Towdah, among SEVEN words for praise.

Which one is most appropriate for an Audio and Music site? When I picked this site name I just looked up "Praise" "Worship" in Hebrew and Greek and this is the name that popped up. But which word is MOST appropriate?

1. Towdah: An extension of the hand in adoration, avowal, or acceptance, to thank God in advance. Seems applicable. As an Audio person I am an extension of the worship team, pastor, etc. It is all funneled through me to the people. It's very hard for the back row to hear without the things I do. Likewise I could mess up the things going on if I am not watching, being diligent, and keeping my own art/craft to it's highest standard. It might be better for there to be no audio than to have the wrong person behind the board. In a very real sense, I am an invisible extension of the hand from God through the platform to the people and from them, because they respond, back to God.
2. Zamar: pluck the strings, sing, praise, music, musical praise. This is a function of what I do, a great deal of my time and energy is devoted to music, but it's not ALL I do...
3. All the other words seems to be various expressions of praise, but Towdah still seems to apply the best... who knew, I was spirit led when I picked it!

Someone else did all the work, why duplicate it. Here are words for "Praise" in Hebrew. Towdah being one of them.

http://buddysheets.tripod.com/hebrewwordsforpraise.htm

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1. Halal
Halal is a primary Hebrew root word for praise. Our word "hallelujah" comes from this base word. It means "to be clear, to shine, to boast, show, to rave, celebrate, to be clamorously foolish."
Ps 113:1-3
Praise (halal) ye the Lord, praise (halal) o ye servants of the Lord, praise (halal) the name of the Lord.
Ps 150:1
Praise (halal) the Lord! Praise (halal) God in his sanctuary; Praise (halal) him in his mighty expanse.
Ps 149:3
Let them praise (halal) his name in the dance: let them sing praises with the timbrel and harp.
(Other references: 1Chr 2)
2. Yadah
2Chr 8:14
Ezra 3:10
Ps 22:22
Ps 63:5
Ps 69:30
Yadah is a verb with a root meaning, "the extended hand, to throw out the hand, therefore to worship with extended hand." According to the Lexicon, the opposite meaning is "to bemoan, the wringing of the hands."
2Chr 20:21
Give thanks (yadah) to the Lord, for his lovingkindness is everlasting.
Ps 63:1
So I will bless thee as long as I live; I will (yadah) lift up my hands in thy name.
Ps 107:15
Oh that men would praise (yadah) the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.
Other references:
Gen 49:8
2Chr 7:6
2Chr 20:21
Isa 12:4
Jer 33:11
3. Towdah
Towdah comes from the same principle root word as yadah, but is used more specifically. Towdah literally means, "an extension of the hand in adoration, avowal, or acceptance." By way of application, it is appratent in the Psalms and elsewhere that it is used for thanking God for "things not yet received" as well as things already at hand.
Ps 50:14
Offer unto God praise (towdah) and pay thy vows unto the Most High.
Ps 50:23
Whoso offereth praise (towdah) glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
Other references:
2Chr 29:31
Jer 33:11
Ps 42:4
4. Shabach
Shabach means, "to shout, to address in a loud tone, to command, to triumph."
Ps 47:1
O clap your hands, all peoples; shout (shabach) to God with the voice of joy (or triumph).
Ps 145:4
One generation shall praise (shabach) thy works to another and declare thy mighty acts.
Isa 12:6
Cry aloud and shout (shabach) for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Other references:
Ps 63:1-4
Ps.117:1
Ps 35:27
Ps 106:47
5. Barak
Barak means "to kneel down, to bless God as an act of adoration."
Ps 95:6
O come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel (barak) before the Lord our maker.
1Chr 29:20
Then David said to all the assembly, "Now bless (barak) the Lord your God." And all the assembly blessed (barak) the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed low and did homage to the Lord and to the king.
Ps 34:1
I will bless (barak) the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Other references:
Job 1:21
Ps 96:2
Ps 103:1-2
Ps 18:46
6. Zamar
Zamar means "to pluck the strings of an instrument, to sing, to praise; a musical word which is largely involved with joyful expressions of music with musical instruments.
Ps 21:13
Be exalted O Lord, in Thine own strength, so will we sing and praise (zamar) Thy power.
1Chr 16:9
Sing to Him, sing praises (zamar) to Him; speak of all His wonders.
Ps 57:8-9
Awake my glory; awake harp and lyre, I will awaken the dawn! I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord among the peoples; I will sing praises (zamar) to Thee among the nations.
Other references:
Ps 66:2-4
Isa 12:5
Ps 27:6
Ps 149:3
Ps 30:4
7. Tehillah
Tehillah is derived from the word halal and means "the singing of halals, to sing or to laud; perceived to involve music, especially singing; hymns of the Spirit.
Ps 22:3
Yet Thou art holy, O Thou who art enthroned upon the praises (tehillah) of Israel.
Ps 33:1
Rejoice in the Lord, o ye righteous, for praise (tehillah) is comely for the upright.
Isa 61:3
To grant to those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise (tehillah) instead of the spirit of fainting, So they shall be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
Other references:
Ps 34:1
1Chr 16:35
2Chr 20:22
Deut 10:21
Exod 15:11
Ps 147:1-2

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What is Towdah?

Toda in spanish means: ALL

Towdaw in Hebrew means: Praise, Confession, and Thanksgiving

Therefore I am to give ALL Praise, Confession, and Thanksgiving to God.

I know I’m called to music, worship, and praise as a central part of my life. But I’ve been pushing it off and laying it aside for FAR too long. Over the years I’ve spent lot’s of time on and off Church Platforms doing Praise and Worship. It seems that just as soon as I get anywhere close to a platform I start feeling ill, agitated, sick, nervous, scared, and depressed. It’s happened every time at every church. At one time I thought as I got closer to the calling of God and the right church it would go away. Then I realized that it was harder the better the church I was in.

Some may be tempted to call this stage fright. It’s not. I don’t have stage fright. I don’t have any kind of fright. Fear isn’t allowed in my life. It’s an enemy to a child of God. I’ve been working to remove fear. But this is more…

I was confused for a long time about this. Then I realized in prayer and study over the years that the more power of God (also known as anointing) that was present on a church, platform, and Pastor the more my reaction grew instead of shrank!!

After many years of asking the Lord about this reaction I was having I finally just decided that I couldn’t be on a platform anymore until I knew what was happening. Several years went by and the music inside grew dry. I didn’t even like listening to it. I didn’t want to be present for the worship part of the service. I all bust forgot about music. During that time God started dealing with me about the level of my intimacy with Him. I was keeping Him at a distance… as I was everyone else too. Over the last few months He’s been teaching me about prayer and closeness to Him. I’ve grown at work. I even started developing a mindset that I didn’t know I could have and that was: To embrace and not reject leadership and authority!

Then, slowly… over the last few months, especially since 2010 started, He has brought music back to me. It started back around Sept during the Days of Refreshing during Rosh Hashanah.

I am now taking an active role in bringing music back into my life as of today. I will start with this website as a central resource center for everything and Learn and Do.

Confess-Praise-Thanksgiving… These are the heart of true music!

Rosh Hashanah

תּוֹדָ

H8426

towdah

tō·dä’

thanksgiving, praise, thanks, thank offerings, confession

1) confession, praise, thanksgiving

a) give praise to God

b) thanksgiving in songs of liturgical worship, hymn of praise

c) thanksgiving choir or procession or line or company

d) thank-offering, sacrifice of thanksgiving

e) confession

From יָדָה (H3034)

From the Root Word:

יָדָה

yadah   yä·dä’

1) to throw, shoot, cast

a) (Qal) to shoot (arrows)

b) (Piel) to cast, cast down, throw down

c) (Hiphil)

1) to give thanks,, laud, praise

2) to confess, confess (the name of God)

d) (Hithpael)

1) to confess (sin)

2) to give thanks

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Define Praise

Dictionary.com:

praise

–noun

1.

the act of expressing approval or admiration; commendation; laudation.

2.

the offering of grateful homage in words or song, as an act of worship: a hymn of praise to god.

3.

the state of being approved or admired: The king lived in praise for many years.

4.

Archaic. a ground for praise, or a merit.

Origin: 
1175–1225; (v.) ME preisen < OF preisier to value, prize < LLpretiāre, deriv. of L pretium price, worth, reward; (n.) ME, deriv. of the v.; see prize²

—Synonyms
1. acclamation, plaudit, applause, approbation, compliment. 2.encomium, eulogy, panegyric. 5. laud, applaud, eulogize. Seeapprove. 6. glorify, exalt, honor.

—Antonyms
1. condemnation. 5. depreciate.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In its common usage, praise is the act of making positive statements about a person, object or idea, either in public or privately. Praise is typically, but not exclusively, earned relative to achievement and accomplishment. Praise is often contrasted with criticism, where the latter is held to mean exclusively negative statements made about something, although this is not technically correct (see also Blame).

In religion, praise is an impassioned exaltation of God (i.e. a Supreme Being, or Creation). Praise relates to Gods Greatness. Worshop relates to Gods holyness and Thanks giving to Gods goodness. Praise is the appropriate response to Gods greatness. Praise is Gods address. It doesn't depend on our visible situations or circumstances, feelings. It's base on eternal unchangeable facts. His mercy is everlasting his truth endures to all generations.

Praise and children

Common advice is that praise should not be given to children without reason^[2][3].

• Reward the attainment of specifed goals, not just participation, of the child.
• Praise small changes and successes. Waiting for perfection may take forever.
• Be descriptive and specific with praise.
• A lot of praise is required to outweigh one criticism. Researchers suggest a ratio of 6:1.
• Ensure praise being given to the child is deserved.
• Encourage good behaviour with praise, rather than pointing out bad behaviour.
• Praise progress is in relation to an individuals past progress, NOT compared with others.
• Teachers should NOT praise uninvolved students for not disrupting the class.

Etymology: Middle English preisen, from Anglo-French preiser, priser to appraise, esteem — more at prize Date: 13th century
transitive verb
1 : to express a favorable judgment of : commend
2 : to glorify (a god or saint) especially by the attribution of perfections
intransitive verb: to express praise

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Hebrew and Greek Words that bear further look:

Hebrew and Greek Words that bear further look:

H5329

natsach

nä·tsakh'

musician, set forward, overseers, excel, oversee, perpetual, chief singer

H7991

shaliysh

shä·lēsh'

captain, lord, instrument of musick, great measure, excellent thing, measure, prince

H7892

shiyr

shēr

song, musick, singing, musical, sing, singers, song

H7705

shiddah

shid·dah'

musical instrument

G4858

symphōnia

süm-fō-nē'-ä

music

G3451

mousikos

mü-sē-ko's

musician

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Talking Vs Music

Music has more positive effect on growing plants than talking or nothing. See this Myth Busters Episode

Myth Busters-Talking to Plants

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What is Ministry in Music

I heard a Pastor once say that a certain christian entertainer was not "ministry" because he wasn't getting people saved at his concerts.  If that were true what does it mean that the Prophets and Teachers including Paul and Barnabas were "Ministering to the Lord". How can you get the Lord saved? Ministry means to Serve. You serve the Lord by doing what he wants you to do. You may be serving the Lord smiling at someone and never saying a word if that is what He told you to do.

Getting your heart, in tune with His heart, and reaching through His heart to the Heart of others in service is ministry. Just remember that despite the opinions of anyone, you stand before Him and Him alone. What is HE telling you to do? If your assignment is to work behind a counter taking orders and doing it in the Joy of The Lord... that is YOUR ministry. Do it with all the enthusiasm of an evangelist.

Write the music HE is calling you to. Too often because of this religious idea we've had of what God wants we in the Christian world have tried to over Christianize everything we do. If our song, book, movie, conversation didn't involve serious prayer and someone getting right with God and crying and repentance... we felt as though it wasn't a christian book. Why can't you just write a well done piece  of literature and let what is in you flow out of you into the page without forcing it to preach? Lord of the Rings is among the most popular books of fiction in history and although there are christian themes throughout the book because the author was deeply christian not once was there a character preaching and carrying on and repenting in dust and ashes.

We must rethink our work. Christians OUGHT TO BE producing the cutting edge in everything we do. The world for hundreds of years came to US to learn how WE did some new amazing thing. Science, art, etc. We ruled. It was a christian who was killed for saying the world was round! Christians said we ought to have a government "For the people by the people" and freedom TO religion and FROM the government NOT TO government and FROM religion.

In the past 100 years Christian movies and music have become decades behind the times and it's time we had a revolution. Hollywood should be knocking down our door to see our newest inventions and ideas and software and techniques, etc.

Will you answer the call?

DW

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Passionate Purpose of Music

Colossians 3:14-17 (New King James Version)

14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

ABOVE ALL:

• Put On Love
• Let Peace Rule
• Be Thankful
• Let THE Word dwell richly

How does the word dwell richly?

• Wisdom
• Teaching
• Admonishing

The best way, highest order, for these to be done:

• Psalms
• Hymns
• Spiritual Songs
• Singing with Grace in your Hearts
• Giving Thanks!

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Inspiration

Is it possible that all this time I was trying to run from being a "Musician" or "performing Artist", when all the time I was called to the more technical aspects of composing. My love and passion of Excel, Blogs, and other technical creative works combined with a never-ending background desire to do something with music seems a natural fit for this direction... Hmm... interesting thought... DW

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