָׁחָה shâchâh, shaw-khaw'; a primitive root; to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God):—bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.

www.blueletterbible.org

G4352 - proskyneō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (nkjv)

G4352 - προσκυνέω proskynéō, pros-koo-neh'-o; from and a probable derivative of (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):—worship.

www.blueletterbible.org

Praise

H1288 - bāraḵ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nkjv)

H1288 - בָּרַךְ bârak, baw-rak'; a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):— abundantly, altogether, at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, greatly...

www.blueletterbible.org

H1984 - hālal - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nkjv)

H1984 - הָלַל hâlal, haw-lal'; a primitive root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate; also to stultify:—(make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make)...

www.blueletterbible.org

H1974 - hillûl - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nkjv)

H1974 - הִלּוּל hillûwl, hil-lool'; from (in the sense of rejoicing); a celebration of thanksgiving for harvest:—merry, praise.

www.blueletterbible.org

H2167 - zāmar - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nkjv)

H2167 - זָמַר zâmar, zaw-mar'; a primitive root (perhaps identical with through the idea of striking with the fingers); properly, to touch the strings or parts of a musical instrument, i.e. play upon it; to make music, accompanied by the voice; hence to celebrate in song and music:—give...

www.blueletterbible.org

H3034 - yāḏâ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nkjv)

H3034 - יָדָה yâdâh, yaw-daw'; a primitive root; used only as denominative from ; literally, to use (i.e. hold out) the hand; physically, to throw (a stone, an arrow) at or away; especially to revere or worship (with extended hands); intensively, to bemoan (by wringing the hands):—cast (out)...

www.blueletterbible.org

H3068 - Yᵊhōvâ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nkjv)

H3068 - יְהֹוָה Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw'; from ; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord. Compare , .

www.blueletterbible.org

H4110 - mahălāl - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nkjv)

H4110 - מַהֲלָל mahălâl, mah-hal-awl'; from ; fame:—praise.

www.blueletterbible.org

H7623 - šāḇaḥ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nkjv)

H7623 - שָׁבַח shâbach, shaw-bakh'; a primitive root; properly, to address in a loud tone, i.e. (specifically) loud; figuratively, to pacify (as if by words):—commend, glory, keep in, praise, still, triumph.

www.blueletterbible.org

H7624 - šᵊḇaḥ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nkjv)

H7624 - שְׁבַח shᵉbach, sheb-akh'; (Aramaic) corresponding to ; to adulate, i.e. adore:—praise.

www.blueletterbible.org

H8416 - tᵊhillâ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nkjv)

H8416 - תְּהִלָּה tᵉhillâh, teh-hil-law'; from ; laudation; specifically (concretely) a hymn:—praise.

www.blueletterbible.org

H8426 - tôḏâ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nkjv)

H8426 - תּוֹדָה tôwdâh, to-daw'; from ; properly, an extension of the hand, i.e. (by implication) avowal, or (usually) adoration; specifically, a choir of worshippers:—confession, (sacrifice of) praise, thanks(-giving, offering).

www.blueletterbible.org

G133 - ainesis - Strong's Greek Lexicon (nkjv)

G133 - αἴνεσις aínesis, ah'-ee-nes-is; from ; a praising (the act), i.e. (specially) a thank(-offering):—praise.

www.blueletterbible.org

G134 - aineō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (nkjv)

G134 - αἰνέω ainéō, ahee-neh'-o; from ; to praise (God):—praise.

www.blueletterbible.org

G136 - ainos - Strong's Greek Lexicon (nkjv)

G136 - αἶνος aînos, ah'-ee-nos; apparently a prime word; properly, a story, but used in the sense of ; praise (of God):—praise.

www.blueletterbible.org

G1391 - doxa - Strong's Greek Lexicon (nkjv)

G1391 - δόξα dóxa, dox'-ah; from the base of ; glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literal or figurative, objective or subjective):—dignity, glory(-ious), honour, praise, worship.

www.blueletterbible.org

G1867 - epaineō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (nkjv)

G1867 - ἐπαινέω epainéō, ep-ahee-neh'-o; from and ; to applaud:—commend, laud, praise.

www.blueletterbible.org

G1868 - epainos - Strong's Greek Lexicon (nkjv)

G1868 - ἔπαινος épainos, ep'-ahee-nos; from and the base of ; laudation; concretely, a commendable thing:—praise.

www.blueletterbible.org

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Basically, it's like saying abase yourself, and give commendation.

The common application nowadays is singing songs though, which is a form of praise.

 

[Diamond72]

what are the differences\distinctions\definitions between praise and worship?

Praise and worship are related but distinct concepts in religious and spiritual contexts.

Praise typically refers to expressing admiration, approval, or gratitude for something or someone. In a religious context, it often refers to expressing gratitude or admiration for God or a higher power. Praise can be done through singing, speaking, or other forms of expression.

Worship, on the other hand, typically refers to the act of showing reverence or adoration to a deity or higher power. It often involves a specific set of rituals, practices, or ceremonies and can include singing, prayer, and meditation. Worship can also be seen as a form of devotion or service to a deity or higher power.

In summary, Praise is a form of expressing admiration, approval, or gratitude for something or someone, while Worship is a form of reverence or adoration to a deity or higher power through specific set of rituals, practices, or ceremonies.

 

[ViaCrucis]

From another thread i've been inspired to ask he question, what are the differences\distinctions\definitions between praise and worship?

The word "praise" is related to the words "prize" and "price" in English. Think of the word "appraise"; its etymology goes back to to the idea of holding something to be of high value, and then took on the meaning of to speak of something (or someone) of being of high value or importance, and thus could be synonymous with flattery. In a religious context it is synonymous with laud, a now mostly archaic word that is derived from Latin meaning "to extol", to declare the greatness of someone or something.

The English word worship, unlike other words like laud, praise, or adoration (which all ultimately originate from Latin), is natively of Anglo-Saxon origin, it is literally the Old English word meaning "worth" with the suffix "-ship" added to the end; worship is "worth-ship". And its meaning can be varied depending on time and context. One might occasionally see archaic uses of the word "worship" when speaking to or of nobility in a medieval European fedual context, as in "His Worship" or "Your Worship", similar to "Your Majesty" or "Your Highness"; it refers to deference, respect, admiration. Though the word "worship" is also used, especially in a modern context, almost exclusively in a religious sense to speak of what is owed to God on account of His greatness, on account of His works, on account of what He has done and who He is. That is, God is to be adored, honored, respected above all else.

Praise of/to God is a form of worshiping God, so there's an obvious overlap in that. Worship includes the declaration of God's holiness, of God's love, of God's works, of God's goodness, His grace, His kindness, etc--that is worshipful praise.

Very often, in a traditional Christian setting, worship is something that happens when we come together in the Liturgy, i.e. the church service, where we hear God's word read, we offer prayers--confession of our sins and repentance, thanksgiving, praise, bearing our worries and needs before God in prayer--we celebrate the Lord's Supper, we offer sacred song to declare God's praise and to hear the truth of our faith, we profess our faith together before each other and God. All of that is worship, it is the entire interplay between God meeting us in His gifts of Word and Sacrament and our response of confession, praise, thanksgiving, and our need. Hence the traditional term "liturgy", from Greek leitourgia, meaning "a public act"; as what we do when we come together is borrowed from the way Jews met together both in the synagogues as well as at the Temple in Jerusalem, but distinctively made Christian.

But, even larger than that, worship encompasses everything we are saying about God through what we say, how we live, our attitudes, everything. Worship is not merely what happens when we come together on Sunday morning, it is about our entire way of life as it relates to God--that God in everything is honored.

In a way it goes back to Creation, when God made us in His image and likeness. We were created to bear God as reflections of Him. Think of it like an angled mirror, God created us to reflect Him to the rest of creation by how we live our lives in relation to Him, one another, and with all other creatures; and likewise we reflect the rest of creation back to God as worship. It is a "priestly" kind of thing, where God made Heaven and Earth to be His Temple, and created us to be priests who serve here in His likeness and caring for His house. Of course, we know how that went down in the Garden of Eden (not very well), and so the image of God was marred and distorted because of sin.

But in Christ, we believe, we are being restored, the image is being restored as we are conformed to the image of Christ, and God calls us to live fully a life lived in the Holy Spirit by His power, in and by our union to Jesus Christ, and under the love and grace and kindness of God the Father. So that the Holy Trinity is here, working on us, and as Christians learning what it means to be God's image-bearers as we follow Jesus, God the Son made man. Of course, because of the problem of sin and death in this fallen world, and we ourselves still bear the wounds of Adam's sin in the weakness and mortality of our bodily flesh, we mess up, we miss the mark (sin) all the time and so we trust in God's mercy toward us in Jesus to keep us, hold us, save us. As we now look forward to the day when Christ returns, the dead are raised, and God makes all creation new, setting all things to rights.

So the truest worship of God is still yet to come, when, as St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, God is finally all in all. But the foretaste of it is even now, in this Christian Church where Christ reigns as Lord, and the Holy Spirit breathes new life day by day, under the loving care of a loving Father in heaven.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Strong in Him]

From another thread i've been inspired to ask he question, what are the differences\distinctions\definitions between praise and worship?

I've always understood it as: praise is thanking God for what he does; worship is honouring God for who he is.
They do overlap. God creates, saves, answers prayer etc, because of who he is - love, merciful, compassionate etc etc.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

In terms of "defining" praise and worship. Praise is simplified to one english word .. but is actually many words. This is illustrated in post 3 of this thread.

 

[OldAbramBrown]

The worship of our God is to not stunt the growth of our fellow adopted orphans and widows in Father's prosperous family firm (Proverbs 31: 10-31, parables of Jesus)

The praise of our God is to show Him and each other we know He is the one to go shopping from without price (Isaiah 55, 58, 61, James)

That is why I believe in shopping list prayer.

I believe in Cafeteria Christianity: eat everything on the menu - keep coming back.

Liturgically, a church organisation traditionally sought to organise Scripture readings (more than one) for all to receive. They then tried to provide a sermon through a person they considered (in good will) able to give one.

The two elements, Scripture and sermon, were separate. The words of the sermon giver were not equal to the words of God.

A church "service" is called thus because we are serving God by serving each other with these things and on the same occasion joining our prayers together and raising each others' spirits with a hymn. "Noise" referred to the quality of a report. A sad report reaches our God from His people if they don't hold the attitudes described in the meaning of Holy Scripture.

We are able to live worshipfully and praising of Him in between joint / communal "service" times also, by continual talking with Him and supplicating for others' integrity in a contingent universe.