Is Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” a Christian Song?

Leonard Cohen, as his name suggests, was ethnically Jewish. However, he was not a faithful adherent to the Jewish faith.

A Canadian born and raised singer and songwriter, Cohen moved to the US in 1955. His career flourished in the 1960s, which might also have been the beginning of his time of spiritual wandering. Judaism was part of his family history.  His great-grandfather was a rabbinical teacher and his maternal grandfather was a rabbi. However, in adulthood, Cohen moved away from his Judaic roots and pursued other religions.  He even practiced Zen Buddhism and was ordained a Buddhist monk in 1996. Yet he also continued to consider himself Jewish, having said, “I’m not looking for a new religion. I’m quite happy with the old one, with Judaism.”  His real faith appears to have been obscured by the confusion of many differing beliefs.

Cohen died in 2016, but his music lives on.  One of his most popular songs is “Hallelujah” — a song with biblical references. But is Cohen’s “Hallelujah” really biblical?

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Is ‘Hallelujah’ a Christian Song?

First, it’s unlikely Cohen would have written anything that would be “Christian.”  He apparently had an interest in Jesus, but simply considered him a universal figure, as indicated by his words:

“I’m very fond of Jesus Christ. He may be the most beautiful guy who walked the face of this earth. Any guy who says ‘Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the meek’ has got to be a figure of unparalleled generosity and insight and madness…A man who declared himself to stand among the thieves, the prostitutes and the homeless. His position cannot be comprehended. It is an inhuman generosity. A generosity that would overthrow the world if it was embraced because nothing would weather that compassion. I’m not trying to alter the Jewish view of Jesus Christ. But to me, in spite of what I know about the history of legal Christianity, the figure of the man has touched me.” (emphasis added)

Unpacking Cohen’s Words

• Many have a “fondness of Jesus,” but only repenting and trusting in Jesus brings salvation and a relationship with Him.
• “Any guy who says ‘Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the meek’ has got to be a figure of unparalleled generosity [true], and insight [true], and madness [false]”.  Many have said that Jesus was a liar because He claimed to be God or a lunatic because He thought He was God.  However, there is a third consideration–He IS God.  
• Cohen said, “His position cannot be comprehended.” That is not a true statement.  When one comes to Christ, the Holy Spirit is received and Jesus has promised that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things. His position IS Son of God and His position can be comprehended because God has given us the Holy Scriptures.
• “I’m not trying to alter the Jewish view of Jesus Christ.” The Jewish view of Jesus Christ is that He was simply Jesus a good man and prophet.  He was not the Christ, the Messiah.

Hallelujah

Now, I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do you?

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