[B-Greek] New to list - a question

Brent Hudson brent at riveroflifembchurch.com
Wed Sep 17 10:22:06 EDT 2003


BAGD states that YALLW was still used in the sense of 'pluck' or 'play' (a stringed instrument) in the 2nd century AD (Lucian, Parasite 17).  Josephus' Antiquities 11.67 uses YALLW for instrumental music.  I only state this to moderate your claim that ..."YALLW is used of vocal music only (w/o accompinament of instruments)".  

As for ADW, this word is used in Ex 15.21 (LXX).  Here Miriam is using the tambourine while she implores the people "AISWMEN TWi KURIWi..."

Anyhow, it doesn't seem to violate either word to be used in conjunction with musical instruments.  It seems to me that the reason the early church avoided musical accompaniment was due to synagogue traditions and the desire to be distinct from the mystery cults of the time (cf., Victor Matthews, "Music in the NT" ABD, 4:934).  

Brent Hudson


*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 9/17/2003 at 6:37 AM B. Keith Brumley wrote:

>Greetings,
> 
>I'm new to the list. I took nearly 4 years of NT Greek in undergrad school
>and while I've used my Greek in my ministry these last 10 years, I feel
>the need to brush up on grammar, syntax, etc. So, I've "joined" and look
>forward to learning.
> 
>I have a question as well. I'm studying the topic of music in the early
>church at the moment. In Eph. 5:19 and Col. 3:16 two words are used; YALLW
>and ADW (in participle form). In Eph. both are used, and in Col. just ADW
>is used. 
> 
>Some scholars indicate that YALLW is used of vocal music only (w/o
>accompinament of instruments), however, it appears the ADW can be used
>when accompinament is involved (i.e., Rev. 5:8-9; Rev. 14:2-3; Rev.
>15:2-3). 
> 
>My question: Is ADW used in the time frame of  1 BC-1AD in the sense of
>"to sing" with instruments? Has anyone done any work on diachronic
>analysis of these words and the shades of meaning possible (esp. in first
>century AD)?
> 
>Keith Brumley
>Hillsdale, MI 
>
>
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