Shiggaion

We meet with this word (Habakkuk 3: 1.) and in the title of the seventh Psalm. Some read it Shigionoth, which makes it plural; the word is the same. Some suppose it means a Song of David. But as both prophets, David and Habakkuk, are celebrating things of higher moment than what relates to themselves, I cannot but be led to believe the word itself hath a reference, and the Scriptures connected with this title, to the Lord Jesus Christ. See Musician.

Psa 7:1-17, title, and SHIGGIONOTH, Hab 3:1 ; probably song, or song of praise; perhaps some particular species of ode.\par

Shigga’ion. Psa 7:1. A particular kind of psalm, the specific character of which is now not known; perhaps a "wild, mournful ode."

From shaagah, "erred." An erratic melody betokening excitement and agitation (Ewald). Hengstenberg refers it to the subject of the psalms, "the aberrations of the wicked" (Hab 3:1). In consonance with this the Hebrew root of Shiggaion occurs in Saul’s address to David (1Sa 26:21), "behold I have played the fool and erred exceedingly" (compare Psa 119:21; Psa 119:118). Psalm 7 refers to David’s being accused by Saul (the Benjamite, Cush the Ethiopian unchangeably black at heart toward David: Jer 13:23; Amo 9:7; Cush similar to Kish, Saul’s father) of plotting evil against him, whereas he returned good for evil in sparing Saul his deadly foe, when in his power (1Sa 24:7); "concerning the words" i.e. on account of the calumnies which men uttered against David to ingratiate themselves with the king, and which Saul gave ear to (1Sa 24:9; 1Sa 26:19). These David rebuts (Psa 7:3-5).

SHIGGAION.—See Psalms, p. 772^a.

shi-gā´yon, shi-gı́´on (שׂגּיון, shiggāyōn): Occurs in the title of Ps 7, and, in the plural, in the verse introducing Habakkuk’s prayer (Hab 3:1). Derived from a verb meaning “to wander,” it is generally taken to mean a dithyramb, or rhapsody. This is not supported by the Greek VSS, but they are evidently quite at a loss. See PSALMS, BOOK OF.