Psalm 150:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!

NIV: Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,

NASB: Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre.

CSB: Praise him with trumpet blast; praise him with harp and lyre.

NLT: Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp!

KJV: Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.

NKJV: Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp!

The psalm began with a call for praise (Psalm 150:1), rooted in the Lord's incredible magnitude and powerful acts (Psalm 150:2). The rest of the song poetically lists instruments which can be used to worship Him. This list is not a prescription: it does not imply that other instruments cannot be used. Rather, the psalmist's point is that everything—including our voices—should be used in our effort to praise God. The list makes a symbolic inclusion of every type of music, from inanimate objects to vital breath.

In Hebrew, two common instrument names are nē'bel and kinnor'. Either of these may be translated as "harp" or "lute." Some translations use the term "lyre," as well. Both would have been relatively small frames used to stretch strings, which were plucked to make music (1 Chronicles 25:1; Revelation 5:8).

A "trumpet" is the Hebrew sopār'. This typically refers to a ram's horn; the traditional curved horn is often given the English label "shofar" (Joshua 6:4; 1 Samuel 13:3; 2 Samuel 6:15; Joel 2:15). The priests and Levites employed this instrument.

Psalm 150:3–6 lists many of the ways in which God's people can praise Him. This includes all manner of in-struments as well as one's own voice. The psalmist calls on everything alive (Genesis 1:30; Isaiah 42:5) to join in this unified worship of the Lord God. This supports the idea that Scripture calls on mankind to use instruments and music "in general," and does not prohibit instruments not explicitly named in the Bible.

This song uses a poetic form of repetition, calling for worship of the Lord. God should be praised for His attributes and mira-cles. All forms of instruments and singing should be included in this celebration. This psalm begins and ends with the He-brew phrase often translated into English as "hallelujah!"

This song completes the biblical collection of psalms, which traditionally has five divisions. These are Psalm 1—41, 42—72, 73—89, 90—106, and 107—150. Each "book" division ends with an exclama-tion of praise (41:13; 72:18–19; 89:52; 106:48). The last five songs of this "book" each begin and end with the term halelu-yāh, literally meaning "praise the Lord!" The text broadly describes all manner of instruments, indicating that worshipful praise can take many forms and styles.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 5/11/2025 12:03:37 PM