What does Psalm 150:4 mean?

Here, the psalmist continues to list instruments which can be applied to worship of God. These are not the only instruments which can be used; the point of this passage is that every possible means of honor and praise should be used—including our own voices (Psalm 150:6). This verse advances a pattern of including all possible forms of musi-cal sound: inanimate objects, human-powered devices, breath-powered ones, and even breath itself.

A "tambourine" (Psalm 81:2) usually means a small, hand-held drum with miniature cymbals or bells attached. This may also be called a "timbrel." The Hebrew words tōp' and taphaph refer to the instrument and its use, respectively.

In Scripture, the word for "strings" or "stringed instru-ments" is uncommon (Psalms 45:8). Various sizes and shapes of wood frames were made to hold strings of dried an-imal gut. Instruments of that era were almost always plucked, with musical bows developing later. Example words seen in English translations are harp, lute, lyre, and psaltery.

A "pipe" is a musical instrument made of a hollow tube, with a series of holes down the length, played by blowing air through the tube (Genesis 4:21). Like stringed instru-ments, these could vary in size, shape, and sound.

Few biblical references to dancing suggest the entertainment-based version used in the modern world (Matthew 14:6), though some mention it as an expression of happiness (Psalm 30:11; Luke 15:25). Most references tie dancing to a spiritual purpose (Exodus 15:20; 1 Chronicles 15:29; Psalm 149:3).