Lecha Dodi: Welcoming Shabbat, the Bride

Lecha Dodi means “Come my Beloved.” It is the best-known song of Kabbalat Shabbat, the Friday evening service that welcomes Shabbat, and it is sung in synagogues around the world as the week gives way to the seventh day.

The song was written in the sixteenth century by Rabbi Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz, who lived in Safed in the Galilee. The words are later than the time of Yeshua (Jesus) and the apostles, but they draw heavily from the Torah, the Prophets, and the Psalms. That is why the song feels so biblical. It is poetry made out of Scripture.

The words of Lecha Dodi

Below are the traditional Ashkenazi Hebrew lyrics, transliteration, and English translation.

בעברית:

לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה:

שָׁמוֹר וְזָכוֹר בְּדִבּוּר אֶחָד, הִשְמִיעָֽנוּ אֵל הַמְּיֻחָד.

ה' אֶחָד וּשְמוֹ אֶחָד. לְשֵׁם וּלְתִפְאֶֽרֶת וְלִתְהִלָּה:

לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה:

לִקְרַאת שַׁבָּת לְכוּ וְנֵלְכָה. כִּי הִיא מְקוֹר הַבְּרָכָה.

מֵרֹאשׁ מִקֶּֽדֶם נְסוּכָה. סוֹף מַעֲשֶׂה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה תְּחִלָּה:

לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה:

מִקְדַּשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ עִיר מְלוּכָה. קֽוּמִי צְאִי מִתּוֹךְ הַהֲפֵכָה.

רַב לָךְ שֶֽׁבֶת בְּעֵֽמֶק הַבָּכָא. וְהוּא יַחֲמוֹל עָלַֽיִךְ חֶמְלָה:

לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה:

הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי. לִבְשִׁי בִּגְדֵי תִפְאַרְתֵּךְ עַמִּי:

עַל יַד בֶּן יִשַׁי בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי. קָרְבָה אֶל נַפְשִׁי גְאָלָהּ:

לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה:

הִתְעוֹרְרִי הִתְעוֹרְרִי. כִּי בָא אוֹרֵךְ קֽֽוּמִי אֽוֹרִי.

עֽוּרִי עֽוּרִי שִׁיר דַבֵּֽרִי. כְּבוֹד ה' עָלַֽיִךְ נִגְלָה.

לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה:

לֹא תֵבֽוֹשִׁי וְלֹא תִכָּלְמִי. מַה תִּשְתּוֹחֲחִי וּמַה תֶּהֱמִי.

בָּךְ יֶחֱסוּ עֲנִיֵּי עַמִּי, וְנִבְנְתָה עִיר עַל תִּלָּהּ:

לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה:

וְהָיוּ לִמְשִׁסָּה שֹׁאסָֽיִךְ. וְרָחֲקוּ כָּל מְבַלְּעָֽיִךְ.

יָשִׂישׂ עָלַֽיִךְ אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ. כִּמְשׂוֹשׂ חָתָן עַל כַּלָּה:

לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה:

יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל תִּפְרֽוֹצִי. וְאֶת־ה' תַּעֲרִֽיצִי.

עַל יַד אִישׁ בֶּן פַּרְצִי. וְנִשְׂמְחָה וְנָגִֽילָה:

לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה:

בּֽוֹאִי בְשָׁלוֹם עֲטֶרֶת בַּעְלָהּ. גַּם בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְצָהֳלָה.

תּוֹךְ אֱמוּנֵי עַם סְגֻּלָּה. בּֽוֹאִי כַלָּה, בּֽוֹאִי כַלָּה:

לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה:

Transliteration:

Lecha dodi likrat kala, p’nei Shabbat n’kabelah!

Shamor v’zachor b’dibur echad,

Hishmi’anu el ha’meyuchad.

Adonai echad u’shmo echad;

L’shem ul’tiferet v’l’tehila.

Lecha dodi likrat kala, p’nei Shabbat n’kabelah!

Likrat Shabbat l’chu v’nelcha,

Ki hi m’kor ha’bracha.

Me’rosh mi’kedem n’sucha;

Sof ma’aseh b’mach’shava t’chila.

Lecha dodi likrat kala, p’nei Shabbat n’kabelah!

Mikdash melech, ir m’lucha,

Kumi, tze’i mi’toch ha’hafecha.

Rav lach shevet b’emek ha’bacha;

V’hu yachmol alai’yich chemla.

Lecha dodi likrat kala, p’nei Shabbat n’kabelah!

Hitna’ari me’afar kumi,

Livshi bigdei tifartech ami.

Al yad ben Yishai beit haLachmi;

Karva el nafshi g’ala.

Lecha dodi likrat kala, p’nei Shabbat n’kabelah!

Hit’oreri, hit’oreri,

Ki va orech, kumi uri.

Uri, uri, shir daberi;

K’vod Adonai alai’yich nigla.

Lecha dodi likrat kala, p’nei Shabbat n’kabelah!

Lo tevoshi v’lo tikalmi,

Mah tishtochachi uma tehemi.

Bach yechesu ani’yei ami;

V’niv’neta ir al tila.

Lecha dodi likrat kala, p’nei Shabbat n’kabelah!

V’hayu lim’shisa sosai’yich,

V’rachaku kol m’valai’yich.

Yasis alai’yich Elohai’yich;

Kimsos chatan al kala.

Lecha dodi likrat kala, p’nei Shabbat n’kabelah!

Yamin u’smol tifrotzi,

V’et Adonai ta’aritzi.

Al yad ish ben Partzi;

V’nism’cha v’nagila!

Rise, and face the rear of the shul.

Lecha dodi likrat kala, p’nei Shabbat n’kabelah!

Bo’i v’shalom, ateret ba’ala,

Gam b’simcha uv’ tzhala.

Toch emunei am segula; Bo’i chala, bo’i chala.

Lecha dodi likrat kala, p’nei Shabbat n’kabelah!

The English translation:

Come my Beloved

to greet the bride

The Sabbath presence

let us welcome!

'Observe' and 'Remember'

both uttered as one

The One and Only God

made us hear

Hashem is one

and His Name is one

for renown, for splendor

and for praise

Come my Beloved ...

To welcome the Sabbath

come let us go

for it is the

source of blessing

from the beginning

from antiquity

she was honored

last in deed but

first in thought

Come my Beloved ...

O Sanctuary of the King

royal city

Arise and depart

from amid the upheaval

too long have you dwelled

in the valley of weeping

He will shower

compassion upon you

Come my Beloved ...

Shake off the dust arise!

Don your splendid clothes

My people

through the son of Jesse

the Bethlehemite!

Drew near to my soul

redeem it!

Wake up! Wake up!

For your light has come

rise up and shine

Awaken, awaken,

utter a song

The glory of Hashem

is revealed on you

Come my Beloved ...

Feel not ashamed

be not humiliated

Why are you downcast?

Why are you disconsolate?

In you will My people's

afflicted find shelter

As the City is built

upon its hilltop

Come my Beloved ...

May your oppressors

be downtrodden

And may those who

devoured you

be cast far off

Your God will rejoice

over you

Like a groom's rejoicing

over his bride

Come my Beloved ...

Rightward and leftward

you shall spread

out mightily

and you shall extol

the might of Hashem

through the man

descended from Peretz

Then we shall be

glad and mirthful

Come my Beloved ...

Enter in peace

O crown of her husband

Even in joyous song

and good cheer

Among the faithful

of the treasured nation

Enter, O bride!

Enter, O bride!

Come my Beloved ...

Why Shabbat is welcomed like a bride

The Torah commands Israel to keep Shabbat as a holy day of rest. Exodus 20:8 says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” while Deuteronomy 5:12 says, “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Lecha Dodi begins with those two commands, “Observe” and “Remember,” heard together before the one God of Israel.

That line also leans toward the Shema, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Shabbat is not treated as a random day off. It is tied to creation, covenant, worship, and the God who made heaven and earth (Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 31:16-17).

The image of Shabbat as a bride is older than Lecha Dodi. In the Talmud, Shabbat 119a, Rabbi Ḥanina is described as going out at nightfall on Shabbat eve and saying, “Come and we will go out to greet Shabbat the queen.” Rabbi Yannai would say, “Enter, O bride. Enter, O bride.” Lecha Dodi takes that older picture and gives Israel words to sing.

A bride is not received carelessly. A household prepares. Clothing is changed. Candles are lit. Food is set out. The point is not performance, but welcome. Shabbat is received as a gift, not grabbed as an afterthought.

Jerusalem, comfort, and the Son of Jesse

Many lines in Lecha Dodi speak to Jerusalem. “Shake off the dust arise” comes from Isaiah 52:1-2, where Zion is told to wake up, put on beautiful garments, and rise from the dust. “For your light has come” echoes Isaiah 60:1, “Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.”

These are not private comfort verses only. They are promises about Zion, exile, restoration, and the mercy of God toward His people. The song teaches us to welcome Shabbat while still longing for redemption. Rest has come for this week, but the world is not yet fully healed.

Then comes one of the clearest Messianic lines: “through the son of Jesse the Bethlehemite.” Jesse was David’s father, and Bethlehem was David’s city (1 Samuel 16:1, Ruth 4:18-22). Isaiah 11:1 says, “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” For believers in Yeshua, this line naturally turns our eyes to the Messiah, the Son of David, born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4-7).

The song also mentions “the man descended from Peretz.” Peretz is in the family line that leads to David (Ruth 4:18-22), and Matthew includes Peretz in the genealogy of Yeshua (Matthew 1:3). Lecha Dodi is not a first-century hymn, but its hope is the same hope carried by the prophets, the restoration of Jerusalem and the reign of the promised King.

What this has to do with Yeshua and the apostles

We should be honest about dating. Yeshua and the apostles did not sing Lecha Dodi, because the song was written about fifteen centuries later. But they did live in the Jewish world that treasured Shabbat, synagogue worship, Scripture, covenant, and wedding imagery.

Luke tells us that Yeshua went to the synagogue on Shabbat “as His custom was” (Luke 4:16). Paul also went into synagogues on Shabbat to reason from the Scriptures (Acts 13:14, Acts 17:2). When Yeshua said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), He was not dismissing Shabbat. He was putting it back in its proper place as a gift from God.

The wedding language matters too. Rabbi Yeshua taught about virgins waiting for the bridegroom in Matthew 25:1-13. John later saw “the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). Lecha Dodi’s picture of welcoming the bride fits inside that larger biblical language of readiness, joy, and covenant love.

If you want more background on how the first believers lived inside the Jewish context of Scripture, see The Early Believers in Yeshua and the Second Temple.

Praying Lecha Dodi at home

You do not need a synagogue service to learn from Lecha Dodi. A family can read the English translation at the table on Friday evening, sing the refrain, or choose one stanza and connect it to a Scripture reading from Isaiah. Keep it simple. Let the words slow the house down.

Many Jewish homes welcome Shabbat with candles, bread, wine or grape juice, and songs. Shalom Aleichem is often sung at the table, and Lecha Dodi belongs especially to the synagogue service, though many families also enjoy singing it at home. If you are just beginning, our guide to celebrating Erev Shabbat at home can help you build a simple rhythm without pretending to be something you are not.

When the final stanza is sung, many congregations rise and turn toward the rear or entrance of the synagogue to welcome the Sabbath bride. At home, you might simply stand for the last stanza. Turn away from the unfinished work of the week. Turn toward the rest God gives, and pray: Lord, teach us to receive Your gift with joy, and teach us to wait faithfully for the redemption promised through the Son of Jesse.

Questions people ask

What does Lecha Dodi mean in English?

Lecha Dodi means “Come my Beloved.” In the song, the beloved is invited to go out and welcome Shabbat, pictured as a bride.

Where can I find Lecha Dodi lyrics in English?

The full English translation is included above under “The English translation.” The Hebrew lyrics and transliteration are also included so you can follow the traditional wording.

Who wrote Lecha Dodi?

Lecha Dodi was written in the sixteenth century by Rabbi Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz. He lived in Safed in the Galilee, where Kabbalat Shabbat customs became especially associated with welcoming the Sabbath as a bride.

When is Lecha Dodi sung?

Lecha Dodi is traditionally sung on Friday evening during Kabbalat Shabbat, the service that welcomes the Sabbath. In many congregations it is sung before the evening prayer service continues.

Why do people turn around during Lecha Dodi?

During the final stanza, many congregations stand and face the rear or entrance of the synagogue. The movement acts out the words “Enter, O bride,” as the community welcomes Shabbat.