Study the Bible by Topic
MUSIC

• Teachers of
  1Chronicles 15:22; 25:7, 8; 2Chronicles 23:13

• Physical effect of, on man
  1Samuel 6:15, 16

• Discoursed during the offering of sacrifices
  2Chronicles 29:27, 28

• Precentor
  Nehemiah 12:42

• Chief musician
  Nehemiah 12:42; Habakkuk 3:19

• Chambers for musicians in the temple, in Ezekiel's vision
  Ezekiel 40:44

• In heaven
  Revelation 5:8, 9; 14:2, 3; 15:2, 3

• INSTRUMENTS OF:

  • Invented by Jubal
    Genesis 4:21

  • INVENTED BY KING DAVID
    1Chronicles 23:5; 2Chronicles 7:6; 29:26; Amos 6:5

  • MADE BY KING SOLOMON
    1Kings 10:12; 2Chronicles 9:11; Ecclesiastes 2:8

  • Made by Tyrians
    Ezekiel 28:13

  • Cornet

    • General references
      Daniel 3:5, 7, 10

    • See TRUMPET

  • Cymbal

    • See CYMBAL

  • DULCIMER, A DOUBLE PIPE
    Daniel 3:5, 10, 15

  • FLUTE
    Daniel 3:5, 7, 10, 15

    • How as the FLUTE used in Jerusalem's temple?

  • Gittith, a stringed instrument
    Psalm 8; 81; 84

  • HARP

    • See HARP

    • How as the HARP and LUTE used in Jerusalem's temple?

  • ORGAN (probably composed of pipes furnishing a number of notes)
    Genesis 4:21; Job 21:12; 30:31; Psalm 150:4

  • Pipe

    • See PIPE

  • Psaltery

    • See PSALTERY

  • Sackbut, a harp
    Daniel 3:5, 7, 10, 15

  • Tabret

    • See TIMBREL

  • Timbrel, a tamborine

    • See TIMBREL

  • TRUMPET

    • See TRUMPET

  • Viol, a lyre
    Isaiah 5:12; 14:11; Amos 5:23; 6:5
    
    

• MUSICAL SYMBOLS:

  • ALAMOTH

    • The word literally means "virgins." It seems to indicate the rendering of the song by female voices, possibly sopranoes.
      1Chronicles 15:20; Psalm 46:1

  • ALTASCHITH

    • The word seems to have been used to indicate the kind of ode, or the kind of melody in which the ode should be sung.
      Psalm 57:1; 58:1; 59:1; 75:1

  • HIGGAION

    • According to Gesenius, it signifies the murmuring tone of a harp, and hence that the music should be rendered in a plaintive manner.
      Psalm 92:3

    • Combined with "Selah," it may have been intended to indicate a pause in the vocal music while the instruments rendered an interlude.
      Psalm 9:16

    • Mendelssohn translates it "meditation, thought." Hence, the music was to be rendered in a mode to promote devout meditation.
      Psalm 19:14

  • MAKALATH, MASCHIL and LEANNOTH

    • They may indicate the instruments to be played, or the melody to be sung.
      Psalm 53:1; 88:1

  • MASCHIL

    • The meaning of the word is obscure, but its signification where it occurs elsewhere than in the titles of Psalm is equivalent to the English word "instruction," or to become wise by instruction.
      Psalm 32:1; 42:1; 44:1; 45:1; 47:7, 52:1; 53:1; 54:1; 55:1; 74:1; 78:1; 88:1; 89:1; 142:1

  • MICAHTAM

    • Luther interprets this as "golden," that is, precious. Ewald interprets it as signifying a plaintive manner.
      Psalm 16:1; 56:1; 57:1; 58:1; 59:1; 60:1

  • MUTHLABBEN

    • Authorities, ancient and modern, differ as to the probable signification. Gesenius and De Wette interpret it, "with the voice of virgins, by boys." Others derive the word from a different Hebrew root, and interpret it as indicating that the Psalm was a funeral ode.
      Psalm 9:1

  • NEGINAH and NEGINOTH

    • Its use seems to have been to indicate that the song should be accompanied by stringed instruments.
      Psalm 4:1; 54:1; 55:1; 61:1; 67:1; Habakkuk 3:19

  • NEHILOTH

    • It seems to indicate, according to Gesenius, that when this Psalm was sung it was to be accompanied by wind instruments.
      Psalm 5:1

  • SELAH

    • The use of this term is not known. Possibly it signified a pause in the vocal music while an instrumental interlude or finale was rendered.
      Psalms 3:2, 4, 3:8, 4:2, 4:4, 7:5, 9:16, 9:20, 20:3, 21:2, 24:6, 24:10, 32:4, 32:5, 32:7, 39:5, 39:11, 44:8, 46:3, 46:7, 46:11, 47:4, 48:8, 49:13, 49:15, 50:6, 52:3, 52:5, 54:3, 55:7, 55:19, 57:3, 57:6, 59:5, 59:13, 60:4, 61:4, 62:4, 62:8, 66:4, 66:7, 66:15, 67:1, 67:4, 68:7, 68:19, 68:32, 75:3, 76:3, 76:9, 77:3, 77:9, 77:15, 81:7, 82:2, 83:8, 84:4, 84:8, 85:2, 87:3, 87:6, 88:7, 88:10, 89:4, 89:37, 89:45, 89:48, 140:3, 140:5, 140:8, 143:6; Habakkuk 3:3, 9, 13

  • SHEMINITH

    • This word, translated "eighth," probably indicates the measure, movement, or pitch.
      Psalm 6:1; 12:1

  • SHIGGAION and its plural, SHIGIONOTH

    • These words are supposed to be musical terms to guide in rendering the song. The terms may suggest the movement in interpreting the music set to it.
      Psalm 7:1; Habakkuk 3:1

  • SHOSHANNIM and SHUSHAN-EDUTH

    • These words seem to indicate the manner in which a particular Psalm was to be rendered. Kimchi, Tremellius, and Eichhorn render it "hexachorda," that is, when singing the Psalm in question instruments of six strings were to accompany.
      Psalm 45:1; 60:1; 69:1; 80:1
      
      

• UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
  Exodus 15:1, Genesis 31:27; 20, 21; 21:17-20; Judges 5:1-3; 11:34; 1Samuel 18:6, 7; 2Samuel 19:35; 1Kings 1:40; 15:16-22, 24, 1Chronicles 6:31, 32; 27, 28; 16:4-39, 22:3, 5, 6, 41, 42; 25:1, 5, 6, 27, 30; 7, 8; 2Chronicles 5:12, 13; 20:19, 21, 22, 28; 23:13, 18; 29:25-28; 31:2; 35:15, 25; Ezra 2:64; 3:10, 11; Neh 12:24, 27-31; Job 21:12; 30:31; Psalm 33:1-4; 68:4, 25, 26, 32-35; 81:1-3; 87:7; 92:1-3; 95:1, 2; 98:1-8; 104:33; 135:1, 105:2; 2, 3; 137:1-6; 144:9; 149:1-3, 6; 150:1-6; Proverbs 25:20; Ecclesiastes 2:8; Isaiah 5:12; 14:11; 16:10; 23:16; 24:8, 9; 30:29, 32; Jeremiah 31:4; Ezekiel 26:13; Daniel 3:4, 33:32; 6, 7; Amos 6:5; 8:10; Matthew 9:23; 11:17; Mark 14:26; 1Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 2:12; Revelation 14:2, 3; 18:22

  • See PRAISE , PSALMS