21 Bible Verses about Musicians

These are the men David put in charge of the music in the Lord’s temple after the ark came to rest there. They ministered with song in front of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, and they performed their task according to the regulations given to them. These are the men who served with their sons.

From the Kohathites: Heman the singer,
son of Joel, son of Samuel,
read more.
son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham,
son of Eliel, son of Toah,
son of Zuph, son of Elkanah,
son of Mahath, son of Amasai,
son of Elkanah, son of Joel,
son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah,
son of Tahath, son of Assir,
son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah,
son of Izhar, son of Kohath,
son of Levi, son of Israel. Heman’s relative was Asaph, who stood at his right hand:
Asaph son of Berechiah, son of Shimea,
son of Michael, son of Baaseiah,
son of Malchijah, son of Ethni,
son of Zerah, son of Adaiah,
son of Ethan, son of Zimmah,
son of Shimei, son of Jahath,
son of Gershom, son of Levi. On the left, their relatives were Merari’s sons:
Ethan son of Kishi, son of Abdi,
son of Malluch, son of Hashabiah,
son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah,
son of Amzi, son of Bani,
son of Shemer, son of Mahli,
son of Mushi, son of Merari,
son of Levi.

Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with joy accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals. So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah.

David and the officers of the army also set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, who were to prophesy accompanied by lyres, harps, and cymbals. This is the list of the men who performed their service: From Asaph’s sons:
Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah, sons of Asaph, under Asaph’s authority, who prophesied under the authority of the king.
From Jeduthun: Jeduthun’s sons:
Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah—six—under the authority of their father Jeduthun, prophesying to the accompaniment of lyres, giving thanks and praise to the Lord.
read more.
From Heman: Heman’s sons:
Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. All these sons of Heman, the king’s seer, were given by the promises of God to exalt him, for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth; and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to the Sheminith.

Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with joy accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.

All these men were under their own fathers’ authority for the music in the Lord’s temple, with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of God’s temple. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the king’s authority. They numbered 288 together with their relatives who were all trained and skillful in music for the Lord.

They cast lots for their duties, young and old alike, teacher as well as pupil. The first lot for Asaph fell to Joseph, his sons, and his brothers—12 to Gedaliah the second: him, his brothers, and his sons— 12 the third to Zaccur, his sons, and his brothers—12 read more.
the fourth to Izri, his sons, and his brothers—12 the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons, and his brothers—12 the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 the seventh to Jesarelah, his sons, and his brothers—12 the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons, and his brothers—12 the tenth to Shimei, his sons, and his brothers—12 the eleventh to Azarel, his sons, and his brothers—12 the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons, and his brothers—12 the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 the fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons, and his brothers—12 the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons, and his brothers—12 the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons, and his brothers—12 the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons, and his brothers—12 the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons, and his brothers—12 the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons, and his brothers—12 the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons, and his brothers—12 the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons, and his brothers—12 and the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer, his sons, and his brothers—12.

the Levitical singers dressed in fine linen and carrying cymbals, harps, and lyres were standing east of the altar, and with them were 120 priests blowing trumpets. The Levitical singers were descendants of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun and their sons and relatives. The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the Lord with one voice. They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the Lord:

For He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.

The temple, the Lord’s temple, was filled with a cloud.

The singers, the heads of the Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other tasks because they were on duty day and night.

The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were at their stations according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer. Also, the gatekeepers were at each gate. None of them left their tasks because their Levite brothers had made preparations for them.

Cain was intimate with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain became the builder of a city, and he named the city Enoch after his son. Irad was born to Enoch, Irad fathered Mehujael, Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. Lamech took two wives for himself, one named Adah and the other named Zillah. read more.
Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of the nomadic herdsmen. His brother was named Jubal; he was the father of all who play the lyre and the flute.

so Saul’s servants said to him, “You see that an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord command your servants here in your presence to look for someone who knows how to play the lyre. Whenever the evil spirit from God troubles you, that person can play the lyre, and you will feel better.” Then Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well and bring him to me.” read more.
One of the young men answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is also a valiant man, a warrior, eloquent, handsome, and the Lord is with him.”

Whenever the spirit from God troubled Saul, David would pick up his lyre and play, and Saul would then be relieved, feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

The next day an evil spirit sent from God took control of Saul, and he began to rave inside the palace. David was playing the lyre as usual, but Saul was holding a spear, and he threw it, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David got away from him twice.

Now an evil spirit sent from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his palace holding a spear. David was playing the lyre, and Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear. As the spear struck the wall, David eluded Saul, ran away, and escaped that night.

David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of fir wood instruments, lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

These are the last words of David:

The declaration of David son of Jesse,
the declaration of the man raised on high,
the one anointed by the God of Jacob,
the favorite singer of Israel:

People have seen Your procession, God,
the procession of my God,
my King, in the sanctuary.
Singers lead the way,
with musicians following;
among them are young women
playing tambourines.

But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord here? Let’s inquire of Yahweh through him.”

One of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat, who used to pour water on Elijah’s hands, is here.” Jehoshaphat affirmed, “The Lord’s words are with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went to him. However, Elisha said to King Joram of Israel, “We have nothing in common. Go to the prophets of your father and your mother!”

But the king of Israel replied, “No, because it is the Lord who has summoned these three kings to hand them over to Moab.” read more.
Elisha responded, “As the Lord of Hosts lives, I stand before Him. If I did not have respect for King Jehoshaphat of Judah, I would not look at you; I wouldn’t take notice of you. Now, bring me a musician.”

While the musician played, the Lord’s hand came on Elisha. Then he said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Dig ditch after ditch in this wadi.’ For the Lord says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the wadi will be filled with water, and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’ This is easy in the Lord’s sight. He will also hand Moab over to you. Then you must attack every fortified city and every choice city. You must cut down every good tree and stop up every spring of water. You must ruin every good piece of land with stones.”

By the rivers of Babylon—
there we sat down and wept
when we remembered Zion.
There we hung up our lyres
on the poplar trees,
for our captors there asked us for songs,
and our tormentors, for rejoicing:
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

Then a mighty angel picked up a stone like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying:

In this way, Babylon the great city
will be thrown down violently
and never be found again.
The sound of harpists, musicians,
flutists, and trumpeters
will never be heard in you again;
no craftsman of any trade
will ever be found in you again;
the sound of a mill
will never be heard in you again;