What types of musical instruments are mentioned in the Old Testament?

Answer

Music holds significance in the Old Testament. The first individual to craft a musical instrument lived prior to Noah’s flood “And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.”, (Genesis 4:21). Music was utilized for celebrations, mourning, worship, and prophecy. Various sounds and voices were likened to musical instruments. At times, it is challenging to pinpoint the exact instrument mentioned in the Bible.

Wind Instruments

Pipe: The Old Testament references four distinct types of pipes or flutes:

Halil, translated as “pipe” or “flute,” was double-reeded and played vertically like an oboe or horizontally like a modern flute. The name originates from the Hebrew for “perforated” or “pierced,” as the tube is pierced with fingerholes. It is possible that two of these pipes were played simultaneously. It was predominantly used during celebrations (1 Kings 1:40; Isaiah 5:12; Isaiah 30:29), but also during King Saul’s prophecy “After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy.”, (1 Samuel 10:5). Its sound is likened to the moans of mourning over Moab’s judgment “Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kir-heres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.”, (Genesis 4:21) and was used for worship (Job 21:12;Psalm 150:4). Some believe it was a primitive type of bagpipe with a pipe for fingering below, a bladder in the middle, and the mouthpiece coming up above.

Two different types of Aramaic pipes, the sumpponeya and the masroqi, are mentioned in connection with the worship of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue «that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: », (Daniel 3:5,7, 10, 15). The masroqi made a whistling sound; it was probably similar to panpipes. The identity of the sumpponeya is not as clear. It is translated as “bagpipe,” “tambourine,” “pipe,” and “sackbut,” which is a type of trombone.

Horns

The shofar is perhaps the most well-known horn mentioned in the Bible. It is made from a ram’s horn and most closely associated with Rosh Hashanah. Translators identify it as a “horn,” a “ram’s horn,” or a “trumpet”—not to be confused with the metal clarion. The shofar was used in battle (Joshua 6:4;Judges 3:27;Judges 6:34;1 Samuel 13:3), as a warning of coming battle (1 Chronicles 15:28; 1 Kings 1:34), and as a call or warning (Psalm 81:3; Psalm 98:6; Isaiah 27:13; Isaiah 58:1).

The chatsotsrah was similar to the shofar but made of metal, often silver (Numbers 10:1-2) and is more properly identified as a cornet, although it would not have had valves like our modern cornets. It was used in similar ways as the shofar, including to sound the alarm (2 Chronicles 13:12; Hosea 5:8) and in celebration (2 Kings 11:14; 1 Chronicles 13:8; 2 Chronicles 5:12-13; 15:14; 23:13). Where the shofar was used more for music, the chatsotsrah was primarily used to draw attention to announcements or warnings.

Qeren is Aramaic for “horn” and can refer to the instrument or the horn of an animal; it is the source of our modern word crown. It is mentioned in the worship of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue «that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: », (Daniel 3:5, 7, 10, 15).

Percussion

The Bible doesn’t mention drums as we think of them. Israelites used cymbals, bells, tambourines, and castanets.

Cymbals: both selselim and mesiltayim are translated as “cymbals.” They were played in pairs and may have beenAs small as finger cymbals. Selselim, which occurs infrequently «And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. », (2 Samuel 6:5), is from the Hebrew for “clattering” or “whirring,” as an insect’s wings. Mesiltayim is from the Hebrew for “double tinklers” and is used extensively in reference to the ark of the covenant (1 Chronicles 13:8;1 Chronicles 15:16) and the temple (1 Chronicles 25:1,6;2 Chronicles 12—13;29:25), as well as the dedication of the wall and temple after the return from Babylon (Ezra 3:10;Nehemiah 12:27).

Castanets: Menaanim are difficult to identify, as the definition we have is “an instrument made of fir or juniper wood.” Most likely, they were similar to our castanets, small finger cymbals made of wood. Israelites used them to celebrate the return of the ark from the Philistines «And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. », (2 Samuel 6:5). Since this celebration was impromptu and menaanim are not mentioned in temple worship, it was probably a common instrument of the people.

Tambourine: The toph or top seems to be the closest the Israelites had to a drum, although it’s not clear if it had a drumhead or if it was comprised of cymbals or castanets fastened to a ring of wood. Bible versions transl

Ate toph as “tambourine,” “timbrel,” or “tabret.” Like the menaanim, it is not mentioned in temple worship but is prolific in celebratory events (Exodus 15:20; 1 Samuel 18:6; 2 Samuel 6:5; Psalm 81:2; Psalm 149:3; Psalm 150:4; Jeremiah 31:4). Taphaph «The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; Among them were the damsels playing with timbrels. », (Psalm 68:25) is a verb meaning “to beat a tambourine.”

Bells: Bells were used for ornamentation, not specifically for music. Pa’amon were attached to Aaron’s robe (Exodus 28:33-34; 39:25-26), while metsillah, from the Hebrew for “tinkler,” were used on horses’ bridles «In that day shall there be 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. », (Zechariah 14:20).

Strings

There are several terms in the Old Testament that evidently refer to stringed instruments, but we have few definitive ideas of what they actually were.

Zither: The most commonly mentioned stringed instrument in the Bible is the kinnor. Bible versions call it a “lyre,” “harp,” or “stringed instrument,” but it’s something in between. Together with the pipe, it is one of the first musical instruments mentioned in the Bible «And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. », (Genesis 4:21). The base is solid or hollow with sound holes. The top of the base has two arms that rise to hold a bridge. Strings

The kinnor spanned the space from the bridge to the bottom of the base. It was played by plucking the strings with fingers or a stick. The Old Testament mentions it was used for celebration (2 Samuel 6:5;1 Chronicles 16:5;Nehemiah 12:27;Isaiah 30:32), worship (Psalm 33:2;Psalm 43:4;Psalm 57:8;150:3), and prophecy (1 Samuel 10:5;1 Chronicles 25:1-3;Psalm 49:4). The kinnor was an instrument specified for temple worship (2 Chronicles 9:11;2 Chronicles 29:25).

Harp: The nebel is also frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. Bible versions translate the Hebrew as “harp,” “lyre,” “psaltery,” and “viol.” The word is based on the Hebrew for “skin-bag” or “jar,” which reflects its overall shape. Modern scholars don’t know what it was—whether the strings ran over a soundbox like a zither, from one frame to another like a harp, or both, like a kinnor. Nebel may be a general word for “stringed instrument.” It is often mentioned with the kinnor and for the same purposes. The King James Version’s reading of “viol” is anachronistic, as stringed instruments were plucked or strummed at that time, not drawn across with a bow.

Ten-stringed harp: The nebel asor was some kind of stringed instrument that had ten strings; asor means “ten.” It’s unknown if it was more like a harp or a lute. It was used for worship (Psalm 33:2;Psalm 92:3;Psalm 144:9).

Related to the Hebrew nebel is the Aramaic picanteriyn, translated as “harp” or “psaltery.” It is only mentioned in connSection with the worship of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue «that at what time you hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up: », (Daniel 3:5,7, 10, 15), so it’s probably the Babylonian version of the nebel. The Aramaic word picanteriyn and the Hebrew psanterin are related to the Greek psalterion.

Trigon: The Aramaic sabbka is also only referred to in the episode of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. It seems to be a triangular-shaped instrument, but we don’t know if that means a harp with two arms or a triangular lyre. The King James refers to it as a “sackbut,” which is a type of trombone.

Lyre: The Aramaic qiytharoc is either a harp, lyre, or zither and is only mentioned in Daniel 3. Like picanteriyn, qiytharock is a transliteration of the Greek, in this case, qitaros.

Strings: Finally, the Hebrew men means “part,” as in parting a chord into several strings. Some versions translate it as “strings,” while others say, “stringed instruments.” It is used only once in this context, in Psalm 150:4.