THE TEPHILLAH

8416 tehillah (teh-hee-law'); from 1984; laudation; specifically (concretely) a hymn: KJV-- praise. - to laud is to praise highly. Ps 22:3 - example 6) 8605 tephillah (tef-eel-law'); from 6419; intercession, supplication; by implication, a hymn: KJV-- prayer. Ps 4:1 - example

The word "tehillim" is a plural, not occurring in Biblical Hebrew, from the singular "tehillah" = "song of praise."

The original command of God to the Israelites, with regard to the keeping of His statues and precepts, was that they should "bind them for a sign upon their hand, and have them as frontlets between their eyes," was that they should keep them distinctly in view and carefully attend to them. But soon after their return from Babylon they began to interpret this injunction literally, and had accordingly portions of the law written out and worn about their person. These they called tephillin, i.e., "prayers." The passages so written out on strips of parchment were these, Exodus 12:2; Exodus 13:11; Deut. 6:4; Deu 11:18. They were then "rolled up in a case of black calfskin, which was attached to a stiffer piece of leather, having a thong one finger broad and one cubit and a half long. Those worn on the forehead were written on four strips of parchment, and put into four little cells within a square case, which had on it the Hebrew letter called shin, the three points of which were regarded as an emblem of God." This case tied around the forehead in a particular way was called "the tephillah on the head."

The tephillah or song-prayer is a prayer of intercession or supplication expressed in song. The Hebrews often sang their prayers (Isaiah 1:15). There are Hebrew and Greek words for prayer that suggest a direct petition or short, sharp cry of a distressed heart (Ps 30:2; 2 Cor 12:8) sung out in supplication. Habakkuk's tephillah in Habakkuk chapter 2 is a well known song-prayer of this sort. The following are examples of the usage of the term "tephillah" in scripture

• 2 Samuel 7:27: "in his heart to pray this prayer unto"
• 1 Kings 8:28: "Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God,"
• 1 Kings 8:28: "unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before"
• 1 Kings 8:29: "there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward"
• 1 Kings 8:38: "What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man,"
• 1 Kings 8:45: "Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause."
• 1 Kings 8:49: "Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain"
• 1 Kings 8:54: "all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose"
• 1 Kings 9:3: "unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before"
• 2 Kings 19:4: "thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left."
• 2 Kings 20:5: "of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears:"
• 2 Chronicles 6:19: "Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God,"
• 2 Chronicles 6:19: "to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before"
• 2 Chronicles 6:20: "there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward"
• 2 Chronicles 6:29: "Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man,"
• 2 Chronicles 6:35: "thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause."
• 2 Chronicles 6:39: "even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause,"
• 2 Chronicles 6:40: "open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place."
• 2 Chronicles 7:12: "and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for a house"
• 2 Chronicles 7:15: "open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place."
• 2 Chronicles 30:27: "the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven."
• 2 Chronicles 33:18: "Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers"
• 2 Chronicles 33:19: " His prayer also, and how God was entreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built"
• Nehemiah 1:6: "and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I"
• Nehemiah 1:11: "be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants,"
• Nehemiah 1:11: "the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear"
• Nehemiah 11:17: "was the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer: and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren,"
• Job 16:17: "for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure."
• Psalms 4:1: "me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer."
• Psalms 6:9: "my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer."
• Psalms 17:1: " A Prayer of David. Hear the right, O LORD attend unto my cry, give ear"
• Psalms 17:1: "attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips."
• Psalms 35:13: "I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom."
• Psalms 39:12: "Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at"
• Psalms 42:8: "and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life."
• Psalms 54:2: "Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth."
• Psalms 55:1: "Maschil, A Psalm of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication."
• Psalms 61:1: "my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer."
• Psalms 65:2: "O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come."
• Psalms 66:19: "hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer."
• Psalms 66:20: "which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from"
• Psalms 69:13: "But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy"
• Psalms 72:20: " The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended."
• Psalms 80:4: "of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?"
• Psalms 84:8: "God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah."
• Psalms 86:1: " A Prayer of David. Bow down thine ear, O LORD hear me: for I"
• Psalms 86:6: "Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications."
• Psalms 88:2: " Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;"
• Psalms 88:13: "cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent"
• Psalms 90:1: " A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place"
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