Words for prayer in the Bible

By David Bailey. Supporting article for the book Talking with God.

Following is a list of all the Hebrew and Greek words I have found that are used for prayer.

Old Testament

Pray

Asking, entreaty

tephillah — prayer, entreaty, asking
palal — to ask, intreat, pray
paga` — meet, reach, intercession, intreat
`athar — intreat, pray, prayer
chanan — graciousness, favour, pity, supplication
techinnah — supplication, favour
tachanuwn — supplication, intreaty
chalah — beseech, intreat, pray, sick, weak
sha’al  — ask, enquire, desire

To call, cry out

qara — call
za`aq — cry, cry out
tsaʿaq — cry, cry out, call
sheva` — cry
anach — sigh, groan, mourn
anachah — sighings, groans, mourning
hamah — roar, noise, call, growl, troubled
sheagah — roaring
shaphak — pour out, shed, gush out

Cry, weep

bakah — weep, bewail, lamentation
bekiy — weep, overflowing
dalaph — pour out, drip, tears
dim`ah — tear

Speak, say

amar — said, say
emer — words, speeches, sayings
dabar — speak, say, talk, utter, commune
hagiyg — whisper, musing, murmuring
hagah — growl, groan, roar, mutter, meditate
siyach — talk, speak, complain, meditate, pray
siychah — devotion, prayer, meditation

Praise

Praise, thanksgiving, honour

halal — praise, celebrate, glory, boast
yadah — give thanks, praise
towdah — give thanks, acknowledge, confess
shabach — praise, triumph
zachar — remember, recall, bring to mind, memorialise
zecher — remembrance, memorial
gadal — magnify, make great
ruwm — exalt
zamar — pluck with the fingers, sing, praise
barak — bless, praise

Rejoice, exult<\h4>

samach — rejoice, glad, joy
ranan — rejoice, sing aloud, shout
giyl — rejoice, glad, exult
`alaz — rejoice, triumph, exult
`alats — rejoice, exult, triumph
tsahal — cry aloud, shout, below, rejoice
ruwa` — shout, noise, triumph
patsach — break forth, make a loud noise

Words for sing

shiyr — sing, song
`anah — answer (response)

New Testament

The New Testament expresses the same themes for prayer but with fewer words. Here are the main ones:
proseuche, proseuchomai — prayer, ask, petition, place for prayer (prayer in general)
deesis — prayer, supplication, request
aiteō — ask, desire, beg
eucharistia — give thanks
eulogia — blessing
doxa — glory, praise
aineo, ainos — praise

Notice how all these words fall into the two categories of prayer in the Old Testament: request or praise.

While the ot doesn’t have a word exclusively for praying to God, the Greek verb proseuchomai (and its corresponding noun, proseuchē) is used for that purpose. ¹ While its origins are in Greek mythology, Jews utilised this word in Greek translations of the ot, (e.g., the LXX), solely for the act of speaking to God. This is perhaps why the word is used in the nt for prayer in a general sense (praise, thanksgiving, confession etc., as well as its essential meaning of petition). This does not take away, however, from my argument in Chapter 3 that prayer is not a special ceremony reserved for talking with God. While God has requirements for speaking with Him, it is nevertheless simply talking with Him.