Music in the Bible

(Under Construction)

Types of Instruments in the Bible

• Stringed Instruments
  • harp (aka kinnor)
  • psaltery (aka: "a skin bottle", nebel )
  • lyre (aka: sabbeka, sackbut, lute)
  • gittith - occurring in the title of Ps. 8; 81; 84.
  • minnim - rendered "stringed instruments" (Ps 150:4, Ps 45:8)
  • machalath - kind of guitar (Ps 53 & 88)
• Wind instruments
  • Pan's pipes (aka: syrinx, ugab)  (Gen. 4:21; Job 21:12; 30:31)
  • horn (aka: geren) (Josh. 6:5; 1 Chr. 25:5)
  • trumpet (aka: shophar) (Ex. 19:13; Num. 10:10; Judg. 7:16, 18; 1 Sam. 13:3)
  • straight trumpet (? trombone) (aka: hatsotserah) (Ps. 98:6; Num. 10:1-10)
  • flute or pipe (aka: halil) (1 Sam. 10:5; 1 Kings 1:40; Isa. 5:12; Jer. 48:36)
  • flute (aka: maskrokitha) (Dan. 3:5)
  • dulcimer (aka: sumponyah) - probably a sort of bagpipe. (Dan. 3:5)
• Percussion
  • drum (aka: timbrel, toph, tabret) (Gen. 31:27; Isa. 24:8; 1 Sam. 10:5)
  • bells (paamon) - on the robe of a high priest. (Ex. 28:33;e 39:25)
  • cymbals (aka: tseltselim, metsilloth, metsiltayim)  (2 Sam. 6:5; Ps. 150:5, 1 Chr. 13:8; Ezra 3:10)
  • cornets (aka: menannim, castanets,) (2 Sam. 6:5)
  • instuments of music ("triangles or three-stringed instruments") (1 Sam. 18:6)
• musical instruments - and that of all sorts. (Eccl. 2:8)

History of Music

• Jubal was the inventor of musical instruments.
  "...Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ."(Gen. 4:21)
• Laban & Jacob - "I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?" (Gen. 31:27)
• Song of Deliverance - after Moses goes through the Red Sea. (Ex. 15)
• Golden Age of Hebrew Music and Poetry (Samuel, David, Solomon) - Book of Psalms

• Music training in the schools of the prophets (1 Sam. 10:5; 19:19-24; 2 Kings 3:15; 1 Chr. 25:6)
• Professional Singers (2 Sam. 19:35; Eccl. 2:8)
• Church (temple) - large bands of trained singers and players on instruments were constantly employed (2 Sam. 6:5; 1 Chr. 15; 16; 23:5; 25:1-6).
• Music in private life - (Eccl. 2:8; Amos 6:4-6; Isa. 5:11, 12; 24:8, 9; Ps. 137; Jer. 48:33; Luke 15:25)

References:

Quick Verse: Easton's Bible Dictionary (Music, Music-Instrumental), Handbook of Bible Applications (Music, Worship)

Quick Verse searches: Music, Worship, Praise.