ψάλλω; future ψαλῶ; (from ψάω, to rub, wipe; to handle, touch (but cf. Curtius, p. 730)); a. to pluck off, pull out: ἐθειραν, the hair, Aeschylus Pers. 1062. b. to cause to vibrate by touching, to twang: τόξων νευράς χειρί, Euripides, Bacch. 784; specifically, χορδήν, to touch or strike the chord, to twang the strings of a musical instrument so that they gently vibrate (Aristotle, probl. 19, 23 (p. 919b, 2)); and absolutely, to play on a stringed instrument, to play the harp, etc.: Aristotle, Plutarch, Aratus (in Plato, Lysias, p. 209 b. with καί κρούειν τῷ πλήκτρω added (but not as explanatory of it; the Schol. at the passage says ψῆλαι, τό ἄνευ πληκτρου τῷ δακτύλῳ τάς χορδας ἐπάφασθαι); it is distinguished from κιθαρίζειν in Herodotus 1, 155); the Sept. for πΔπΕο and much more often for ζΔξΕΜψ; to sing to the music of the harp; in the N. T. to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song, Jas_5:13 (R. V. sing praise); τῷ κυρίῳ, τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ (often so in the Sept.), in honor of God, Eph_5:19 (here A. V. making melody); Rom_15:9; ψαλῶ τῷ πνεύματι, ψαλῶ δέ καί τῷ νοι<, 'I will sing God's praises indeed with my whole soul stirred and borne away by the Holy Spirit, but I will also follow reason as my guide, so that what I sing may be understood alike by myself and by the listeners', 1Co_14:15.

ψάλλω psallō 5x to move by a touch, to twitch; to touch, strike the strings or chords of an instrument; absol. to play on a stringed instrument; to sing to music; in NT to sing praises, Rom_15:9 ; 1Co_14:15 ; Eph_5:19 ; Jas_5:13 * sing.

ψάλλω , [in LXX chiefly for H2167 pi . ( Jdg_5:3 , Psa_7:17 , al. ), also for H5059 pi . ( 1Sa_16:16 ff , al. );] 1. to pull, twitch, twang (as a bowstring, etc.; Ζsch ., Eur ., al .), hence, 2. absol. , (a) to play a stringed instrument with the fingers ( Hdt ., Plat ., al. ); (b) later, to sing to a harp, sing psalms ( LXX ); in NT, to sing a hymn, sing praise: Jas_5:13 ; c. dat. pers ., Rom_15:9 ( LXX ), Eph_5:19 ; dat . instr., 1Co_14:15 .†

ψάλλω [page 697] properly = play on a harp, but in the NT, as in Jas. 5:13, = sing a hymn : cf. Syll 523 ( = .3 578) .18 (ii/B.C.) διδάξει . . . κιθαρίζειν ἢ ψάλλειν , Pelagia-Legenden p. 14 .23 ἤρξατο ψάλλειν τὴν τρίτην [ὥραν , and Menander Ἐπιτρέπ . 260 ἔψαλλον κόραις . See s.v. ψαλμός . MGr ψάλλω , ψέλνω , sing.

ψάλλω [Etym: ψάω] "to touch sharply, to pluck, pull, twitch", Aesch. ; τόξου νευρὰν ψ. "to twang" the bow-string, Eur. ; βέλος ἐκ κέραος ψ. "to send" a shaft "twanging" from the bow, Anth. ; so, σχοῖνος μιλτοφυρὴς ψαλλομένη a carpenter's red line, which "is twitched" and then suddenly let go, so as to leave a mark, id=Anth. "to play" a stringed instrument "with the fingers", not with the plectron, Hdt. , Ar. , Plat. later, "to sing to a harp, sing", NTest.

ψάλλω [in LXX chiefly for זָמַר pi. (Jdg.5:3, Psa.7:17, al.), also for נָגַן pi. (1Ki.16:16 ff, al.) ;] __1. to pull, twitch, twang (as a bowstring, etc.; Æsch., Eur., al.), hence, __2. absol., __(a) to play a stringed instrument with the fingers (Hdt., Plat., al.); __(b) later, to sing to a harp, sing psalms (LXX); in NT, to sing a hymn, sing praise: Jas.5:13; with dative of person(s), Rom.15:9 (LXX), Eph.5:19; dative instr., 1Co.14:15.† (AS)