Reference: Music, Instrumental
Easton
Among instruments of music used by the Hebrews a principal place is given to stringed instruments. These were, (1.) The kinnor, the "harp." (2.) The nebel, "a skin bottle," rendered "psaltery." (3.) The sabbeka, or "sackbut," a lute or lyre. (4.) The gittith, occurring in the title of 8/type/j2000'>PS 8; 8; 84. (5.) Minnim (Ps 150:4), rendered "stringed instruments;" in Ps 45:8, in the form minni, probably the apocopated (i.e., shortened) plural, rendered, Authorized Version, "whereby," and in the Revised Version "stringed instruments." (6.) Machalath, in the titles of PS 53 and 88; supposed to be a kind of lute or guitar.
Of wind instruments mention is made of, (1.) The 'ugab (Ge 4:21; Job 21:12; 30:31), probably the so-called Pan's pipes or syrinx. (2.) The qeren or "horn" (Jos 6:5; 1Ch 25:5). (3.) The shophar, rendered "trumpet" (6/4/type/j2000'>Jos 6:4,6,8). The word means "bright," and may have been so called from the clear, shrill sound it emitted. It was often used (Ex 19:13; Nu 10:10; Jg 7:16,18; 1Sa 13:3). (4.) The hatsotserah, or straight trumpet (Ps 98:6; Nu 10:1-10). This name is supposed by some to be an onomatopoetic word, intended to imitate the pulse-like sound of the trumpet, like the Latin taratantara. Some have identified it with the modern trombone. (5.) The halil, i.e, "bored through," a flute or pipe (1Sa 10:5; 1Ki 1:40; Isa 5:12; Jer 48:36) which is still used in Palestine. (6.) The sumponyah, rendered "dulcimer" (Da 3:5), probably a sort of bagpipe. (7.) The maskrokith'a (Da 3:5), rendered "flute," but its precise nature is unknown.
Of instruments of percussion mention is made of, (1.) The toph, an instrument of the drum kind, rendered "timbrel" (Ex 15:20; Job 21:12; Ps 68:25); also "tabret" (Ge 31:27; Isa 24:8; 1Sa 10:5). (2.) The paamon, the "bells" on the robe of the high priest (Ex 28:33; 39:25). (3.) The tseltselim, "cymbals" (2Sa 6:5; Ps 150:5), which are struck together and produce a loud, clanging sound. Metsilloth, "bells" on horses and camels for ornament, and metsiltayim, "cymbals" (1Ch 13:8; Ezr 3:10, etc.). These words are all derived from the same root, tsalal, meaning "to tinkle." (4.) The menaan'im, used only in 2Sa 6:5, rendered "cornets" (R.V., "castanets"); in the Vulgate, "sistra," an instrument of agitation. (5.) The shalishim, mentioned only in 1Sa 18:6, rendered "instruments of music" (marg. of R.V., "triangles or three-stringed instruments").
The words in Ec 2:8, "musical instruments, and that of all sorts," Authorized Version, are in the Revised Version "concubines very many."
Illustration: Ancient Musical Instruments
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the harp and organ.
Why didst thou flee away secretly and steal away from me and didst not tell me that I might have sent thee away with mirth and with songs with tambourine and with harp?
And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
Not a hand shall touch it, but that he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live. When the jubilee sounds long, they shall come up to the mount.
And beneath upon the hem of it, thou shalt make pomegranates of blue and of purple and of scarlet round about the hem thereof and bells of gold between them round about.
They also made the bells of pure gold and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver; of beaten work shalt thou make them that thou may use them for the convocation of the congregation and for the moving of the camp. read more. And when they shall blow them, all the congregation shall join themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony. But when they blow only one, then the princes, who are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee. When ye blow an alarm, then ye shall move the camp of those that are lodged towards the east. And when ye blow an alarm the second time, then ye shall move the camp of those that are lodged on the side of the Negev; they shall blow an alarm for their journeys. But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and you shall have them as a perpetual statute throughout your generations. And when ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresses you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies. Also in the day of your gladness and in your solemn days and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace, that they may be to you for a memorial before your God; I AM your God.
Also in the day of your gladness and in your solemn days and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace, that they may be to you for a memorial before your God; I AM your God.
And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven shofarot of jubilee; and the seventh day ye shall go around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the shofarot. And when they make a long sound of jubilee with the horn so that ye hear the voice of the shofar, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat; then the people shall ascend up each man straight before him. read more. And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven shofarot of jubilee before the ark of the LORD.
And when Joshua had spoken unto the people, the seven priests bearing the seven shofarot of jubilee passed on before the LORD and blew with the shofarot; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
And dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he put a shofar in each man's hand with empty pitchers and torches burning within the pitchers.
I shall blow the shofar, I and all that are with me, then ye shall blow the shofarot on every side of all the camp, and say, I AM The Hewer!
After that thou shalt come to the hill of God where the garrison of the Philistines is, and it shall come to pass when thou art come there to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery and a tambourine and a pipe and a harp before them; and they shall prophesy.
And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music.
And David and all the house of Israel danced before the LORD with all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps and on psalteries and on timbrels and on cornets and on cymbals.
And David and all the house of Israel danced before the LORD with all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps and on psalteries and on timbrels and on cornets and on cymbals.
And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, with songs and with harps and with psalteries and with timbrels and with cymbals and with trumpets.
And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David, king of Israel.
They jump at the sound of the timbrel and harp and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
They jump at the sound of the timbrel and harp and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
My harp is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of those that weep.
All thy garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made thee glad.
The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; in between them were the virgins playing with timbrels.
With trumpets and the sound of the shofar make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
Praise him with the timbrel and dance; praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals; praise him upon the cymbals of joy.
I gathered unto myself also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I obtained men singers and women singers and all the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and those of all sorts.
And the harp and the viol, the tambourine and flutes and wine are in their feasts; but they do not regard the work of the LORD, nor consider the work of his hands.
The mirth of tambourines ceases; the noise of those that rejoice ends; the joy of the harp ceases.
Therefore my heart shall sound like flutes for Moab, and my heart shall sound like flutes for the men of Kirheres because the riches that he has gotten are perished.
that when ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and of every musical instrument, ye are to fall down and worship the statue of gold that Nebuchadnezzar the king has raised up:
that when ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and of every musical instrument, ye are to fall down and worship the statue of gold that Nebuchadnezzar the king has raised up: