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 musical 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 instruments" is uncommon (Psalms 45:8). Various sizes and shapes of wood frames were made to hold strings of dried animal 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 instruments, 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).