Topical Bible

What Does the Bible Say About Music?

Here are 7 Bible verses about music, ordered by how relevant readers found them, with the King James Version and the modern Berean Standard Bible side by side.

#1Ephesians 5:19
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
BSBSpeak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,
#2Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
BSBLet the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
#3Psalms 105:2
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
BSBSing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders.
#4Psalms 95:1
O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
BSBCome, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout to the Rock of our salvation!
#5Psalms 104:33
I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
BSBI will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
#6James 5:13
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
BSBIs any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.
#7Psalms 150:1-6
Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
BSBHallelujah! Praise God in His sanctuary. Praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him for His excellent greatness. Praise Him with the sound of the horn; praise Him with the harp and lyre. Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute. Praise Him with clashing cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Hallelujah!

Verse rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY). Scripture: KJV & BSB (public domain).

Music in Nave's Topical Bible

Teachers of: 1Ch 15:22; 25:7,8; 2Ch 23:13
Physical effect of, on man: 1Sa 6:15,16
Discoursed during the offering of sacrifices: 2Ch 29:27,28
Precentor: Ne 12:42
Chief musician: Ne 12:42; Hab 3:19
Chambers for musicians in the temple, in Ezekiel's vision: Eze 40:44
In heaven: Re 5:8,9; 14:2,3; 15:2,3
Instruments Of
Invented by Jubal: Ge 4:21
Invented by David: 1Ch 23:5; 2Ch 7:6; 29:26; Am 6:5
Made by Solomon: 1Ki 10:12; 2Ch 9:11; Ec 2:8
Made by Tyrians: Eze 28:13
CORNET: Da 3:5,7,10
See: TRUMPET
Cymbal
See: CYMBAL
DULCIMER, a double pipe: Da 3:5,10,15
FLUTE: Da 3:5,7,10,15
GITTITH, a stringed instrument: Ps 8; 81; 84
Harp
See: HARP
ORGAN, probably composed of pipes furnishing a number of notes: Ge 4:21; Job 21:12; 30:31; Ps 150:4
Pipe
See: PIPE
Psaltery
See: PSALTERY
SACKBUT, a harp: Da 3:5,7,10,15
Tabret
See: TIMBREL
TIMBREL, a tambourine
See: TIMBREL
Trumpet
See: TRUMPET
VIOL, a lyre: Isa 5:12; 14:11; Am 5:23; 6:5
Symbols Used In
Alamoth
(Literally virgins) .A musical term which appears in: 1Ch 15:20
And in the title of: Ps 46:1
(It seems to indicate the rendering of the song by female voices, possibly soprano) -AL-TASCHITH
It appears in the titles of: Ps 57:1; 58:1; 59:1; 75:1
(it seems to have been used to indicate the kind of ode, or the kind of melody in which the ode should be sung.)
HIGGAION: Ps 92:3
(According to Gesenius, it signifies the murmuring tone of a harp, and hence that the music should be rendered in a plaintive manner.): Ps 9:16
(Combined with “Selah,” it may have been intended to indicate a pause in the vocal music while the instruments rendered an interlude.): Ps 19:14
(Mendelssohn translates it “meditation, thought.” Hence, the music was to be rendered in a mode to promote devout meditation.)
Makalath, Maschil, Leannoth
These terms are found in the titles of: Ps 53:1; 88:1
(Authorities grope in darkness as to their signification. They may indicate the instruments to be played, or the melody to be sung)
Maschil
This musical sign occurs in the titles of: Ps 32:1; 42:1; 44:1; 45:1; 52:1; 53:1; 54:1; 55:1; 74:1; 78:1; 88:1; 89:1; 142:1
(The meaning is obscure. But its signification where it occurs elsewhere than in the titles of Psalms is equivalent to the English word “instruction,” or to become wise by instruction; hence: Ps 47:7: “Sing ye praises with understanding.”)
Micahtam
A musical term in the titles of: Ps 16:1; 56:1; 57:1; 58:1; 59:1; 60:1
(Luther interprets this as “golden,” that is, “precious.” Ewald interprets it as signifying a plaintive manner.)
Muth-Labben
In the title of: Ps 9:1
(Authorities, ancient and modern, differ as to the probable signification. Gesenius and De Wette interpret it, “with the voice of virgins, by boys.” Others derive the word from a different Hebrew root, and interpret it as indicating that the Psalm was a funeral ode.)
NEGINAH and NEGINOTH
Appear in the titles of: Ps 4:1; 54:1; 55:1; 61:1; 67:1; Hab 3:19
(Its use seems to have been to indicate that the song should be accompanied by stringed instruments.) -NEHILOTH
Appears in the title of: Ps 5:1
(It seems to indicate, according to Gesenius, that when this Psalm was sung it was to be accompanied by wind instruments.) -SELAH
(This term appears frequently in the Psalms. Its use is not known. Possibly it signified a pause in the vocal music while an instrumental interlude or finale was rendered.)
Sheminith
In the titles of: Ps 6:1; 12:1
(Translated “eighth,” probably indicates the measure, movement, or pitch.)
Shiggaion
In the title of: Ps 7:1
And its plural, SHIGIONOTH, in the title of: Hab 3:1
(Supposed to be a musical term to guide in rendering the song. At the close of the chapter, the author refers the ode “to the chief musician, on my stringed instruments.” The term may suggest the movement in interpreting the music set to it.)
SHOSHANNIM and SHUSHAN-EDUTH .In the titles to: Ps 45:1; 60:1; 69:1; 80:1
(Seems to indicate the manner in which these Psalms were to be rendered. Kimchi, Tremellius, and Eichhorn render it “hexachorda,” that is, that in singing these Psalms instruments of six strings were to accompany.)
UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO: Ge 31:27; Ex 15:1,20,21; 21:17-20; Jud 5:1-3; 11:34; 1Sa 18:6,7; 2Sa 19:35; 1Ki 1:40; 1Ch 6:31,32; 15:16-22,24,27,28; 16:4-39,41,42; 22:3,5,6,27,30; 25:1,5,6,7,8; 2Ch 5:12,13; 20:19,21,22,28; 23:13,18; 29:25-28; 31:2; 35:15,25; Ezr 2:64; 3:10,11; Neh 12:24,27-31; Job 21:12; 30:31; Ps 33:1-4; 68:4,25,26,32-35; 81:1-3; 87:7; 92:1-3; 95:1,2; 98:1-8; 104:33; 105:2; 135:1,2,3; 137:1-6; 144:9; 149:1-3,6; 150:1-6; Pr 25:20; Ec 2:8; Isa 5:12; 14:11; 16:10; 23:16; 24:8,9; 30:29,32; Jer 31:4; Eze 26:13; 33:32; Da 3:4,6,7; Am 6:5; 8:10; Mt 9:23; 11:17; Mr 14:26; 1Co 14:15; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16; Heb 2:12; Re 14:2,3; 18:22
See: PRAISE
See: PSALMS

Music in Torrey's Topical Textbook

Early invention of: Ge 4:21
DIVIDED INTO
Vocal: 2Sa 19:35; Ac 16:25
Instrumental: Da 6:18
Designed to promote joy: Ec 2:8,10
Vanity of all unsanctified: Ec 2:8,11
Considered efficacious in mental disorders: 1Sa 16:14-17,23
Effects produced on the prophets of old by: 1Sa 10:5,6; 2Ki 3:15
INSTRUMENTS OF
Cymbals: 1Ch 16:5; Ps 150:5
Cornet: Ps 98:6; Ho 5:8
Dulcimer: Da 3:5
Flute: Da 3:5
Harp: Ps 137:2; Eze 26:13
Organ: Ge 4:21; Job 21:12; Ps 150:4
Pipe: 1Ki 1:40; Isa 5:12; Jer 48:36
Psaltery: Ps 33:2; 71:22
Sackbut: Da 3:5
Tabret: 1Sa 10:5; Isa 24:8
Timbrel: Ex 15:20; Ps 68:25
Trumpet: 2Ki 11:14; 2Ch 29:27
Viol: Isa 14:11; Am 5:23
Made of fir wood: 2Sa 6:5
Made of almug wood: 1Ki 10:12
Made of brass: 1Co 13:1
Made of silver: Nu 10:2
Made of horns of animals: Jos 6:8
Many, with strings: Ps 33:2; 150:4
Early invention of: Ge 4:21
Invented by David: 1Ch 23:5; 2Ch 7:6
The Jews celebrated for inventing: Am 6:5
Often expensively ornamented: Eze 28:13
Great diversity of: Ec 2:8
Appointed to be used in the temple: 1Ch 16:4-6; 23:5,6; 25:1; 2Ch 29:25
Custom of sending away friends with: Ge 31:27
THE JEWS USED
In sacred processions: 2Sa 6:4,5,15; 1Ch 13:6-8; 15:27,28
At laying foundation of temple: Ezr 3:9,10
At consecration of temple: 2Ch 5:11-13
At coronation of kings: 2Ch 23:11,13
At dedication of city walls: Ne 12:27,28
To celebrate victories: Ex 15:20; 1Sa 18:6,7
In religious feasts: 2Ch 30:21
In private entertainments: Isa 5:12; Am 6:5
In dances: Mt 11:17; Lu 15:25
In funeral ceremonies: Mt 9:23
In commemorating great men: 2Ch 35:25
Used in idol worship: Da 3:5
The movements of armies regulated by: Jos 6:8; 1Co 14:8
Generally put aside in times of affliction: Ps 137:2-4; Da 6:18
ILLUSTRATIVE
Of joy and gladness: Zep 3:17; Eph 5:19
Of heavenly felicity: Re 5:8,9
(Ceasing of,) of calamities: Isa 24:8,9; Re 18:22

Music in Nave's Topical Bible

Music in Torrey's Topical Textbook

Related topics