15:1,20; Judges 5:1; 11:34) There were also religious songs. (Isaiah 30:29; James 5:13) Love
songs are alluded to; in (Psalms 45:1) 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.
Musical Instruments Of The Hebrews
(There has been great obscurity as to the instruments of music in use among the Hebrews, but
the discoveries on the monuments of Egypt and Assyria have thrown much light upon the form and
nature of these instruments. I. STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.—
•The harp or lyre. [See illustration]
•The psaltery, the name of various large instruments of the harp kind.
•The sackbut, a harp-like instrument of four strings and of triangular form.
•A kind of lute or guitar (mahalath), in titles to (Psalms 53:1) and Psal 88:1 With a long, flat neck,
and a hollow body of wood whose surface was perforated with holes. There were three strings,
end the whole instrument was three or four feet long.
•The gittith, in titles to (Psalms 8:1; 81:1; 84:1) a stringed instrument, probably found by David st
Gath, whence its name. II. INSTRUMENTS OF PERCUSSION.
•The timbrel, a form of tambourine, a narrow hoop covered with a tightened skin, and struck with
the hand on the Egyptian monuments are three kinds—the circular, the square, and another formed
by two squares separated by a bar.
•The drum (toph). Of this there were many varieties, some of them resembling modern drums. The
Egyptians had along drum, of wood or copper, 2 1/2 feet long, resembling the tom-tom of India,
and beaten by the hand. Another form was shaped like a cask with bulging centre, and was made
of copper. It was of the same length as the other, but larger around, and was beaten with sticks.
Another drum was more like our kettledrum; and one of these, the rabbins say, was placed in the
temple court to the priests to prayer, and could be heard from Jerusalem to Jericho.
•Bells (paanton), attached to the high priest’s dress, and rung by striking against the knobs, shaped
like pomegranates, which were hung near them.
•Cymbals. The earliest cymbals were probably finger cymbals -small plates of metal fastened to
the thumb and middle finger, and struck together. Afterward there were the large cymbals, played
with both hands.
•Systra (menaanim), (2 Samuel 6:5) there translated comets. The systrum was a carved bronze or
copper frame, with a handle, in all from 8 to 18 inches long, with movable rings and bars. It was
shaken with the hand, and the rings and bars made a piercing metallic sound by striking against
the bronze frame.
•The triangle (shalishim), (1 Samuel 18:6) a musical instrument (machol) used for accompanying
the dance, and several times translated dancing. (Psalms 150:3,45) It was a metallic rim or frame
sometimes with a handle and had small bells attached to it, or bars across on which were strung
metallic rings or plates. It was held in the hand, and was played by the women at weddings and
merry-makings. III. WIND INSTRUMENTS.—
•The syrinx, pandean pipe or bagpipe (ugab); translated “organ” in (Genesis 4:21) Either like the
bagpipe, or a series of pipes from 5 to 23 in number, though usually only 7.
•The horn,in the form of an animal’s horn even when made of metal but originating in the use of
the horns of cattle.
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(Frankie)
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