Reference: Music
American
The ancient Hebrews had a great taste for music, which they used in their religious services, in their public and private rejoicing, at their weddings and feasts, and even in their mourning. We have in Scripture canticles of joy, of thanksgiving, of praise, of mourning; also mournful elegies or songs, as those of David on the death of Saul and Abner, and the Lamentations of Jeremiah on the destruction of Jerusalem; so, too, songs of victory, triumph, and gratulation, as that which Moses sung after passing the Red Sea, that of Deborah and Barak, and others. The people of God went up to Jerusalem thrice a year, cheered on their way with songs of joy, Ps 84:12; Isa 30:29. The book of Psalms comprises a wonderful variety of inspired pieces for music, and is an inexhaustible treasure for the devout in all ages.
Music is perhaps the most ancient of the fine arts. Jubal, who lived before the deluge, was the "father" of those who played on the harp and the organ, Ge 4:21; 31:26-27. Laban complains that his son-in-law Jacob had left him, without giving him an opportunity of sending his family away "with mirth and with songs, with tabret and with harp." Moses, having passed through the Red Sea, composed a song, and sung it with the Israelitish men, while Miriam, his sister, sung it with dancing, and playing on instruments, at the head of the women, Ex 15:20-21. He caused silver trumpets to be made to be sounded at solemn sacrifices, and on religious festivals. David, who had great skill in music, soothed the perturbed spirit of Saul by playing on the harp, 1Sa 16:16,23; and when he was himself established on the throne - seeing that the Levites were not employed, as formerly, in carrying the boards, veils, and vessels of the tabernacle, its abode being fixed at Jerusalem - appointed a great part of them to sing and to play on instruments in the temple, 1Ch 25. David brought the ark to Jerusalem with triumphant and joyful music, 1Ch 13:8; 15:16-28; and in the same manner Solomon was proclaimed king, 1Ki 1:39-40. The Old Testament prophets also sought the aid of music in their services, 1Sa 10:5; 2Ki 3:15.
Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun were chiefs of the music of the tabernacle under David, and of the temple under Solomon. Asaph had four sons, Jeduthun six, and Heman fourteen. These twenty-four Levites, sons of the three great masters of the temple-music, were at the head of twenty-four bands of musicians, which served in the temple by turns. Their number there was always great, but especially at the chief solemnities. They were ranged in order about the altar of burnt-sacrifices. As the whole business of their lives was to learn and to practice music, it must be supposed that they understood it well, whether it were vocal or instrumental, 2Ch 29:25.
The kings also had their music. Asaph was chief master of music to David. In the temple, and in the ceremonies of religion, female musicians were admitted as well as male; they generally were daughters of the Levites. Ezra, in his enumeration of those whom he brought back with him from the captivity, reckons two hundred singing men and singing women, 2Sa 19:35; Ezr 2:65; Ne 7:67.
As to the nature of their music, we can judge of it only by conjecture, because it has been long lost. Probably it was a unison of several voices, of which all sung together the same melody, each according to his strength and skill; without musical counterpoint, or those different parts and combinations which constitute harmony in our music. Probably, also, the voices were generally accompanied by instrumental music. If we may draw any conclusions in favor of their music from its effects, its magnificence, its majesty, and the lofty sentiments contained in their songs, we must allow it great excellence. It is supposed that the temple musicians were sometimes divided into two or more separate choirs, which, with a general chorus, sung in turn responsive to each other, each a small portion of the Psalm. The structure of the Hebrew Psalms is eminently adapted to this mode of singing, and very delightful and solemn effects might thus be produced. Compare 10/type/j2000'>10/type/j2000'>Ps 24:10/type/j2000'>10,10/type/j2000'>10,10/type/j2000'>10.
Numerous musical instruments are mentioned in Scripture, but it has been found impossible to affix heir names with certainty to specific instruments now in use. By a comparison, however, of the instruments probably held in common by the Jews with the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, a degree of probability as to most of them has been secured. They were of three kinds:
A. Stringed instruments:
1. KINNOR, "the harp," Ge 4:21. Frequently mentioned in Scripture, and probably a kind of lyre.
2. NEBEL, "the psaltery," 1Sa 10:5. It appears to have been the name of various large instruments of the harp kind.
3. ASOR, signifying ten-stringed. In Ps 92:4, it apparently denotes an instrument distinct from the NEBEL; but elsewhere it seems to be simply a description of the NEBEL as ten-stringed. See Ps 33:2; 144:9.
4. GITTITH. It occurs in the titles of Ps 8:1; 81:1; 84:1. From the name, it is supposed that David brought it from Gath. Others conclude that it is a general name for a string instrument.
5. MINNIM, strings, Ps 150:4. Probably another kind of stringed instrument.
6. SABECA, "sackbut," Da 3:5,7,10,15. A kind of lyre.
7. PESANTERIN, "psaltery," occurs Da 3:7, and is supposed to represent the NEBEL.
8. MACHALATH. Found in the titles of Ps 53:1; 88:1; supposed to be a lute or guitar.
B. Wind instruments:
9. KEREN, "horn," Jos 6:5. Cornet.
10. SHOPHAR, "trumpet," Nu 10:10. Used synonymously with KEREN.
11. CHATZOZERAH, the straight trumpet, Ps 98:6.
12. JOBEL, or KEREN JOBEL, horn of jubilee, or signal trumpet, Jos 6:4. Probably the same with 9 and 10.
13. CHAIL, "pipe" or "flute." The word means bored through, 1Sa 10:5.
14. MISHROKITHA, Da 3:5, etc. Probably the Chaldean name for the flute with two reeds.
15. UGAB, "organ" in our version Ge 4:21. It means a double or manifold pipe, and hence the shepherd's pipe; probably the same as the syrinx or Pan's pipe; or perhaps resembling the bagpipe.
C. Instruments which gave out sound on being struck:
17. TOPH, Ge 31:27, the tambourine and all instruments of the drum kind.
18. PHAAMON, "bells," Ex 28:33. Attached to the hem of the high priest's garment.
19. TZELITZELIM, "cymbals," Ps 150:5. A word frequently occurring. There were probably two kinds, hand-cymbals.
20. SHALISHIM, 1Sa 18:6. In our version, "instruments of music." "Three-stringed instruments." Most writers identify it with the triangle.
21. MENAANEIM, "cymbals," 2Sa 6:5. Probably the sistrum. The Hebrew word means to shake. The sistrum was generally about sixteen or eighteen inches long, occasionally inlaid with silver, and being held upright, was shaken, the rings moving to and fro on the bars.
Further particulars concerning some of these may be found under the names they severally bear in our English Bible.
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.
And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the harp and organ.
And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the harp and organ.
And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away my heart and carried away my daughters as captives taken with the sword? 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?
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. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Let our lord now command thy slaves, which are before thee, to seek out a man who is a cunning player on a harp, and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand and thou shalt have relief.
And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed and was better, and the evil spirit departed from him.
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.
I am this day eighty years old, and shall I tell the difference between the good and the bad? Shall thy slave enjoy what I eat or what I drink? Shall I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should thy slave be yet a burden unto my lord the king?
And Zadok, the priest, took the horn of the oil of the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the shofar, and all the people said, Long live king Solomon. Afterward all the people came up following him, and the people sang with flutes and rejoiced with great joy so that it seemed the earth rent with the sound of them.
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 David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint of their brethren as singers with instruments of music, with psalteries and harps and cymbals sounding, and to lift up their voice with joy. So the Levites appointed Heman, the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari and of their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah, read more. and with them their brethren of the second order, Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters. So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, raised their voices with cymbals of brass; and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth. And Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obededom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel. And Chenaniah, prince of the Levites in prophecy, for he presided in prophecy, because he had understanding. And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark. And Shebaniah, Jehoshaphat, Nethaneel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obededom and Jehiah were also doorkeepers for the ark. So David and the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy. And with God helping the Levites that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams. And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and also all the Levites that bore the ark and the singers and Chenaniah, the prince of the prophecy of the singers. David also had upon him an ephod of linen. Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting and with sound of the shofar and with trumpets and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.
And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad, the king's seer, and of Nathan, the prophet, for that commandment was by the hand of the LORD, by the hand of his prophets.
besides their slaves and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and there were among them two hundred men and women who were singers.
not counting their menslaves and their maidslaves, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred and forty-five men and women singers.
O LORD our Lord, how great is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy praise above the heavens.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD of the hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD of the hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD of the hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Celebrate unto the LORD with harp; sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They have corrupted themselves and have done abominable iniquity; there is no one that does good.
Sing aloud unto God our strength; make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
How amiable are thy habitations, O LORD of the hosts!
O LORD of the hosts, happy is the man that trusts in thee.
O LORD God of my saving health, I cry day and night before Thee;
For thou, O LORD, hast made me glad with thy work; I will delight in the works of thy hands.
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.
Ye shall have a song, as in the night in which the Passover is kept and gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute to come into the mountain of the LORD to the mighty One of Israel.
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:
Therefore, when all the peoples heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and every musical instrument, all the peoples, nations, and languages, fell down and worshipped the statue of gold that Nebuchadnezzar the king had raised up.
Therefore, when all the peoples heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and every musical instrument, all the peoples, nations, and languages, fell down and worshipped the statue of gold that Nebuchadnezzar the king had raised up.
Thou, O king, hast made a law that every man upon hearing the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and every musical instrument, shall fall down and worship the statue of gold;
Now, are ye ready when ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and of every musical instrument to fall down and worship the statue which I made? For if ye do not worship, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands?
Easton
Jubal was the inventor of musical instruments (Ge 4:21). The Hebrews were much given to the cultivation of music. Their whole history and literature afford abundant evidence of this. After the Deluge, the first mention of music is in the account of Laban's interview with Jacob (Ge 31:27). After their triumphal passage of the Red Sea, Moses and the children of Israel sang their song of deliverance (Ex 15).
But the period of Samuel, David, and Solomon was the golden age of Hebrew music, as it was of Hebrew poetry. Music was now for the first time systematically cultivated. It was an essential part of training in the schools of the prophets (1Sa 10:5; 19:19-24; 2Ki 3:15; 1Ch 25:6). There now arose also a class of professional singers (2Sa 19:35; Ec 2:8). The temple, however, was the great school of music. In the conducting of its services large bands of trained singers and players on instruments were constantly employed (2Sa 6:5; 1Ch 15; 16; 23:5; 25:1-6).
In private life also music seems to have held an important place among the Hebrews (Ec 2:8; Am 6:4-6; Isa 5:11-12; 24:8-9; Ps 137; Jer 48:33; Lu 15:25).
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?
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 was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. And Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. read more. And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. Then he also went to Ramah and came to a great well that is in Sechu, and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah. And he went there to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. And he stripped off his clothes also and prophesied before Samuel in like manner and lay down naked all that day and all that night. From here it was said, Is Saul also among the prophets?
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.
I am this day eighty years old, and shall I tell the difference between the good and the bad? Shall thy slave enjoy what I eat or what I drink? Shall I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should thy slave be yet a burden unto my lord the king?
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.
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.
Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may continue their drunkenness; that continue until night until wine inflames them! 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. They shall not drink wine with a song; the drink shall be bitter to them that would drink it.
And joy and gladness shall be taken from the plentiful field and from the land of Moab; and I shall cause wine to cease from the winepresses; no one shall tread with song; their song shall be no song.
that lie upon beds of ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches and eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall; that chant to the sound of the flute and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David; read more. that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments, but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
Now his elder son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
Fausets
(For illustrations, see DANCE; DAVID; FLUTE; HARP; JEDUTHUN.) Its invention is due to a Cainite, Jubal son of Lamech, "father (first teacher) of all such as handle the harp (lyre) and organ" (pipe). "The lyre and flute were introduced by the brother of a nomadic herdsman (Jabal); it is in the leisure of this occupation that music is generally first exercised and appreciated" (Kalisch: Ge 4:21). "Mahalaleel," third from Seth, means "giving praise to God," therefore vocal music in religious services was probably earlier than instrumental music among the Cainites (Ge 5:12). Laban the Syrian mentions "songs, tabret (tambourine), and harp" (Ge 31:27); Job (Job 21:12) "the timbrel (tambourine), harp, and organ (pipe)". Instead of "they take," translated "they lift up (the voice)," as in Isa 42:11, to accompany "the tambourine," etc. (Umbrett.) Thus the "voice," stringed and wind instruments, include all kinds of music. The Israelite men led by Moses sang in chorus, and Miriam led the women in singing the refrain at each interval, accompanied by tambourine and dances (Ex 15:21).
Music rude and boisterous accompanied the dances in honor of the golden calf, so that Joshua mistook it for "the noise of war," "the voice of them that shout for the mastery and that cry for being overcome" (Ex 32:17-18). The triumphant shout of the foe in the temple is similarly compared to the joyous thanksgivings formerly offered there at solemn feasts, but how sad the contrast as to the occasion (La 2:7). The two silver trumpets were used by the priests to call an assembly, and for the journeying of the camps, and on jubilant occasion (Nu 10:1-10; 2Ch 13:12). (On the rams' (rather Jubilee) horns of Joshua 6, see HORNS.) The instruments at Nebuchadnezzar's dedication of his golden image were the "cornet," like the French horn; "flute" or pipe blown at the end by a mouthpiece; "sackbut," a triangular stringed instrument with short strings, in a high sharp key; "psaltery," a kind of harp; "dulcimer," a bagpipe, emitting a plaintive sound, a Hebraized Greek word, sumfonia (Da 3:4).
The schools of the prophets cultivated music as a study preparing the mind for receiving spiritual influences (1Sa 10:5; 19:19-20): at Naioth; also at Jericho (2Ki 2:5,7), "when the minstrel among Jehoshaphat's retinue played, the hand of Jehovah came upon Elisha" (2Ki 3:15); Gilgal (2Ki 4:38); Jerusalem (2Ki 22:14). "Singing men and women" were at David's court (2Sa 19:35), also at Solomon's (Ec 2:8; Gesenius translated for "musical instruments and that of all sorts," shiddah wishidot, "a princess and princesses".) They also" spoke of Josiah in their lamentations, and made them an ordinance in Israel" (2Ch 35:25).
Music was often introduced at banquets (Isa 5:12), "the harp and viol" (nebel, the "lute", an instrument with 12 strings), etc. (Lu 15:25.) Am 6:5; "chant (parat, 'mark distinct tones,' the Arabic root expresses an unmeaning hurried flow of rhythmical sounds without much sense, as most glees) to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of music like David"; they fancy themselves David's equals In music (1Ch 23:5; Ne 12:36). He added to the temple service the stringed psaltery, kinor ("lyre"), and nebel ("harp"), besides the cymbals. These as distinguished from the trumpets were "David's instruments" (2Ch 29:25-26; 1Ch 15:16,19-21,24; 23:5). The age of Samuel, David, and Solomon was the golden one alike of poetry and of music. The Hebrew use of music was inspirational, curative, and festive or mournful. David's skill on the harp in youth brought him under Saul's notice, and he played away Saul's melancholy under the evil spirit (1Sa 16:16-23).
As David elevated music to the praise of God, so the degenerate Israelites of Amos' time degraded it to the service of their own sensuality (like Nero fiddling when Rome was in flames), yet they defended their luxurious passion for music by his example. Solomon's songs were a thousand and five (1Ki 4:32). In the procession accompanying the ark to Zion, the Levites led by Chenaniah, "master of the song," played cornets, trumpets, cymbals, psalteries, and harps, accompanying David's psalm composed for the occasion (1 Chronicles 15; 16; 2Sa 6:5). Of the 48,000 in the tribe 4,000 praised Jehovah on David's instruments (1Ch 23:5-6). Heman led the Kohathites, Asaph the Gershonites, and Ethan or Jeduthun the Merarites (1Ch 15:17; 25:1-8). The "cunning" or skilled musicians were 288: 24 courses, 12 in each, headed by the 24 sons of Heman, Asaph, and Jeduthun.
The rest of the 4,000 were "scholars." David's chant (1Ch 16:34,41) was used for ages, and bore his name: at the consecration of Solomon's temple (2Ch 7:6); before Jehoshaphat's army when marching against the Ammonite invaders, to the thanksgiving is attributed God's giving of the victory, "when they began to sing and to praise, Jehovah set ambushments against ... Ammon" (2Ch 20:21-22), compare in Abijah's victory over Jeroboam the priests' sounding of trumpets (2Ch 13:12-22); at the laying the second temple's foundation (Ezr 3:10-11). Heman, Asaph, and Ethan played with cymbals of brass to mark the time the more clearly, while the rest played on psalteries and harps (1Ch 15:19; 16:5).
The "singers" went first, "the damsels with timbrels" in the middle, "the players on (stringed) instruments followed after" (Ps 68:25). In intelligent worship the word has precedence of ornamental accompaniments (1Co 14:15); music must not drown but be subordinate to the words and sense. Amos (Am 8:3) foretells the joyous "songs of the temple" should be changed into "howlings." In Ps 87:7 translated "the players on pipes" or "flutes" (Gesenius), but Hengstenberg, "dancers" (choleel); the future thanksgiving of the redeemed heathen (1Ki 1:40). Women were in the choir (1Ch 13:8; 25:5-6; Ezr 2:65). The priests alone blew the trumpets in the religious services (1Ch 15:24; 16:6), but the people also at royal proclamations (2Ki 11:14). A hundred and twenty priests blew the trumpets in unison with the Levite singers, in fine linen, at the dedication of Solomon's temple (2Ch 5:12-13; 7:6). So under Hezekiah in resanctifying the temple (2Ch 29:27-28).
As the temple, altar, and sacrifices were Jehovah's palace, table, and feasts, so the sacred music answers to the melody usual at kings' banquets. The absence of music such as accompanied bridal processions is made a feature of a curse being on the land (Isa 24:8-9; Jer 7:34; Eze 26:13). Judah's captors in vain called on her singers to sing her national melodies, "songs of Zion," in Babylon. She hung her harp on the willows of that marshy city, and abjured "mirth in a strange land" (Ps 137:2-4). Away from Zion, God's seat, they were away from joy. Love songs (Psalm 45 title) as well as professional mourners' (Am 5:16) dirges were composed. Harlots attracted men by songs to the guitar (Isa 23:15-16). (See MOURNING,) The grape was gathered and trodden with joyous song (Isa 16:10). (See HYMNS.)
Music, instrumental and vocal, was all in unison, not harmony, which was unknown to the ancients; the songs were all melodies, choral and antiphonal, as Moses' and Miriam's song, and Nehemiah's musicians in two responsive choirs at the dedication of the wall (Ne 12:40-42). For "instruments of music" (Da 6:18) translated "concubines." Xenophon's picture of Darius as addicted to wine and women, without self control, accords with Daniel's mention of his abstinence as something extraordinary. In Ps 45:8 Gesenius translated for "whereby" (mini), as in Ps 150:4), "out of the ivory palaces the stringed instruments make thee glad"; Hengstenberg shows this untenable, KJV is better. In 1Sa 18:6 "instruments of music," shalishim, is from shalowsh, "three," probably "triangles," invented in Syria (Athenaeus, Deipnos, 4:175).
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 answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
And Joshua, hearing the noise of the people as they shouted, said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. And he answered, It is not the voice of those that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of those that cry for being overcome, but the noise of those that sing that I hear.
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.
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.
Let our lord now command thy slaves, which are before thee, to seek out a man who is a cunning player on a harp, and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand and thou shalt have relief. And Saul said unto his slaves, Provide me now a man that can play well and bring him to me. read more. Then one of the servants answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem, that is cunning in playing and a mighty valiant man and a man of war and prudent in speech and handsome, and the LORD is with him. Therefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse and said, Send me David, thy son, who is with the sheep. And Jesse took an ass laden with bread and a bottle of wine and a kid and sent them by David, his son, unto Saul. And David came to Saul and stood before him; and he loved him greatly, and he became his armourbearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he has found favour in my sight. And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed and was better, and the evil spirit departed from him.
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 it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. And Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
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.
I am this day eighty years old, and shall I tell the difference between the good and the bad? Shall thy slave enjoy what I eat or what I drink? Shall I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should thy slave be yet a burden unto my lord the king?
Afterward all the people came up following him, and the people sang with flutes and rejoiced with great joy so that it seemed the earth rent with the sound of them.
And he spoke three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head today? And he answered, Yes, I know it; be silent.
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood in front of them afar off; and the two of them stood by the Jordan.
But now bring me a minstrel. And when the minstrel played, the hand of the LORD came upon him;
And Elisha returned to Gilgal. Then there was a famine in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, so he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot and make pottage for the sons of the prophets.
and when she looked, behold, the king stood by the pillar, as was his right, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced and blew with trumpets. Then Athaliah rent her clothes and cried, Treason, Treason.
So Hilkiah, the priest, and Ahikam and Achbor and Shaphan and Asahiah went unto Huldah, the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe, who dwelt in Jerusalem in the house of doctrine; and they spoke with her.
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.
So the Levites appointed Heman, the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari and of their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah,
So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, raised their voices with cymbals of brass;
And Shebaniah, Jehoshaphat, Nethaneel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obededom and Jehiah were also doorkeepers for the ark.
Asaph, the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps, but Asaph resounded with cymbals; and Benaiah and Jahaziel, the priests, with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.
O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy is eternal.
and with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest that were chosen expressly by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy is eternal.
moreover, four thousand were porters, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which David had made to praise therewith.
moreover, four thousand were porters, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which David had made to praise therewith. And David divided them into courses according to the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Moreover David and the captains of the host separated unto the ministry the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals; and the number of men that were suitable for the work of their respective ministry was, of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied at the hand of the king. read more. Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hand of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the LORD. Of Heman: the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamtiezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. All these were the sons of Heman, the king's seer, in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
All these were the sons of Heman, the king's seer, in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. All these were under the direction of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the ministry of the house of God, under the hand of the king, of Asaph, of Jeduthun, and of Heman.
All these were under the direction of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the ministry of the house of God, under the hand of the king, of Asaph, of Jeduthun, and of Heman. So the number of them, with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the LORD, even all that had understanding, was two hundred eighty-eight. read more. And they cast lots, ward against ward, the small as well as the great, the one with understanding as well as the disciple.
and the Levite singers, all of those of Asaph, those of Heman, and those of Jeduthun, together with their sons and their brethren, being clothed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets). And they sounded the trumpets and sang with one voice, all together as one man praising and thanking the LORD, when they lifted up their voice with trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, when they praised the LORD, saying, For he is good, for his mercy endures for ever; and the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD,
And the priests were upon their watches, and the Levites with the instruments of music of the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endures for ever, when David praised by their hand. Likewise, the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel was on their feet.
And the priests were upon their watches, and the Levites with the instruments of music of the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endures for ever, when David praised by their hand. Likewise, the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel was on their feet.
And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for ye shall not prosper. But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them; so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them. read more. So when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind; and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. Then the men of Judah gave a shout, and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. And the sons of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand. And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter; so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. Thus the sons of Israel were humbled at that time, and the sons of Judah prevailed because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers. And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its towns and Jeshanah with its towns and Ephron with its towns. Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and the LORD struck him, and he died. But Abijah waxed mighty and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. And the rest of the acts of Abijah and his ways and his words are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed some to sing unto the LORD and to praise in the beauty of holiness, while the army went out and to say, Praise the LORD, for his mercy endures for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set the sons of Moab and those of Mount Seir to ambush the sons of Ammon, who were coming against Judah; and they smote one another.
And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad, the king's seer, and of Nathan, the prophet, for that commandment was by the hand of the LORD, by the hand of his prophets. And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. read more. Then Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets and with the instruments of David, king of Israel. And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpets sounded; and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah; and all the singing men and the singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day and made them an ordinance in Israel, which are written in the lamentations.
besides their slaves and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and there were among them two hundred men and women who were singers.
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. And they sang, praising and giving thanks unto the LORD because he is good, for his mercy endures for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, praising the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
and his brethren, Shemaiah, Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David, the man of God, and Ezra, the scribe, before them.
Then the two choirs stood in the house of God, and I and half of the rulers with me; and the priests: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; read more. and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.
They jump at the sound of the timbrel and harp and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
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.
And singers and players on instruments in her shall say: all my springs are in thee.
We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof; when there, those that carried us away captive asked us for the words of the song; with our harps of joy hung upon the willows saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. read more. How shall we sing the song of the LORD in the land of strangers?
Praise him with the timbrel and dance; praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
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.
And gladness is taken away and joy out of the fertile field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be rejoicing: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage song to cease.
And it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years according to the days of one king; after the end of seventy years Tyre shall sing as a harlot. Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing the song again that thou may be remembered.
The mirth of tambourines ceases; the noise of those that rejoice ends; the joy of the harp ceases. They shall not drink wine with a song; the drink shall be bitter to them that would drink it.
Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
Then I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.
Zain The Lord has cast off his altar; he has abhorred his sanctuary; he has given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have shouted in the house of the LORD as in the day of a feast.
And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall no longer be heard.
Then a herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
Then the king went to his palace and lay down without eating; neither were instruments of music brought before him, and his sleep fled from him.
Therefore the LORD, the God of the hosts, the Lord, said this: Wailing shall be in all streets, and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.
that chant to the sound of the flute and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David;
And the cantors of the temple shall howl in that day, said the Lord GOD; there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.
Now his elder son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
Smith
Music.
1. The most ancient music. --The inventor of musical instruments, like the first poet and the first forger of metals, was a Cainite. We learn from
that Jubal the son of Lamech was "the father of all such as handle the harp and organ," that is, of all players upon stringed and wind instruments. The first mentioned of music in the times after the deluge is in the narrative of Laban's interview with Jacob,
so that, whatever way it was preserved, the practice of music existed in the upland country of Syria, and of the three possible kinds of musical instruments two were known and employed to accompany the song. The three kinds are alluded to in
On the banks of the Red Sea Moses and the children of Israel sang their triumphal song of deliverance from the hosts of Egypt; and Miriam, in celebration of the same event, exercised one of her functions as a prophetess by leading a procession of the women of the camp, chanting in chorus the burden of the song of Moses. The song of Deborah and Barak is cast in a distinctly metrical form, and was probably intended to be sung with a musical accompaniment as one of the people's songs. The simpler impromptu with which the women from the cities of Israel greeted David after the slaughter of the Philistines was apparently struck off on the spur of the moment, under the influence of the wild joy with which they welcomed their national champion. "the darling of the sons of Israel."
Up to this time we meet with nothing like a systematic cultivation of music among the Hebrews, but the establishment of the schools of the prophets appears to have supplied this want. Whatever the students of these schools may have been taught, music was an essential part of their practice. Professional musicians soon became attached to the court.
2. The golden age of Hebrew music. David seems to have gathered round him "singing men and singing women."
Solomon did the same,
adding to the luxury of his court by his patronage of art, and obtaining a reputation himself as no mean composer.
But the temple was the great school of music, and it was consecrated to its highest service in the worship of Jehovah. Before, however the elaborate arrangements had been made by David for the temple choir, there must have been a considerable body of musicians throughout the country.
(David chose 4000 musicians from the 38,000 Levies in his reign, or one in ten of the whole tribe. Of these musicians 288 were specially trained and skillful.
The whole number was divided into 24 courses, each of which would thus consist of a full band of 154 musicians, presided over by a body of 12 specially-trained leaders, under one of the twenty-four sons of Asaph, Heman or Jeduthun as conductor. The leaders appear to have played on the cymbals, perhaps to make the time.
All these joined in a special chant which David taught them, and which went by his name.
Women also took part in the temple choir.
These great choirs answered one to another in responsive singing; thus the temple music most have been grand and inspiring beyond anything known before that time.
3. Character of Hebrew music.--As in all Oriental nations, the music of the Hebrews was melody rather than harmony, which latter was then unknown. All old and young, men and maidens, singers and instruments, appear to have sung one part only in or in octaves. "The beauty of the music consisted altogether in the melody;" but this, with so many instruments and voices, was so charming that "the whole of antiquity is full of the praises of this music. By its means battles were won, cities conquered, mutinies quelled, diseases cured." --ED.)
4. Uses of music. --In the private as well as in the religions life of the Hebrews music held a prominent place. The kings had their court musicians,
and in the luxurious times of the later monarchy the effeminate gallants of Israel amused themselves with devising musical instruments while their nation was perishing ("as Nero fiddled while Rome was burning"). But music was also the legitimate expression of mirth and gladness The bridal processions as they passed through the streets were accompanied with music and song.
The music of the banquets was accompanied with song and dancing.
Lu 15:26
The triumphal processions which celebrated victory were enlivened by minstrels and singers.
2000'>Ex 15:1,20; Jg 5:1; 11:34
There were also religious songs.
Love songs are alluded to; in
title, and Isai 5:1 There were also the doleful songs of the funeral procession, and the wailing chant of the mourners. The grape-gatherers sang at their work, and the women sang as they toiled at the mill, and on every occasion the land of the Hebrews during their national prosperity was a land of music and melody.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song unto the LORD and spoke, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
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.
Then sang Deborah with Barak, the son of Abinoam, on that day, saying,
And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
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 the women sang as they played and said, Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands.
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.
I am this day eighty years old, and shall I tell the difference between the good and the bad? Shall thy slave enjoy what I eat or what I drink? Shall I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should thy slave be yet a burden unto my lord the king?
And he spoke three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
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.
So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, raised their voices with cymbals of brass;
Asaph, the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps, but Asaph resounded with cymbals;
moreover, four thousand were porters, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which David had made to praise therewith.
All these were the sons of Heman, the king's seer, in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. All these were under the direction of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the ministry of the house of God, under the hand of the king, of Asaph, of Jeduthun, and of Heman.
Also unto Shemaiah, his son, were sons born, that ruled throughout the house of their fathers, for they were mighty men of valour. The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed, Elzabad, and their brethren, strong men; likewise, Elihu and Semachiah.
And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah; and all the singing men and the singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day and made them an ordinance in Israel, which are written in the lamentations.
They jump at the sound of the timbrel and harp and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
My heart is overflowing with a good word; I speak of the things which I have done concerning the king; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
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.
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.
Ye shall have a song, as in the night in which the Passover is kept and gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute to come into the mountain of the LORD to the mighty One of Israel.
Then I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.
Is anyone among you afflicted? let them pray. Is anyone happy? let them sing.
Watsons
MUSIC is probably nearly coeval with our race, or, at least, with the first attempts to preserve the memory of transactions. Before the invention of writing, the history of remarkable events was committed to memory, and handed down by oral tradition. The knowledge of laws and of useful arts was preserved in the same way. Rhythm and song were probably soon found important helps to the memory; and thus the muses became the early instructers of mankind. Nor was it long, we may conjecture, before dancing and song united contributed to festivity, or to the solemnities of religion. The first instruments of music were probably of the pulsatile kind; and rhythm, it is likely, preceded the observation of those intervals of sound which are so pleasing to the ear. The first mention of stringed instruments, however, precedes the deluge. Tubal, the sixth descendant from Cain, was "the father of all such as handle the harp and the organ." About five hundred and fifty years after the deluge, or B.C. 1800, according to the common chronology, both vocal and instrumental music are spoken of as things in general use: "And Laban said, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? Wherefore 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 tabret and with harp?" Ge 31:26-27.
Egypt has been called the cradle of the arts and sciences, and there can be no doubt of the very early civilization of that country. To the Egyptian Mercury, or Thoth, who is called Trismegistos, or "thrice illustrious," is ascribed the invention of the lyre, which had at first only three strings. It would be idle to mention the various conjectures how these strings were tuned, or to try to settle the chronology of this invention. The single flute, which they called photinx, is also ascribed to the Egyptians. Its shape was that of a horn, of which, no doubt, it was originally made. Before the invention of these instruments, as Dr. Burney justly observes, "music could have been little more than metrical, as no other instruments except those of percussion were known. When the art was first discovered of refining and sustaining tones, the power of music over mankind was probably irresistible, from the agreeable surprise which soft and lengthened sounds must have occasioned." The same learned writer has given a drawing, made under his own eye, of an Egyptian musical instrument, represented on a very ancient obelisk at Rome, brought from Egypt by Augustus. This obelisk is supposed to have been erected at Heliopolis, by Sesostris, near four hundred years before the Trojan war. The most remarkable thing in this instrument is, that it is supplied with a neck, so that its two strings were capable of furnishing a great number of sounds. This is a contrivance which the Greeks, with all their ingenuity, never hit upon. "I have never been able," says the doctor, "to discover in any remains of Greek sculpture, an instrument furnished with a neck; and Father Montfaucon says that in examining the representations of near five hundred ancient lyres, harps, and citharas, he never met with one in which there was any contrivance for shortening the strings during the time of performance, as by a neck and finger board." From the long residence of the Hebrews in Egypt, it is no improbable conjecture that their music was derived from that source. However that may be, music, vocal and instrumental, made one important part of their religious service. If the excellence of the music was conformable to the sublimity of the poetry which it accompanied, there would be no injustice in supposing it unspeakably superior. to that of every other people; and the pains that were taken to render the tabernacle and temple music worthy of the subjects of their lofty odes, leaves little doubt that it was so. That the instruments were loud and sonorous, will appear from what follows; but as the public singing was performed in alternate responses, or the chorus of all succeeded to those parts of the psalm which were sung only by the appointed leaders, instruments of this kind were necessary to command and control the voices of so great a number as was usually assembled on high occasions.
The Hebrews insisted on having music at marriages, on anniversary birth days, on the days which reminded them of victories over their enemies, at the inauguration of their kings, in their public worship, and when they were coming from afar to attend the great festivals of their nation, Isa 30:29. In the tabernacle and the temple, the Levites were the lawful musicians; but on other occasions any one might use musical instruments who chose. There was this exception, however: the holy silver trumpets were to be blown only by the priests, who, by the sounding of them, proclaimed the festival days, assembled the leaders of the people, and gave the signal for the battle and for the retreat, Nu 10:1-10. David, in order to give the best effect to the music of the tabernacle, divided the four thousand Levites into twenty-four classes, who sung psalms, and accompanied them with music. Each of these classes was superintended by a leader, placed over it; and they performed the duties which devolved upon them, each class a week at a time in succession, 1Ch 16:5; 23:4-5; 25; 2Ch 5:12-13. The classes collectively, as a united body, were superintended by three directors. This arrangement was subsequently continued by Solomon after the erection of the temple, and was transmitted till the time of the overthrow of Jerusalem. It was indeed sometimes interrupted, during the reign of the idolatrous kings, but was restored by their successors, 2Ch 5:12-14; 29:27; 35:15. It was even continued after the captivity, Ezr 3:10; 12/45/type/j2000'>Ne 12:45-47; 1 Mac. 4:54; 13:51. It should be remarked, however, that neither music nor poetry attained to the same excellence after the captivity as before that period.
There were women singers as well as men in the temple choir; for in the book of Ezra, among those who returned from the Babylonish captivity, there are said to have been two hundred, Ezr 2:65; and in Ne 7:67, we read of two hundred and forty-five singing men and women. The Jewish doctors will, indeed, by no means admit there were any female voices in the temple choir; and as for those ??????meshoreroth, as they are called in the Hebrew, they suppose them to be the wives of those who sung. Nevertheless, the following passage makes it evident that women, likewise, were thus employed: "God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters; and all these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God," 1Ch 25:5-6. Instrumental music was first introduced into the Jewish service by Moses; and afterward, by the express command of God, was very much improved with the addition of several instruments in the reign of David. When Hezekiah restored the temple service, which had been neglected in his predecessor's reign, "he set the Levites in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet; for so was the commandment of the Lord by his prophets," 2Ch 29:25.
The harp, ????, kinnor, was the most ancient of the class of stringed instruments, Ge 4:21. It was sometimes called ??????, or "eight stringed," 1Ch 15:21; Ps 6:1; 12:1; although, as we may gather from the coins or medals of the Maccabean age, there were some harps which were furnished with only three strings. The nablum or psaltery, ???????, ?????, ???, is first mentioned in the Psalms of David. In Ps 33:2; 144:9, it is called ???? "a ten-stringed instrument;" but in Ps 92:3, it is distinguished from it. Josephus assigns to it twelve strings, which, taken in connection with the fact above stated, leaves us to conclude that it sometimes had ten and sometimes twelve strings. It was not played with a bow or fret, but with the fingers: the act of playing it is expressed in Hebrew by the word
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And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the harp and organ.
And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the harp and organ.
And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away my heart and carried away my daughters as captives taken with the sword? 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?
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.
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.
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 Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obededom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.
Asaph, the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps, but Asaph resounded with cymbals;
Of which, twenty-four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD, and six thousand were officers and judges; moreover, four thousand were porters, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which David had made to praise therewith.
All these were the sons of Heman, the king's seer, in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. All these were under the direction of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the ministry of the house of God, under the hand of the king, of Asaph, of Jeduthun, and of Heman.
and the Levite singers, all of those of Asaph, those of Heman, and those of Jeduthun, together with their sons and their brethren, being clothed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets). And they sounded the trumpets and sang with one voice, all together as one man praising and thanking the LORD, when they lifted up their voice with trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, when they praised the LORD, saying, For he is good, for his mercy endures for ever; and the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD, read more. so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad, the king's seer, and of Nathan, the prophet, for that commandment was by the hand of the LORD, by the hand of his prophets.
Then Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets and with the instruments of David, king of Israel.
Likewise, the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place, according to the commandment of David and Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, the king's seer; and the porters waited at every gate; it was not necessary for them to depart from their ministry, for their brethren, the Levites, prepared for them.
besides their slaves and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and there were among them two hundred men and women who were singers.
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.
not counting their menslaves and their maidslaves, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred and forty-five men and women singers.
And they kept the ward of their God and the ward of the purification, and the singers and the porters, according to the statute of David and of Solomon, his son. For from the time of David and Asaph of old there were princes of the singers, and songs and praise and thanksgiving unto God. read more. And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, each thing in its day; and they sanctified them unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the sons of Aaron.
He has made me a byword of the peoples; and before them I have been as a tambourine.
They jump at the sound of the timbrel and harp and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
Help, LORD; for the merciful man ceases, for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
Celebrate unto the LORD with harp; sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
upon an instrument of ten strings and upon the psaltery, upon the harp with a pleasant sound.
I will sing a new song unto thee, O God; upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings I will sing praises unto thee.
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.
Ye shall have a song, as in the night in which the Passover is kept and gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute to come into the mountain of the LORD to the mighty One of Israel.
Ye shall have a song, as in the night in which the Passover is kept and gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute to come into the mountain of the LORD to the mighty One of Israel.
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.
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering: the sardius, topaz, diamond, turquoise, onyx, and beryl, the sapphire, ruby, and emerald, and gold; the works of thy tambourines and of thy pipes were prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
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:
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:
Therefore, when all the peoples heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and every musical instrument, all the peoples, nations, and languages, fell down and worshipped the statue of gold that Nebuchadnezzar the king had raised up.
Thou, O king, hast made a law that every man upon hearing the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and every musical instrument, shall fall down and worship the statue of gold;
Thou, O king, hast made a law that every man upon hearing the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and every musical instrument, shall fall down and worship the statue of gold;
Now, are ye ready when ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and of every musical instrument to fall down and worship the statue which I made? For if ye do not worship, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands?
In that day there shall be written upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.