Psalms 150:4 — Word Study
WLCהַֽ֭לְלוּהוּ בְתֹ֣ף וּמָח֑וֹל הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בְּמִנִּ֥ים וְעוּגָֽב׃
BSAPraise Himhâlal [with joyful shouting, to shine] with tambourinetôph [and flute, or timbrel] and dancingmâchôwl [in a circle, with celebration] praise Himhâlal [to celebrate, with music] with stringsmên [and corded instruments, or harp] and fluteʻûwgâb [or pipe, a musical instrument]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַֽ֭לְלוּהוּ | praise him | Verb piel imperative second person masculine plural, suffix |
| בְתֹ֣ף | with tambourine | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וּמָח֑וֹל | and dancing | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ | praise him | Verb piel imperative second person masculine plural, suffix |
| בְּמִנִּ֥ים | with stringed instruments | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| וְעוּגָֽב׃ | and flute | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute. |
| KJV | Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. |
| ASV | Praise him with timbrel and dance: Praise him with stringed instruments and pipe. |
| YLT | Praise Him with timbrel and dance, Praise Him with stringed instruments and organ. |
| WEB | Praise him with tambourine and dancing! Praise him with stringed instruments and flute! |
| BBE | Give him praise with instruments of brass and in the dance: give him praise with horns and corded instruments. |
All translations agree on the rendering of הַֽ֭לְלוּהוּ as praise Him.
The structure features two main clauses, each detailing different instruments used in praise, emphasizing the variety of expressions in worship.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 150:4
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Conclusion of the Psalmsgenerated
Psalms 150:4 is part of a vibrant call to worship, emphasizing the joy and celebration found in praising God. This psalm encourages the use of musical instruments and dance as expressions of worship, reflecting a communal spirit of celebration. The surrounding verses invite praise with various instruments, culminating in a call for all living beings to praise the Lord, as seen in Psalms 150:6.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 15:20 | Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing. |
| 2 | Psalm 149:3 | Let them praise His name with dancing, and make music to Him with tambourine and harp. |
| 3 | Psalm 33:2 | Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to Him with ten strings. |
| 4 | Psalm 92:3 | with the ten-stringed harp and the melody of the lyre. |
| 5 | Psalm 144:9 | I will sing to You a new song, O God; on a harp of ten strings I will make music to You— |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הַֽ֭לְלוּהוּ, Ha.lu.hugenerated
The Hebrew word הָלַל (halal) is a primitive root that encompasses the meanings of shining, boasting, and celebrating. In Psalms 150:4, it is used in the imperative form, calling the community to actively praise God.
This word carries the idea of making a joyful noise, often in a way that may seem foolish or exuberant, which aligns with the celebratory nature of the psalm. The repetition of the command to praise reinforces the importance of worship in community.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree on the rendering of הַֽ֭לְלוּהוּ as praise Him, emphasizing the communal aspect of worship.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of two main clauses, both starting with the imperative הַֽ֭לְלוּהוּ (praise Him), indicating a direct call to action. Each clause lists different instruments used in the act of praise, creating a rhythmic and parallel structure.
The use of conjunctions connects the various instruments, highlighting the diversity of ways to express worship, while the parallelism enhances the celebratory tone of the psalm.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הַֽ֭לְלוּהוּ as αὐτὸν, which means Him. This choice reflects the direct call to praise God, maintaining the imperative nature of the original Hebrew.
In the LXX, the instruments are rendered with terms that suggest a similar celebratory context, reinforcing the theme of joyous worship.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 150:4 calls for praise to God using tambourines and dance, as well as stringed instruments and flutes. This verse emphasizes the joy of worship and the various ways to celebrate God's greatness through music and movement.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Musical instruments enhance the expression of joy and celebration in worship, as seen throughout the Psalms.
Dancing symbolizes joy and communal celebration, reflecting the exuberance of worshiping God.
Using a tambourine in worship signifies lively praise and is often associated with celebration and joy.
This verse echoes themes found in other psalms that encourage joyful worship with music, highlighting the importance of community in praising God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I express my praise to God through music or dance?
- How do the different instruments mentioned enhance the idea of worship in this psalm?
- What role does community play in our worship practices today?
- How can I incorporate joyful celebration into my personal worship?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers like Origen and Augustine reflect on the significance of music and dance in worship, interpreting this verse as an expression of joy and transformation.
The timbrel represents the death of fleshly desire because of honesty itself. Dancing is the agreement of reasonable spirits all saying the same thing and in which there are no divisions.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 150 →
"Praise Him in the timbrel and choir" [Psalms 150:4]. The "timbrel" praises God when the flesh is now changed, so that there is in it no weakness of earthly corruption.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 150 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 150:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BiblePraise him with the timbrel and dance,.... Or "pipe" (u); [See comments on Psalms 149:3]; praise him with stringed instruments; or divers "kinds" (w) of instruments not named, as R.
Read John Gill on Psalms 150 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryPraise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him with the timbrel and dance - (Psalms 149:3.) The timbrel accompanied the dance (Exodus 15:20; Psalms 68:25).
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 150 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 150:4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.Ver. 4. Praise him with the timbrel and dance] Or, pipe. But these are ancient things (as it is said in another case, 1 Chronicles 4:22), and now out of date. When the use of these musical instruments crept into the Christian Churches (which was not till lately) great abuses crept in with it; the preaching of the word was changed into songs and anthems, little understood by those that sang them, and that grave and simple psalmody or singing of psalms (so much used of old and by this blessed Reformation restored to the Church) was jostled out, or rather turned in turpissimum lenocinium (as one…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 150 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(4) Timbrel and dance.—See Psalms 149:3. Stringed instruments.—Minnîm. Literally, parts, so threads, so here, as in LXX. and Vulg., “with” or “on strings.” (See Note, Psalms 45:9.) Organs.—Heb., ‘ugab, which has been variously identified with the syrinx, or Pan’s pipes, of the Greeks, with the “bagpipe,” and even with a rude instrument embodying the principle of the modern organ. (See Bible Educator, 2:70, 183, 229.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 150 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 4. Praise him with the timbrel] תף toph, drum, tabret, or tomtom, or tympanum of the ancients; a skin stretched over a broad hoop; perhaps something like the tambarine. Anglo-Saxon; [A.S.] the glad pipe. Taburne; Old Psalter. And dance] מחול machol, the pipe. The croude or crowthe: Old Psalter; a species of violin. It never means dance; See Clarke on Psalms 149:3. Crwth signifies a fiddle in Welsh. Stringed instruments] מנים minnim. This literally signifies strings put in order; perhaps a triangular kind of hollow instrument on which the strings were regularly placed, growing shorter and shorter till they came to a point. This would give a variety of sounds, from a deep bass to a high…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 150 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges4. with the timbrel and dance] See on Psalms 149:3. The P.B.V. cymbals seems to be a slip of Coverdale’s, which was not corrected in the Great Bible, as he renders tôph correctly by tabret, i.e. a small drum, in Psalms 149:3. with stringed instruments and pipes] The word minnîm, ‘stringed instruments,’ occurs in Psalms 45:8 (R.V.): the ugâbh, mentioned in Genesis 4:21; Job 21:12; Job 30:31, was probably the syrinx or Pan’s-pipes, a wind instrument consisting of a collection of reeds or pipes. See Stainer, Music of the Bible, Ch. vi. The two terms may include string and wind instruments generally, as “harp and pipe” in Genesis 4:21; and as the words are not elsewhere used in connexion with…
Read Cambridge on Psalms 150 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BiblePraise him with the timbrel - Hebrew, תף tôph. See this described in the notes at Isaiah 5:12.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 150 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible4. Dance—A translation of doubtful propriety. The word in the text and in Psalms 149:3, stands classified as a musical instrument, and is translated “pipe” in the margin of our English Bible.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 150 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute.
Praise him with tambourine and dancing! Praise him with stringed instruments and flute!
Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute.
Praise him with the tambourine and with dancing! Praise him with stringed instruments and the flute!
Tyndale line
Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
Praise him with timbrel and dance: Praise him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and the pipe.
Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
Prayse ye him with timbrell and flute: praise ye him with virginales and organs.
Strictly literal
Praise him with the tambour and dance; praise him with stringed instruments and the pipe;
Praise Him with timbrel and dance, Praise Him with stringed instruments and organ.
Praise Him with timbrel and dance, || Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise him with tambourines and dancing; praise him with stringed instruments and wind instruments.
From the Latin
Praise him with timbrel and choir: praise him with strings and organs.
Simplified
Praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with strings and flutes!
Give him praise with instruments of brass and in the dance: give him praise with horns and corded instruments.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint align closely, with all six words matched in the Hebrew and Greek versions. The Dead Sea Scrolls also support the text, with minor restorations indicating consistency in the worship practices described.
הַֽ֭לְלוּהוּ בְתֹ֣ף וּמָח֑וֹל הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בְּמִנִּ֥ים וְעוּגָֽב׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
הללו׳הו בתוף ומחול הללו׳הו במנים ועוגב
6 words on the leather.
הלל׳הו בתף ומחול הלל׳הו במנים ועוגב
3 words on the leather — 3 partly restored.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 150:4
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word הָלַל (halal) is a primitive root that encompasses meanings related to shining, boasting, and foolishness. It can signify to praise or celebrate, often in a clamorously foolish manner, and includes the idea of making a boast or being made a fool of. The entries indicate a range of uses, from expressing God's favor to acting madly.
[הָלַל] vb. shine
Qal when it, viz. his lamp, shone upon my head, fig. of God’s favour.
Hiph. flash forth light
base
[הָלַל] vb. be boastful, Pi. praise
Qal be boastful
Pi.
praise man or woman
usually praise י׳
appar. boast, make one’s boast
Pu. be praised
Hithpa. glory, boast, make one’s boast
Po‛el make into a fool, make a fool of
Po‛al of laughter I said, It is mad (folly)
Hithpo. act madly, or like a madman
base
H1984a הָלַל shine H1984b הָלַל be boastful, Pi. praise H1984c הָלַל be boastful, Pi. praise .be boastful
. . praise man or woman
. usually praise י׳
. appar. boast, make one’s boast
. be praised
. glory, boast, make one’s boast
.make into a fool, make a fool of
.of laughter I said, It is mad (folly)
. act madly, or like a madman
1984 halal haw-lal'
a primitive root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of
color); to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to
be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate;
also to stultify:--(make) boast (self), celebrate, commend,
(deal, make), fool(- ish, -ly), glory, give (light), be (make,
feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, (sing, be worthy
of) praise, rage, renowned, shine.
הָלַל (ha.lal) — to shine.
1) to shine
1a) (Qal) to shine (fig. of God's favour)
1b) (Hiphil) to flash forth light
הָלַל (ha.lal) — to boast: praise.
: praise
1) to praise, boast, be boastful
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be boastful
1a2) boastful ones, boasters (participle)
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to praise
1b2) to boast, make a boast
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to be praised, be made praiseworthy, be commended, be worthy of praise
1d) (Hithpael) to boast, glory, make one's boast
הָלַל (ha.lal) — to be foolish.
1) (Poel) to make a fool of, make into a fool
1f) (Hithpoel) to act madly, act like a madman
הָלַל (ha.lal) — to boast: boast.
: boast
1) to praise, boast, be boastful
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be boastful
1a2) boastful ones, boasters (participle)
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to praise
1b2) to boast, make a boast
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to be praised, be made praiseworthy, be commended, be worthy of praise
V-Piel-Impv-2mp | Suff — Verb piel imperative second person masculine plural · suffixHVpv2mp/Sp3ms
תֹּף (toph) refers to a tambourine or timbrel, a percussion instrument. The entries indicate it is a contracted form of another Hebrew word, but do not provide further details on its usage or context in the Old Testament.
תֹּף n.m. timbrel, tambourine
base
H8596 תֹּף timbrel, tambourine
8596 toph tofe
from 8608 contracted; a tambourine:--tabret, timbrel.
see HEBREW for 08608
תֹּף (toph) — tambourine.
timbrel, tambourine
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
→ See TIMBREL
מָחוֹל (machowl) refers to a round dance or dancing. It is derived from the root word meaning to dance. The entries consistently emphasize its connection to dance without significant disagreement among the lexicons.
מָחוֹל n.m. dance
base
H4234 מָחוֹל
4234 machowl maw-khole'
from 2342; a (round) dance:--dance(-cing).
see HEBREW for 02342
מָחוֹל (ma.chol) — dance.
dance, dancing
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
dan'-sing. See GAMES.
The Hebrew word signified "to leap for joy," Ps 30:11; and the action of the lame man healed by Peter and John, Ac 3:8, more nearly resembled the Hebrew dancing than the measured artificial steps of modern times do. The Jewish dances were expressive of religious joy and gratitude. Sometimes they were in honor of a conqueror, as in the case of David, 1Sa 18:6,7; when he had slain the Philistine giant, "the women came out all the cities of Israel singing and dancing." It was practiced on occasions of domestic joy. See the case of the prodigal son’s return. In the religious dance, the timbrel was used to direct the ceremony, and some one led, whom the rest followed with measured step and devotional songs; thus Miriam led the women…
The Hebrew word הָלַל (halal) is a primitive root that encompasses meanings related to shining, boasting, and foolishness. It can signify to praise or celebrate, often in a clamorously foolish manner, and includes the idea of making a boast or being made a fool of. The entries indicate a range of uses, from expressing God's favor to acting madly.
[הָלַל] vb. shine
Qal when it, viz. his lamp, shone upon my head, fig. of God’s favour.
Hiph. flash forth light
base
[הָלַל] vb. be boastful, Pi. praise
Qal be boastful
Pi.
praise man or woman
usually praise י׳
appar. boast, make one’s boast
Pu. be praised
Hithpa. glory, boast, make one’s boast
Po‛el make into a fool, make a fool of
Po‛al of laughter I said, It is mad (folly)
Hithpo. act madly, or like a madman
base
H1984a הָלַל shine H1984b הָלַל be boastful, Pi. praise H1984c הָלַל be boastful, Pi. praise .be boastful
. . praise man or woman
. usually praise י׳
. appar. boast, make one’s boast
. be praised
. glory, boast, make one’s boast
.make into a fool, make a fool of
.of laughter I said, It is mad (folly)
. act madly, or like a madman
1984 halal haw-lal'
a primitive root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of
color); to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to
be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate;
also to stultify:--(make) boast (self), celebrate, commend,
(deal, make), fool(- ish, -ly), glory, give (light), be (make,
feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, (sing, be worthy
of) praise, rage, renowned, shine.
הָלַל (ha.lal) — to shine.
1) to shine
1a) (Qal) to shine (fig. of God's favour)
1b) (Hiphil) to flash forth light
הָלַל (ha.lal) — to boast: praise.
: praise
1) to praise, boast, be boastful
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be boastful
1a2) boastful ones, boasters (participle)
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to praise
1b2) to boast, make a boast
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to be praised, be made praiseworthy, be commended, be worthy of praise
1d) (Hithpael) to boast, glory, make one's boast
הָלַל (ha.lal) — to be foolish.
1) (Poel) to make a fool of, make into a fool
1f) (Hithpoel) to act madly, act like a madman
הָלַל (ha.lal) — to boast: boast.
: boast
1) to praise, boast, be boastful
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be boastful
1a2) boastful ones, boasters (participle)
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to praise
1b2) to boast, make a boast
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to be praised, be made praiseworthy, be commended, be worthy of praise
V-Piel-Impv-2mp | Suff — Verb piel imperative second person masculine plural · suffixHVpv2mp/Sp3ms
מֵן (men) refers primarily to a string, particularly of a musical instrument like a harp. It can also denote a portion, as derived from an unused root meaning to apportion. The term appears in contexts related to music, specifically in Psalms, highlighting its connection to stringed instruments.
[מֵן] n.[m.] string (of harp)
base
H4482 מֵן
4482 men mane
from an unused root meaning to apportion; a part; hence, a
musical chord (as parted into strings):--in (the same) (Psalm
68:23), stringed instrument (Psalm 150:4), whereby (Psalm 45:8
(defective plural)).
מֵן (men) — string.
1) string (of harp)
2) (BDB) portion
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHR/Ncmpa
עוּגָב (uwgab) refers to a musical instrument, likely a reed instrument such as a flute or panpipes. It is derived from a root meaning 'breathing' and is associated with the sound produced by wind instruments. The entries consistently identify it as a type of pipe used in music.
עוּגָב n.m. a musical instr.
base
H5748 עוּגָב a musical instr.
5748 `uwgab oo-gawb'
or buggab {oog-gawb'}; from 5689 in the original sense of
breathing; a reed-instrument of music:--organ.
see HEBREW for 05689
עוּגָב (u.gav) — pipe.
1) a musical instrument
1a) perhaps a flute, reed-pipe, or panpipes
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
floot.
See MUSIC.
Flute
A musical instrument, probably composed of a number of pipes, mentioned Dan. 3:5, 7, 10, 15.
In Matt. 9:23, 24, notice is taken of players on the flute, here called “minstrels” (but in R.V. “flute-players”).
Flutes were in common use among the ancient Egyptians.
(1 Kings 1:40) (marg., PIPE), A musical instrument mentioned amongst others, (Daniel 3:5,7,10,15) as used at the worship of the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up. It bore a close resemblance to the modern flute, and was made of reeds, of copper, and other material. It was the principal wind-instrument.
A soft, sweet-toned wind instrument of music. The word flute is used only in Da 3:5,7,10,15, and is supposed to mean a pipe with two reeds, such as are still to be found in the East. It is blown at the end. See MUSIC, PIPE.