Choice Word: “Ranan” (Shout with Jubilation)

Choice Word: “Ranan” (Shout with Jubilation).

“Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion! Ring out your joy (‘ranan’)! For the Great One in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel!” (Isaiah 12:6).

Shout For Joy (Psalm 100) – North Central University Worship Live

CAUTION: SKIM AT YOUR OWN RISK. In this era of amazing advances in technology, there are sometimes unexpected consequences that turn out to be harmful to our Christian faith. One of these harmful improvements is the flood of believers who read scripture online, on the smart phone, on the computer screen. I’m convinced there should be a warning label on every one of the online Bibles… CAUTION: SKIM AT YOUR OWN RISK. So many of us now read the Word like we would read our emails or social media or the daily news. We skim the material hurriedly, superficially, carelessly. We skim the Scripture. Skim-reading the Bible doesn’t really bury the seed very deeply, of course. And in our skimming, we would be more likely to just skip over an important word or phrase without thinking, a word that could be vital to the whole passage. The fact is, the Bible is full of single words or short phrases that are too important to simply gloss over as if it wasn’t there. There are times in the Word when single words are intended to feed us, nourish our faith, stimulate us to think at a deeper level about the biblical text.

There are single words in Scripture that are like stop signs asking us to stop and consider carefully, to pause before moving forward in the reading. This series on my blog will try to unpack some of these power-packed words or phrases in Scripture… Words like: Behold; Rejoice; Truly; Woe; Blessed; Beware; Come; If. And I will attempt to also explore the meanings of some short phrases that are single words in the original biblical language, such as “Himeni” (Here I am); “Shema” (Listen and Do’); “Splagchnizonai” (deeply moved with compassion); “pistence” (believe), and “kal-v’chomer” (How much more); “Ranan” (Shout with Joy).  If it is poetically possible to “see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wildflower, and hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour,” as William Blake once imagined, then certainly we readers of Scripture can find a world of meaning in a single word, we can grasp something profound in a simple phrase.

Ranan (rinnah): The Hebrew praise word used 54 times in the Hebrew Bible for a primal cry of intense joy; a ringing shout of ecstatic jubilation; to loudly creak out an exuberant song of joy; to vocally rejoice in an explosion of emotion; an overflowing burst of intense praise. This word is occasionally used in the Hebrew Bible for other intense outbursts, such as in fearful awe, or in distress, in great relief, or in a terrifying groan. But the vastly typical use of ranan is in the context of over-the-top exultant worship and thanksgiving.

Here’s a good look at the Jewish roots of the Biblical mandate to sing and shout for joy. O Shout for Joy – by Paul Wilbur

A Completely Unique Word. The Hebrew scholar Dr. Skip Moen states that ranan is totally unique to the Hebrew language and is not found in any other near eastern languages. “Ranan is the cry of overwhelming emotions upon the discovery of holy joy in the God who saves. It’s much more than “joy” or “sing praises.'” It’s much more like the cry of awe and victory when the home team scores in the last second of the game. Ranan is the summary word of the Old Testament religion. That’s why we don’t find this word in any other culture. It can only belong to the people of the Lord of Hosts. Ranan! Ranan! Cry out with joy! Shout it out! God cares! God saves! God loves us! Let your emotions overflow! You are no longer lost! You have hope! God’s face has turned toward you! Ranan! 

Is a Double-Dose of Ranan Even Possible?  ‘”I will clothe Zion’s priests with salvation, and those saints who worship Me will loudly (‘ranan’) shout for joy (‘ranan’)! (Psalm 132:16). One translation puts it this way…“The saints shall make full-out joy in full-out rejoicing!” The psalmist was evidently so overwhelmed in the presence of the Lord and His spiritual deliverance that he doubled-up his intense outburst of ranan. He cries out in this passage, “Ranan! Ranan!” Could he have highlighted the incredible fervor of his rejoicing any more effectively? He super-sized his expressive worship. His joy in God was not merely abounding, or superabounding, but hyper-superabounding! One scholar said that this psalmist is “calling on us to participate in not merely a joyful song, but instead to burst into a sustained, resonant and jubilant shout of praise.”

“The area of ancient Israel’s greatest creativity, and so what they did best, was the praise of God.” (Dr. Ellen Davis, Getting Involved with God).

More Joyful Noise in Psalm 33. “Shout for joy (‘ranan’) in the Lord Yahweh, O you righteous! Praise (‘tehillah’) is fitting for the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with lyre, make melody (‘niggun’) to Him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to Him a new song! Make music skillfully with loud shouts (‘ruwa’)!” (Psalm 33:1-3). The faithful Jews may not have been world-class scholars or artists (except for Bezalel). But they proved to remain world-class worshippers right from the beginning. Noone could even begin to out-praise Israel at home, on the road, or in the Temple. There were at least twenty different Hebrew words for praise, all of them being different facets of the diamond of worship. In this short passage alone, there are four different expressions of praise:

1. Ranan: The Hebrew praise word for a primal cry of intense joy; a ringing shout of ecstatic jubilation; to loudly creak out an exuberant song of joy; to vocally rejoice in an explosion of emotion; an overflowing burst of intense praise. This word is occasionally used in the Hebrew Bible for other intense outbursts, such as in fearful awe, or in distress, in great relief, or in a terrifying groan. But the vastly typical use of ranan is in the context of over-the-top exultant worship and thanksgiving.;
2. Tehillah: From the root word Hallel, meaning exuberant singing of a new song, a spontaneous melody of praise and thanksgiving. It is often used for the formal name of a psalm. Hallel (halal) means exuberant praise; praise that raves about God; exclaiming wonderful words about God with raised arms; to celebrate wildly; to sing out with loud jubilation; to express praise almost to the point of looking foolish; an invitation to a more uninhibited style of worship, such as dancing, jumping and twirling. The root word for “hallelujah” is hallel, and it means “Praise the Lord!” Hallelujah tends to be a more spontaneous outburst of praise and exultation and is used 165 times in the Hebrew Bible;
3. Niggun: A distinctive of Hebrew worship in which a non-lingual song with a melody is sung to express the heart of the singer; a form of wordless vocal praise and worship that repeats “nonsense” syllables to a melody. A niggun has been described as “a musical path to God that transcends the limitations of language.” Early Christian worshipers continued the niggun, calling it “jubilus.” For the Christians it was spontaneous praise without lyrics, using repetitive nonwords, primarily focusing on the last syllable of a praise word like “hallelujah.” (in modern era, is a central part of Hasidic worship); JUMP | Zusha (youtube.com)
4. Ruwa: This Hebrew word was often used as a synonym to ranan in the Jewish Bible (OT), and it means… To shout joyfully; to make a joyful noise in praise; to split the ears with shouts of praise in an unrestrained celebration; to praise God at the top of our lungs; to shout a battle cry, as in Joshua’s army while marching around Jericho (Josh. 6:2); to raise one’s voice in loud celebration of God’s goodness. The ruwa shout was often used in the prophet’s announcements of the redemption experienced in the coming of the messianic age. 

• An Old Testament scholar said about Psalm 33… “The 22 verses of this Psalm seem to be one continuous, solid hymn that is to be sung, to be played, to be accompanied by orchestra and drums, singing choirs and worshippers, just everything you can throw in there.”  Hebrew worship was all about participation with no patience for those on the sidelines. It was not for the faint of heart, but instead left all worshippers breathless and with a husky throat from over-usage!

Man, our Pentecostal brethren know how to jump with joy and practice ranan and ruwa! Shouts Of Joy Medley | Live | Landmark 2022

The Lord God is Shouting with Joy and Dancing Over Each of Us! “Sing and shout for joy (‘ranan’), O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph (‘ruwa’), O Israel! Be glad, rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord Yahweh has removed His judgments against you! He has cast out your enemy! The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst, and you shall not fear evil anymore! In that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem, ‘Do not be afraid, Zion. Let not your hands be weak or feeble.’ The Lord your God is living right there in your midst! He is a mighty warrior, a champion who is there to deliver you and bring victory! He will exult and dance with joy over you with deep gladness. He will be quiet over you in His love, renewing you and calming your fears. He will dance with delight over you, spinning around with shouts of joy (‘giyl’), exulting over you with a ringing cry (‘ranan’) in celebration as on a festival day!” (Zephaniah 3:14-17).

Giyl: This is a Hebrew dancing word; an exuberant expression of delight; literally to twirl with glee, to spin around in joy, to twirl with glee; to be overcome with joyful praise; to greatly rejoice; to be exceedingly jubilant; a physical outburst of gladness; an animated God-centered celebration accompanied with expressive song, dance and musical instruments.

The Roots of Rejoicing: The prophet Zephaniah is telling us that we have good reason to enjoy ourselves in our Savior without restraint. The Lord here is basically commanding us to shout with joy, to fill the air with joyful noise in His honor for our salvation, and then He tells us the source of all that joy. He is! He is the One who enables us to go over-the-top with our praise. We are inspired to ‘ranan‘ and ‘ruwa‘ over Him because the Lord is busy doing the same over each of us! We are called to participate in the spirit of celebration that is initiated by the Lord of Joy! Zephaniah is exclaiming to us that our loving God is a dancing fool over us, Someone who shouts with joy over each of us while dancing a heavenly jig. God does not restrain Himself in His love for each of us, His eternal delight in us. So we dance with shouts of joy over Him, because He is dancing and shouting with joy over us!

Highlights of Shouting ‘Ranan‘ in the Hebrew Bible:

1. The Resurrection Shout. “Your dead shall live! Their bodies shall rise! You who dwell in the dust, awake and shout out with jubilation and ring out with joy (‘ranan’)! For your life-giving dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead!”  (Isaiah 26:19).
2. The Creation Shout. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding… Who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars shouted together in song (‘ranan’) and all the angels surrounding God raised a triumphant shout!” (Job 38:4, 7).
3. The Midnight Shout. “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with salvation. Let the goldy exult in glory; let them shout for joy (‘ranan’) on their beds!”  (Psalm 149:4-5).
4. The Seeker’s Shout. “Let me hear joy and gladness; the places within me you have crushed will rejoice in your healing touch. Restore to me the joy of your deliverance, and sustain me with Your bountiful Spirit. Deliver me fully from every sin, O God, O God of my salvation, and then my tongue shall passionately shout with joy (‘ranan’) of Your righteousness!”  (Psalm 51:8, 12, 14). 
5. Nature’s Shout. ‘Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord is King!’ Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall the trees of the forest shout for joy (‘rana’) before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth. O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endures forever!” (1 Chronicles 16:31-34).
6. A Shout of Blessing. “May all who take refuge in You rejoice! May they keep shouting for joy (‘ranan’) forever! Spread Your protective presence over them as they sing and rejoice. Then every lover of Your name will burst forth with endless joy. For You wonderfully bless the righteous, O Lord; Your favor wraps around each one and covers them under Your canopy of kindness and joy.” (Psalm 5:11-12).
7. Shouts of Deliverance and Gratitude. “You are my secret hiding place, protecting and preserving me from these troubles, surrounding me with songs of gladness and shouts of deliverance (‘ranan’)… Many are the sorrows and frustrations of the wicked, but mercy surrounds those who trust in the Lord. So celebrate the goodness of God, be glad in the Lord Yahweh! Go ahead and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy (‘ranan’) all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:7, 10-11).
8. Let’s Shout Together! “Come on, everyone! Let us give a ringing cry and shout for joy (‘ranan’) to the Lord! Let’s raise our loudest shout (‘ruwa’) to our Rock of deliverance! Everyone come into His presence and meet His face with a thankful heart! Don’t hold back your praises! Let us raise a shout of joyful noise to Him, a loud blast with songs of praise! For the Lord is the greatest God of all, and a great King over all other gods!” (Psalm 95:1-3).

The Greek NT Word (‘agalliao’) for the Hebrew OT Word (‘ranan’): 

“Agalliao” is the Greek term often used to mean the same as ranan, the word for rejoice that literally means jump for joy; excessive gladness; skipping with delight; joy multiplied; great exultation; leaping with exuberance. St. Peter used this word in Acts 2:26 when he quoted from Psalm 16:8-11, saying “My heart was very glad and my tongue rejoiced! The jumping joys were usually based on God, His character, and His benefits.

• Jesus Advises His Disciples to Jump for Joy when Persecuted. “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you falsely on my account. Be glad, supremely joyful, and leap for joy (“agalliao’), for your reward in heaven is great, for in this same way people persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  (Matthew 5:11-12).
• Jesus Jumped for Joy. When the seventy appointed missionaries returned from their journeys, Jesus received them in a wonderful way, by jumping for joy and skipping with delight. “In that same hour, Jesus rejoiced (“agalliao”) in the Holy Spirit and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have concealed these things relating to salvation from the wise and understanding and learned, and revealed them to babes – the unskilled and untaught. Yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will and good pleasure.” (Luke 10:21).
• Mother Mary Jumped for Joy.  After her cousin Elizabeth exulted in Mary’s supernatural pregnancy, Mary was overjoyed as she exclaimed, “My soul magnifies and extols the Lord, and my spirit rejoices (agalliao) in God my Savior!” (Luke 1:46-47).
• Jesus claimed to the Pharisees that Abraham Jumped for Joy. “Your father Abraham rejoiced greatly and jumped for joy (‘agalliao’) that he would see my day. He saw it and was very glad…. Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM! (John 8:56-58).
• The Converted Jailor Held a Family Dance. “Paul and Silas took the jailor and all his family and baptized them at once. Then the jailor brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he jumped for joy (‘agalliao’) along with his entire household that he had believed in God!” (Acts 16:33-34).
• St. Peter’s Encouragements to Jump for Joy. “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and ump with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of our faith, the salvation of your souls.” … “Rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may rejoice with gladness and jump for joy (‘agalliao’) when His glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:8-9 and 4:13).
• The Bible’s Last Heavenly Song is Asking Us to Jump for Joy! AND FOR GOOD REASON! “Then I heard what seemed to be the thunderous voice of a great multitude, like the sound of a massive waterfall and mighty peals of thunder, singing out: ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns! Let us rejoice and jump for joy (‘agalliao’), giving Him the glory, for the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready!… Blessed are those who are invited to feast at the marriage supper of the Lamb!” (Revelation 19:6-9).

Since the ancient Hebrew forms of worship could be rather noisy, and the worshippers hardly seemed self-conscious about it all, here’s a contemporary look at what “undignified” praise could look like. It’s heartening to see a few thousand young people praising God like our ancient Jewish brethren:

Garment Of Praise/Undignified (Live At Passion 2025)