These are the musical instruments according to the Bible
PERCUSSION
1.- TOF: It is explained as a tambourine or hand drum. Laban, Raquel’s father, laments that Jacob has left them almost furtively: “…I would have sent you off with joy and with songs, with tambourines and zithers…” (Gen.31,27).
2.- TSELTTSELIM: They were something like cymbals or cymbals. At the transfer of the Ark, “David and all the household of Israel danced before the Lord. with cypress artifacts, zithers, harps, drums, sistrums and cymbals” (2Sam.6,5).
3.- MENA’AN’IM: It was what today we would call a sistrum. Its name comes from the verb “shake”. See the previous quote.
4.- SHALISHIM: It is the triangle of all life. Once David returned from killing Goliath, the women came out to meet him “…dancing with drums, shouts of joy and cymbals… (1Sam. 18,6).
STRING
1.- NEBEL or psalter. It is the one that gives its name to the book of The Psalms, which lists a multitude of devices, more than anything in the 150, also called “The enormous Hallelujah”. It is like a final doxology to any orchestra: the cosmic and the instrumental.
2.- KINNAR: It is mentioned in several places. The horrible Amos already cries out against the parties that the rich organized (“the cows of Bashan”): “I hate and reject your parties, I do not accept your assemblies… Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I do not wish to hear the music of your zithers…”, as those with little money died of appetite. Once Saul is afflicted with that kind of persecution mania, his servants advise him to “look for a man who knows how to play the zither…” to calm his spirit. It seems that the lake of Galilee is also called Kinneret because its shape recalls this tool. Others even drew it similar to the “organistrum” of the Portico de la Gloria. Together with the Irish, we Galicians understand a lot about the songs of emigration; even our anthem arose in emigration. Since one of the most beautiful psalms arose in exile: “Next to the channels of Babylon we sat down to weep with longing for Zion: in the willows on its banks we hung our own zithers” (1Sam.16,16. Am.4 ,1,21… Ps.137).
3.- ‘ASOR: It is the “10-string harp” or decachord. It appears in various psalms: “Give thanks to the Lord. with the zither, play in his honor the 10-stringed harp, sing him a new song, accompanying the cheers with strings ”. “It is good to offer thanks to the Lord. and play for your name, O Most High; declare your mercy in the morning and your fidelity at night, with harps of 10 strings and lutes, on harps of zithers” (Ps.33,2/92,3/144,9).
WIND
1.- ‘UGAB: His name, in Hebrew, is related to the verb “to love”. In Gen.4,21. it appears as invented by Jubal, son of Lamech. In the Gospel of S.Matthew Jesus says once that they do not want to believe in him: “We have played the flute and you have not danced… It is to be assumed that it was the common upright flute or pipe. The duels also used to have not only mourners, but flutists, who accompanied them (Mt.9,23. Mt.11,16-19).
2.- JALIL or double flute: It was used in the coronation of Solomon. Once Zadok the priest had anointed Solomon…the whole town went up after him playing flutes, with such a thunderous celebration that the earth seemed to crack.” After his “Song to the Vineyard”, Isaías laments: “Woe to those who get up early in search of liquor, and extend the twilight, lit by wine, with zithers and harps, tambourines and flutes… but they do not think about the action of the Lord!” Jeremiah, in his oracle against Moab: “my heart moans with the mournful voice of a flute…” (1Re.1,40 / Is.5,11-12 / Jer.48,36).
3.- SHOFAR or horn: It is the most said instrument in the Bible: and the oldest (about 3,000 years). It was made from the horn of a pure (kosher) animal, such as sheep or goats. Among other holidays, it served to announce Rosh Hashanah (new year) and Yon Kippur (feast of forgiveness). It was heard for the first time in the theophany of Sinai, then in the assault on Jericho, in the battles of Saul and David and in the proclamation of Solomon… It also appears in various psalms (Ex.19,16/Jos.6,6/ 1Re,1,34/Ps.81…).
4.- JATSOTSERAH: It comes to be the smooth trumpet; sometimes it belonged to ceramic and sometimes metallic. It served for military uses, but also liturgical. Moses was commanded to make 2 silver for the church. In Num.10 we have a complete regulation of the use of trumpets, and in 2Cro. the transfer of the Ark of the Union is explained to us in detail in a very solemn procession with all kinds of artifacts and songs, led by the monarch Solomon. Joel proclaims the fast at the sound of a trumpet (we read it every Ash Wednesday). The coming of the Son of man is going to be announced by angelic trumpets. Paul also explains it this way in his letters to those of Corinth and Thessalonica. The seer of the Apocalypse hears behind him “a powerful voice like a trumpet”, which precedes the messages for the sanctuaries of the Asian continent, and which sound again once he is in front of the throne of God and the 7 doors are opening. seals. The perspective of the Lamb with the 144,000 marked is accompanied by the majestic roar and the citharists that accompanied “a new song” (Num.10./2Cro.5/Jl.2./Mt.24,31/1Cor.15,52 /1Thes.4,16 /Ap.1,10/Ap.4,1/Ap.6-11).
And we close with psalm 150