Psalm 81:2 kjv
Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
Psalm 81:2 nkjv
Raise a song and strike the timbrel, The pleasant harp with the lute.
Psalm 81:2 niv
Begin the music, strike the timbrel, play the melodious harp and lyre.
Psalm 81:2 esv
Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp.
Psalm 81:2 nlt
Sing! Beat the tambourine.
Play the sweet lyre and the harp.
Psalm 81 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 15:20 | Miriam the prophetess... took a tambourine in her hand... | Miriam leads praise with a tambourine. |
| 2 Sam 6:5 | David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with... instruments... castanets and cymbals. | Davidic era celebration with diverse instruments. |
| Ps 33:2 | Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; sing praises to him with the harp of ten strings! | Call to use lyre and harp in praise. |
| Ps 43:4 | Then I will go to the altar of God... I will praise you with the lyre... | Harp for praise at God's altar. |
| Ps 92:1-3 | It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love... with the ten-stringed harp and with the lyre, with the music of the lute. | Praise God with diverse instruments (harp, lyre, lute). |
| Ps 95:1-2 | Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. | Exuberant call to sing, shout, and praise with music. |
| Ps 98:4-6 | Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody... with trumpets and the sound of the horn... | Universal call for joyful song and instruments. |
| Ps 108:2 | Awake, lyre and harp! I will awaken the dawn. | Psallist calls instruments to awaken for praise. |
| Ps 149:3 | Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp. | Praise with dance, timbrel (tambourine), and harp. |
| Ps 150:3-5 | Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. | Call for praise using all musical instruments. |
| 1 Chr 15:16 | David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint musicians from their brothers who were to make a joyful sound with musical instruments... harps, lyres, and cymbals. | Levites appointed for joyful instrumental worship. |
| 2 Chr 5:12-13 | ...the Levite musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun... along with 120 priests sounding trumpets—stood... with cymbals, harps and lyres. The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the LORD. | Massed worship with harps, lyres, cymbals, trumpets. |
| Neh 12:27 | ...They sought out the Levites... to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully with thanksgiving and with singing, with cymbals, harps and lyres. | Celebration with instruments for temple dedication. |
| Isa 30:29 | You will have songs... as in the night a holy festival is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one sets out to the sound of the flute... | Songs and flute for festive occasions. |
| Jas 5:13 | Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. | Call to sing praise when cheerful. |
| Eph 5:19-20 | Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything... | Singing and making music to the Lord in the NT. |
| Col 3:16 | Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. | Worship with psalms, hymns, songs and gratitude. |
| Rev 15:2-3 | ...they held harps given them by God and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb. | Harps are part of heavenly praise. |
| Ps 49:4 | I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will open my riddle to the music of the lyre. | Lyre for teaching and revealing truth. |
| 1 Sam 16:23 | ...David would take the lyre and play it. Then relief would come to Saul and he would feel better... | Lyre for comfort and dispelling distress. |
Psalm 81 verses
Psalm 81 2 Meaning
Psalm 81:2 issues a command for God's people to engage in fervent, vocal, and instrumental praise. It calls for an elevated song, a joyous sound, accompanied by a tambourine, a pleasant harp, and a lute. This verse serves as an imperative to wholeheartedly participate in musical worship and celebratory expression before the Lord.
Psalm 81 2 Context
Psalm 81 is a unique "testimony" or "Maskil" (a psalm of instruction) for the Feast of Trumpets, the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh), and implied other key festivals. The first few verses (1-5) are a passionate call to national worship, establishing the vibrant musical backdrop for God's ensuing message to Israel (from verse 6 onwards). It begins with a command for Israel to raise a shout, strike the instruments, and mark the solemn feast days with jubilation. This context highlights the intrinsic connection between Israel's prescribed feasts and joyful, communal, musical worship as a central element of their covenant relationship with Yahweh.
Psalm 81 2 Word analysis
Raise a song (הָרִימוּ רִנָּה - hārîmū rinnâ):
- הָרִימוּ (hārîmū - "raise, lift up"): An imperative, indicating a command to lift or elevate something. Here, it refers to lifting up one's voice in song. It implies a loud, enthusiastic, and publicly audible expression, not a quiet murmur. This root often suggests putting something into a prominent position.
- רִנָּה (rinnâ - "song, shout, ringing cry"): This word signifies a joyous acclamation, a shout of triumph, a ringing cry, or a vocal expression of praise and delight. It's often associated with celebration, victory, or abundant joy, rather than a mere tuneful melody. Its usage suggests overflowing emotion and excitement.
sound the tambourine (תְּנוּ תֹף - tənū thōph):
- תְּנוּ (tənū - "sound, give, strike, play"): Another imperative. It's a broad verb here implying to actively cause sound to issue forth from the instrument, i.e., "play" or "strike" the tambourine. It indicates energetic engagement with the instrument.
- תֹף (tōph - "tambourine, hand-drum"): A percussion instrument, likely a frame drum or timbrel. It was commonly played by women (e.g., Exod 15:20) and used for dancing, joyful processions, and festive occasions, providing rhythm and a festive pulse to celebrations. It denotes uninhibited, physical expression in worship.
the pleasant harp (כִּנּוֹר נָעִים - kinnōr nā‘îm):
- כִּנּוֹר (kinnōr - "lyre, harp"): A stringed instrument, most famously played by King David. It typically had 8-10 strings and produced melodic tones. The kinnor was versatile, used for lament, prophecy, and extensive worship in the Temple. It represents harmony, beauty, and more sophisticated musicality.
- נָעִים (nā‘îm - "pleasant, delightful, lovely, beautiful"): An adjective describing the sound or character of the harp. It emphasizes the aesthetic quality of the music, indicating that the worship should be pleasing to the ear, skillful, and engaging, offered with care and excellence.
and the lute (נָבֶל - nāḇel - "lute, psaltery, lyre"):
- נָבֶל (nāḇel - "lute, psaltery, lyre"): Another stringed instrument, generally considered to have a fuller, deeper sound than the kinnōr. It may have had more strings (10-12 or more) and a resonating body. This instrument contributed to the richness and depth of the overall musical ensemble, adding to the grandeur of the praise. Its inclusion signifies the desire for a complete and layered sound in worship.
Words-group Analysis:
- "Raise a song, sound the tambourine": This pairing juxtaposes vocal celebration with rhythmic percussion. It implies a full-bodied, immediate, and energetic outbreak of praise, common in folk and community celebrations. The command is active and urgent, encouraging boisterous expression.
- "the pleasant harp and the lute": These two stringed instruments represent melodic and harmonious aspects of worship. They add sophistication, beauty, and structure to the raw, percussive enthusiasm of the tambourine and vocal shout. The word "pleasant" applying specifically to the harp, implies that skill and a pleasing aesthetic quality are desired in musical offering, suggesting intentional and refined worship alongside spontaneous exuberance. This blend shows that Israelite worship incorporated both unrestrained joy and disciplined musical artistry.
Psalm 81 2 Bonus section
The instruction in Psalm 81:2 is more than an aesthetic preference; it is a liturgical command for covenant people to respond to God with uninhibited praise, a deliberate act of recalling His mighty deeds and His covenant. The use of specific instruments, particularly the rhythmic tambourine and melodic harp and lute, reflects the balance in Israelite worship between spontaneous, dance-oriented festivity and more structured, harmonized sacred music often led by skilled Levites. This verse embodies the very spirit of communal celebration during major biblical festivals, intended to stir the hearts of the worshippers and point them toward their Redeemer and Law-giver.
Psalm 81 2 Commentary
Psalm 81:2 is a clarion call to robust, comprehensive, and joyous musical worship within the Israelite community, particularly during their prescribed festivals. It mandates a communal lifting of voices in acclamation (rinnâ) coupled with the energetic striking of the tambourine. This primal, percussive expression is then beautifully complemented by the melodious, pleasant sounds of the harp (kinnōr) and the lute (nāḇel). This instruction highlights several enduring principles of worship: that it should be active and wholehearted, engaging both voice and body; that it should be diverse, employing a variety of instruments and forms; and that it should be performed with excellence and beauty ("pleasant harp"), yet also with unrestrained joy (the "ringing cry" and tambourine). It’s not a passive act but a vibrant, multifaceted response to God's presence and works, suitable for celebrating divine interventions and covenant faithfulness. It implies that musical offerings are not merely accompaniment but essential expressions of devotion that evoke deep emotional and spiritual engagement.