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/juliasmith'>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/juliasmith'>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 Jubal; he was father of all laying hold of the harp and pipe.
For what didst thou hide to break away, and didst steal me, and didst not announce to me? and I will send thee away with gladness and with songs, with the drum and with the harp?
And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, will take the drum in her hand; and all the women will go forth after her, with drums and with lutes.
No hand shall touch upon it, for being stoned, he shall be stoned, or being shot, shall be shot; whether quadruped or man, it shall not live: in protracting the shouting, they shall go up upon the mount
And make upon its train, pomegranates of cerulean purple, and red purple, and double scarlet, upon its train round about; and bells of gold in the midst of them round about
And they will make bells of pure gold, and will set the bells between the pomegranates upon the skirts of the robe, round about between the pomegranates.
And Jehovah will speak to Moses, saying, Make to thyself two trumpets of silver; turned work shalt thou make them: and they were to thee for calling the assembly and for the removing the camp. read more. And they sounded with them, and they assembled to thee all the assembly at the door of the tent of appointment And if they shall sound with one, and to thee assembled the chiefs of the heads of the thousands of Israel. And ye sounded the signal, and the camps encamping eastward, removed. And ye sounded the signal the second time, and the camps encamping to the south, removed: they shall sound the signal for their removings. And in the assembly being gathered together, ye shall sound, and shall not sound loud. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall sound with the trumpets; and they were to you for a law forever to your generations. And when ye shall go out to war in your land against the enemy pressing you, and ye sounded the signal in the trumpets; and ye were remembered before Jehovah your God, and ye were saved from your enemies. And in the day of your gladness, and in your appointments, and in the heads of your mouths, and ye shall sound with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace; and they were to you for a remembrance before your God: I am Jehovah your God.
And in the day of your gladness, and in your appointments, and in the heads of your mouths, and ye shall sound with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace; and they were to you for a remembrance before your God: I am Jehovah your God.
And seven priests shall lift up seven trumpets of alarms before the ark: and in the seventh day ye shall encompass the city seven times, and the priests shall clang the trumpets. And it was in prolonging upon the horn of the jubilee in your hearing, the voice of the trumpet, and all the people shall shout a great shout: and the walls of the city shall fall under it, and the people went up each before him. read more. And Joshua son of Nun will call to the priests and say to them, Lift up the ark of the covenant, and seven priests shall lift up seven trumpets of signals before the ark of Jehovah.
And it will be as Joshua said to the people, and the seven priests lifting up the seven trumpets of alarms before Jehovah, passed by and clanged upon the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah went after them.
And he will divide the three hundred men into three beginnings, and he will give trumpets into the hand of them all, and empty buckets, and torches in the midst of the buckets.
And I struck upon the trumpet, I and all that are with me, and ye struck upon the trumpets, also ye round about all the camp, and say, For Jehovah and for Gideon.
After this thou shalt come to the hill of God, where there Philisteim standing: and it will be when thou comest there to the city, and thou didst light upon a band of prophets coming down out of Bamah, and before them a lyre, and a drum, and a pipe, and a harp; and they prophesying.
And it will be in their coming, in David's turning back from the striking of the rover, and the women will come forth from all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing to meet Saul the king, with drums and with gladness and with triangles:
And David and all the house of Israel playing before Jehovah upon all cypress woods, and upon harps, and upon lyres and upon drums, and upon timbrels and upon cymbals.
And David and all the house of Israel playing before Jehovah upon all cypress woods, and upon harps, and upon lyres and upon drums, and upon timbrels and upon cymbals.
And David and all Israel playing before God with all strength, and with songs and with harps, and with lyres, and with drums, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.
And those building will lay the foundation of the temple of Jehovah, and they will cause the priests to stand, being clothed, with trumpets, and the Levites sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise Jehovah according to the hands of David king of Israel.
They will lift up with the drum and harp, and they will rejoice at the voice of the pipe.
They will lift up with the drum and harp, and they will rejoice at the voice of the pipe.
And my harp will be for mourning, and my pipe for the voice of those weeping.
Myrrh and aloes, cassia, all thy garments, from the temples of ivory, by which they gladdened thee.
The chiefs went before, they playing on instruments, after; in the midst, girls beating the tabret.
With trumpets and the voice of the, horn, shout ye before the King, Jehovah.
Praise him with the drum and the dance: praise ye him with strings and the pipe. Praise ye him with ringing instruments of hearing: praise him with ringing instruments of loud noise.
I gathered to me also silver and gold, and the wealth of kings, and the provinces: I made to me men singing and women singing, and the delights of the sons of men, a wife and mistresses.
And there was the harp and the lyre, the drum and the pipe, and the wine of their drinking's: but the work of Jehovah they will not look at, and the work of his hands they saw not
The exulting of the drums ceased, the noise of those triumphing, left off, the exulting of the harp ceased.
For this, my heart shall sound for Moab as pipes, and my heart shall sound for the men of Kirheres as pipes: for the riches he made perished.
In the time ye shall hear the voice of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the lyre, the psaltery, the bagpipe, and all sorts of music, ye shall fall and prostrate. yourselves to the image of gold that Nebuchadnezzar the king set up.
In the time ye shall hear the voice of the horn, the pipe, the harp, the lyre, the psaltery, the bagpipe, and all sorts of music, ye shall fall and prostrate. yourselves to the image of gold that Nebuchadnezzar the king set up.