Music in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE

mu'-zik: I. IMPORTANCE 1. The Sole Art Cultivated 2. A Wide Vocabulary of Musical Terms 3. Place in Social and Personal Life 4. Universal Language of Emotions 5. Use in Divine Service 6. Part at Religious Reformations II. THEORY OF MUSIC 1. Dearth of Technical Information 2. Not Necessarily Unimpressive III. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 1. Strings 2. Winds 3. Percussion Instruments LITERATURE I. Importance. That the Hebrews were in ancient times, as they are at the present day, devoted to the study and practice of music is obvious to every reader of the Old Testament. The references to it are numerous, and are frequently of such a nature as to emphasize its importance. They occur not only in the Psalter, where we might expect them, but in the Historical Books and the Prophets, in narratives and in declamations of the loftiest meaning and most intense seriousness. And the conclusion drawn from a cursory glance is confirmed by a closer study. 1. The Sole Art Cultivated: The place held by music in the Old Testament is unique. Besides poetry, it is the only art that Art seems to have been cultivated to any extent in ancient Israel. Painting is entirely, sculpture almost entirely, ignored. This may have been due to the prohibition contained in the Second Commandment, but the fidelity with which that was obeyed is remarkable. 2. A Wide Vocabulary of Musical Terms: From the traces of it extant in the Old Testament, we can infer that the vocabulary of musical terms was far from scanty. This is all the more significant when we consider the condensed and pregnant nature of Hebrew. "Song" in our English Versions of the Bible represents at least half a dozen words in the original. 3. Place in Social and Personal Life: The events, occasions, and occupations with which music was associated were extremely varied. It accompanied leave- taking with honored guests (Gen 31:27); celebrated a signal triumph over the nation's enemies (Ex 15:20); and welcomed conquerors returning from victory (Jdg 11:34; 1 Sam 18:6). It was employed to exorcise an evil spirit (1 Sam 18:10), and to soothe temper, or excite the inspiration, of a prophet (2 Ki 3:15). The words "Destroy not" in the titles of four of the Psalms (compare Isa 65:8) most probably are the beginning of a vintage-song, and the markedly rhythmical character of Hebrew music would indicate that it accompanied and lightened many kinds of work requiring combined and uniform exertion. Processions, as e.g. marriages (1 Macc 9:39) and funerals (2 Ch 35:25), were regulated in a similar way. The Psalms headed "Songs of Degrees" were probably the sacred marches sung by the pious...