Song and Singers, Melodies and Musicians

In order unlock the hidden music of the Psalm manuscripts, it is critical to understand how the Hebrew texts handle technical terms relating to music. One of the primary problems in the understanding of the musical system utilized by David and the Levites is the misinterpretation of and subsequent mistranslation of one simple word derived from the Hebrew root zmr. Unlike English, the Hebrew language of the Bible makes a much more defined distinction made between things relating to the vocal aspects of music (i.e., songs and singers) and the things relating to the instrumental aspects of music (i.e., compositions, melodies, and musicians).

VOCAL ASPECTS
     In Hebrew, words relating to the vocal aspect of music (e.g., song, sing and singers etc.) are derived from a common root, the Hebrew word sher (basically meaning song) and are handled very much in the same manner as in English.

• SONG, noun - a defined sequence of words (lyrics) sung (i.e., spoken on pitch) to a defined or improvised sequence of tones (i.e., a melody)
• To SING, verb - the physical act of vocalizing a song
• SINGERS, noun - a person who sings a song
• One of the SONGS - (prefixed with the Hebrew particle preposition min)

English	Reference	Transliteration	Hebrew
SONG - n., sing., m	Psalm 96:1	sher
SING - v., imperative	Psalm 96:1	she'-ru
SINGERS - n., pl., m.	Psalm 68:25	shä-rem'
Example prefixed with the particle preposition min
One of the SONGS	Psalm 137:3	me-sher'

For complete listing see Concordance: Words derived from the Hebrew root sher.

INSTRUMENTAL ASPECTS
     On the other side of the coin, words relating to the instrumental aspects of music (e.g., melody, to play, etc.) are derived in Hebrew from the root zmr - basically meaning melody and the root ngn meaning string player, to play specifically a string instrument, etc.

• MELODY, noun - a defined or improvised sequence of tones
• To MELODY, verb - the physical act of playing a melody (alt. to play)
• MELODYISTS, noun - a person who plays a melody
• One of the MELODIES - (prefixed with the Hebrew particle preposition min)

English	Reference	Transliteration	Hebrew
MELODY - n., sing., f.	Psalm 98:5	zem-rä'
MELODY - v., imperative	Psalm 98:5	zä-ma-ru'
MELODYISTS	Ezra 7:24	zä-mä-rä-yä'
Example prefixed with the particle preposition min
One of the MELODIES	Psalm 4:1	mez-mor'

For complete listing see Concordance: Words derived from the Hebrew root zmr.

     In the Biblical Hebrew, the following is expressed (Hebrew roots used to express the thought are [italicized]).

• singers [sher] can sing [sher] a song [sher]
  (a song [sher] consisting of words [dbr] sung [sher] to a melody [zmr]
• a singer [sher] can sing [sher] a melody [zmr]
• a musician [zmr] can play [zmr] a melody [zmr], but cannot play [zmr] a song [sher]

     Understanding the manner in which the Hebrew thought handles these two types of musical areas is very important when considering the material in the Biblical texts. The verbiage is a bit awkward in the English language, but the thought implied by the Biblical Hebrew is expressed below:

a singer (noun) sings (verb) a song (noun), a musician (noun ) melodys (verb) a melody (noun )

     The reason the phrase to melody (derived from the Hebrew root zmr) is more correct in a translation than the phrase to play (derived from the Hebrew root ngn) is that in Biblical Hebrew, the translated phrase to play (derived from the Hebrew root (ngn) is specifically related to string instruments like the harp and lyre and applies to all aspects of performance including both the playing of melody and the playing of chords while the phrase to melody (derived from the Hebrew root zmr) specifically relates to the playing of a melody by any instrument and is not restricted to the strings. So what exactly is a melody?

English	Reference	Transliteration	Hebrew
To PLAY - a string instrument	1 Samuel 16:18	nä-gën'
STRING PLAYER	Samuel 16:16	ma-nä-gën'
STRING INSTRUMENTS	Psalm 4:1	na-ge-not'

For complete listing see Concordance: Words derived from the Hebrew root ngn.

     In a very profound sense, all understanding of the world around us consists of learned, repeating patterns that are recognized and are able to be recalled by the brain. Thoughts, ideas, philosophies and religions are all collections of repeated patterns that we have individually assimilated throughout our limited lifespan. In the written language; specific sequences of letters form words which in turn form sentences, paragraphs, books, etc. In the spoken language; repeating sounds form words, sentences and so on. Even the signed language of the hearing impaired consists of specific hand gestures that are recognized and understood. The language of music is no different.
      The simplest and most important of these repeating sequences in music is what we call the melody (i.e., a repeating sequence of tonal sounds). An expanded definition of a melody in relation to the Hebrew texts would more correctly be stated as a "defined or improvised sequence of plucked strings." The melody is the musical subject of a composition, the main theme we sing with the voice, the motif we play with an instrument and the tune we remember. There is even a rarely used English word, melodyist, that closely implies this thought as expressed in the original Hebrew of someone who plays melodies.
      What is most interesting as a guitarist is the etymology of the word for melody in Hebrew. The Hebrew root zmr is apparently derived from the physical act of removing a clump of grapes from the vine with an implement referred to in the Scriptures as a pruning hook (Leviticus 25:3-4, Isaiah 5:6). This tool, held with the fingers of the hand, was placed at the base of the clump of grapes to be removed and pulled towards the thumb thus cutting the stem and freeing the cluster of grapes for harvest.
      After building and playing both the Hebrew harp and the lyre, I found that the hand technique used to pluck a string on these types of instruments was similar to that of the pruning hook scenario above - a string is plucked by pulling the finger placed on a string towards the thumb, like the removing of a grape cluster with the pruning hook. This method of plucking a string is also similar to the technique used by modern harp players, upright bass players (when playing pizzicato), and the finger-style or classical technique used by many guitarists.
      From this basic idea of plucking the strings, the application of the root zmr is expanded (like the Hebrew word for song) into the various aspects of melody, melodyist, and to melody. All of this being said, even through the phrase to melody is the most appropriate translation for verbs derived from the Hebrew root zmr (not sing praise), the phrase to play is an acceptable, although a bit general translation into the English language.
      With the exception of only a few aggressive translations like The Jerusalem Bible and the New World Translation of the Bible, you unfortunately will not find the later references to the instrumental aspect of the Hebrew texts included in traditional English translations. As would be expected, many of the occurrences that relate to music are found within 1st and 2nd Chronicles and the Psalm manuscripts. It is within these texts that we have the majority of information relating to the musical system of the Levites along with many of the works they performed. In these texts, the words derived from zmr are often translated with variations of sing praises, sing psalms, etc. and not the sense to melody as the original Hebrew implies. The sing praise translations are a nice sentiment, but one not expressed in the original Hebrew. In fact the phrase sing praise, which could have been easily expressed in Hebrew as: she'-ru ta-he-lä' (i.e., sing praise) is not found anywhere within the Hebrew Scriptures. The closest phrase to this sentiment; "song of praise" (sher ta-he-lä') occurs only one time in Nehemiah 12:46.
      Applying the corrected translation to the various texts in which words derived from the Hebrew root zmr are found, we can see more clearly the contrasting understanding that was apparently intended for the reader by the original writers of the texts. The following (shown with comparative parallel versions) are but a few of many, many examples:

     In the corrected examples above, the English translation is very straightforward and makes total sense in relation to the context of the verbiage found within these verses. If you also compare similar Hebrew texts in which the phrase your Name is used, you can see that the translators also added the words to and unto to the phrase your Name when translating the following examples:

Traditional King James and Jewish Publication Society Translations
"...I will sing praise to Thy name,...:" - Psalm 9:2 (9:3 JPS)
"... will I sing praise unto Thy name..." - Psalm 61:8 (61:9 JPS)

     However, when you compare the syntax used within the Biblical texts in conjunction with this phrase and other similar phrases in which the phrase your Name is used (see below), it is evident that the use of to and unto by the translators in the above examples is an insertion and not in the actual texts themselves.

Comparison syntax - I will xxx your Name

     In contrast to the above examples, in Psalm 140:13 we see how the Hebrew handles the phase to your Name. In this example below, the lamed (a particle preposition meaning to is attached to the beginning of the word shem-hä' - your Name) and is corrected translated by everyone as to your Name.

Psalm 140:13 (140:13 JPS) - KJV and JPS
"Surely the righteous they shall give thanks to your Name"
(äk tsä-da-kem' yo-du' lesh-ma'-chä)

lesh-ma'-chä	yo-du'	tsä-da-kem'	äk
to your Name	they shall give thanks	the righteous	surely

     In defense of the early translators, there are however many other Scriptures in the Psalm manuscripts that utilize forms of the Hebrew root zmr that at first glance make no sense with the translation of to play or to melody being applied. One of these examples is Psalm 66:4.

     In Psalm 66:4 above, we can see that the writer was making a statement that they would be able to melody (or in a more traditional sense) play the Name of God. Were they literally able to play the Name of God or was this just some form of literary metaphor? Let's see...

They will play your Name!