SUBJECT · Complete Bible Study

Music

Jubal was the inventor of musical instruments (Gen. 4:21). This unified study connects 6 installed resource categories without replacing their source records.

View overview sources
  • Historical Reference: Nave’s Topical Bible — Public domain
  • Historical Reference: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)
  • Historical Reference: concordance
  • Historical Reference: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible lexical data / BDB-Strong mapping
  • Historical Reference: STEPBible TBESG (based primarily on Abbott-Smith)
  • Historical Reference: A Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament
  • Historical Reference: Installed reference work

MAJOR STUDY · Resource Coverage 81/100

Follow the evidence

Move from the subject to its key Scripture, original-language evidence, and connected studies. The trail organizes research without deciding a theological conclusion.

1. Examine the Text2. Check the Context3. Test the Tradition4. Follow the Evidence5. Reach the Verdict

Open evidence trail

Study overview

Study at a glance

Subject type
Subject
Strong’s
H5058, H2170, G4858, H4485, H1998
Hebrew
נְגִינָה · nᵉgîynâh
Greek
συμφωνία · sumphōnia

Strong’s and original-language information

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible lexical data / BDB-Strong mapping

נְגִינָה

H5058
Transliteration
nᵉgîynâh
Pronunciation
neg-ee-naw'
Language
Hebrew
Indexed occurrences
14

Glosses

music, stringed instrument, musick, Neginoth (plural), song.

Lexicon definition

properly, instrumental music

by implication, a stringed instrument

by extension, a poem set to music

specifically, an epigram

Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon

συμφωνία

G4858
Transliteration
sumphōnia
Language
Greek
Part of speech
G:N-F
Indexed occurrences
1

Glosses

music

Lexicon definition

συμφωνία, -ας, ἡ (σύμφωνος), [in LXX: Dan LXX TH Dan.3:5, 15, TH Dan.3:7, 10 (סוּמְפּוֹנְיָה) 4Ma.14:3 A * ;] __1. symphony, music: Luk.15:25 __2. a musical instrument (Polyb., al.; Da, ll. with; v MM, xxiv).† (AS)

A Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament

Συμφωνία

G4858
Transliteration
symphōnía
Language
Greek
Indexed occurrences
1

Glosses

music

Lexicon definition

symphony, harmony of sounds; concert of instruments, music, Lu. 15.25.

Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Lexicon

מַנְגִּינָה

H4485
Transliteration
mangîynâh
Pronunciation
man-ghee-naw'
Language
Hebrew
Indexed occurrences
1

Glosses

music.

Lexicon definition

a satire

Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Lexicon

συμφωνία

G4858
Transliteration
symphōnía
Language
Greek
Indexed occurrences
1

Glosses

music

Lexicon definition

unison of sound ("symphony"), i.e. a concert of instruments (harmonious note)

Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Lexicon

סוּמְפּוֹנְיָה

H5481
Transliteration
çûwmᵉpôwnᵉyâh
Pronunciation
soom-po-neh-yaw'
Language
Hebrew
Indexed occurrences
3

Glosses

dulcimer.

Lexicon definition

a bagpipe (with a double pipe)

Complete dictionary entries

Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)

Music

Jubal was the inventor of musical instruments (Gen. 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 (Gen. 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 (1 Sam. 10:5; 19:19-24; 2 Kings 3:15; 1 Chr. 25:6). There now arose also a class of professional singers (2 Sam. 19:35; Eccl. 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 (2 Sam. 6:5; 1 Chr. 15; 16; 23;5; 25:1-6). In private life also music seems to have held an important place among the Hebrews (Eccl. 2:8; Amos 6:4-6; Isa. 5:11, 12; 24:8, 9; Ps. 137; Jer. 48:33; Luke 15:25).

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897) · View data sources

Concordance

Strong's Concordance

Music

Indexed occurrences: 25

Source: Strong's Concordance · View data sources

All Scripture references47 references

Topical Bible

Nave's Topical Bible

MUSIC

Entry:
Nave’s Topical Bible references for MUSIC.

Source: Nave's Topical Bible · View data sources

Sources

Related UNLEARN Content9 items

Topic

MUSIC

Nave’s Topical Bible references for MUSIC.

Open content →

Dictionary

Gittith

A stringed instrument of music. This word is found in the titles of Ps. 8, 81, 84. In these places the LXX. render the word by "on the wine-fats." The Targum explains by "on the harp which David brought from Gath." It is the only stringed instrument named in the titles of the Psalms.

Open content →

Dictionary

Jehiel

God's living one. (1.) The father of Gibeon (1 Chr. 9:35). (2.) One of David's guard (1 Chr. 11:44). (3.) One of the Levites "of the second degree," appointed to conduct the music on the occasion of the ark's being removed to Jerusalem (1 Chr. 15:18, 20). (4.) A Hachmonite, a tutor in the family of David toward the close of his reign (1 Chr. 27:32). (5.) The second of Jehoshaphat's six sons (2 Chr. 21:2). (6.) One of the Levites of the family of Heman who assisted Hezekiah in his work of reformation (2 Chr. 29:14). (7.) A "prince" and "ruler of the house of God" who contributed liberally to the renewal of the temple sacrifices under Josiah (2 Chr. 35:8). (8.) The father of Obadiah (Ezra 8:9). (9.) One of the "sons" of Elam (Ezra 10:26). (10.) Ezra 10:21.

Open content →

Dictionary

Minstrel

(Matt. 9:23), a flute-player. Such music was a usual accompaniment of funerals. In 2 Kings 3:15 it denotes a player on a stringed instrument.

Open content →

Dictionary

Music, Instrumental

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 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 (Gen. 4:21; Job 21:12; 30:31), probably the so-called Pan's pipes or syrinx. (2.) The qeren or "horn" (Josh. 6:5; 1 Chr. 25:5). (3.) The shophar, rendered "trumpet" (Josh. 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; Num. 10:10; Judg. 7:16, 18; 1 Sam. 13:3). (4.) The hatsotserah, or straight trumpet (Ps. 98:6; Num. 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 (1 Sam. 10:5; 1 Kings 1:40; Isa. 5:12; Jer. 48:36) which is still used in Palestine. (6.) The sumponyah, rendered "dulcimer" (Dan. 3:5), probably a sort of bagpipe. (7.) The maskrokith'a (Dan. 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" (Gen. 31:27; Isa. 24:8; 1 Sam. 10:5). (2.) The paamon, the "bells" on the robe of the high priest (Ex. 28:33; 39:25). (3.) The tseltselim, "cymbals" (2 Sam. 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" (1 Chr. 13:8; Ezra 3:10, etc.). These words are all derived from the same root, tsalal, meaning "to tinkle." (4.) The menaan'im, used only in 2 Sam. 6:5, rendered "cornets" (R.V., "castanets"); in the Vulgate, "sistra," an instrument of agitation. (5.) The shalishim, mentioned only in 1 Sam. 18:6, rendered "instruments of music" (marg. of R.V., "triangles or three-stringed instruments"). The words in Eccl. 2:8, "musical instruments, and that of all sorts," Authorized Version, are in the Revised Version "concubines very many."

Open content →

Dictionary

Music

Jubal was the inventor of musical instruments (Gen. 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 (Gen. 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 (1 Sam. 10:5; 19:19-24; 2 Kings 3:15; 1 Chr. 25:6). There now arose also a class of professional singers (2 Sam. 19:35; Eccl. 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 (2 Sam. 6:5; 1 Chr. 15; 16; 23;5; 25:1-6). In private life also music seems to have held an important place among the Hebrews (Eccl. 2:8; Amos 6:4-6; Isa. 5:11, 12; 24:8, 9; Ps. 137; Jer. 48:33; Luke 15:25).

Open content →

Dictionary

Neginah

In the title of Ps. 61, denotes the music of stringed instruments (1 Sam. 16:16; Isa. 38:20). It is the singular form of Neginoth.

Open content →

Dictionary

Pipe

(1 Sam. 10:5; 1 Kings 1:40; Isa. 5:12; 30:29). The Hebrew word halil, so rendered, means "bored through," and is the name given to various kinds of wind instruments, as the fife, flute, Pan-pipes, etc. In Amos 6:5 this word is rendered "instrument of music." This instrument is mentioned also in the New Testament (Matt. 11:17; 1 Cor. 14:7). It is still used in Palestine, and is, as in ancient times, made of different materials, as reed, copper, bronze, etc.

Open content →

Dictionary

Timbrel

(Heb. toph), a small drum or tambourine; a tabret (q.v.). The antiquity of this musical instrument appears from the scriptural allusions to it (Gen. 31:27; Ex. 15:20; Judg. 11:34, etc.) (See [634]MUSIC.)

Open content →

Save your study

Sign in to bookmark this study or add notes.

↑ Top