Psalms with instruments?

Eric Weiss eweiss at gte.net
Mon Jul 13 11:36:21 EDT 1998


I CAME across this definition of "Psalm":

The term "psalm" comes from the Greek word psalmos, which meant the
twanging or sounding of chords on a musical instrument, and was the term
used by the LXX translators for the Hebrew word mizmor, which seems to
have signified a song or hymn sung to the accompaniment of a stringed
instrument. The word "Psalter," which is often used to designate the
collection comes from the Greek word psalterion meaning "a stringed
instrument." These last titles imply that some psalms were sung and
accompanied by instrumental music.

In Ephesians 5:19 Paul states:

LALOUNTES  hEAUTOIS  EN  YALMOIS  KAI  hUMNOIS  KAI  WiDAIS
PNEUMATIKAIS,  AiDONTES  KAI  YALLONTES  THi  KARDIA  hUMWN  TWi
KURIWi.

and in Colossians 3:16 he states:

... EN  PASHi  SOFIAi  DIDASKONTES  KAI  VOUQETOUNTES  hEAUTOUS,
YALMOIS  hUMNOIS  WiDAIS  PNEUMATIKAIS  EN  THi  CARITI  AiDONTES  EN
TAIS  KARDIAIS  hUMWN  TWi  QEWi.

Do the YALMOIS in both verses and the YALLONTES in the Ephesians passage
imply that musical instruments were used?

(P.S. I'm not arguing for or against the usage of instruments in the NT
church as some denominations do - I just want to know what the Greeks
says or implies.)

--
Eric S. Weiss
http://home1.gte.net/eweiss/index.htm
eweiss at gte.net
S.D.G.





More information about the B-Greek mailing list