Psaltery

A musical instrument, supposed to have been a kind of lyre, or a harp with twelve strings. The Hebrew word nebhel, so rendered, is translated “viol” in Isa. 5:12 (R.V., “lute”); 14:11. In Dan. 3:5, 7, 10, 15, the word thus rendered is Chaldaic, pesanterin, which is supposed to be a word of Greek origin denoting an instrument of the harp kind.

This was a stringed instrument of music to accompany the voice. The Hebrew nabel or nebel is so rendered in the Authorized Version in all passages where if occurs, except in (Isaiah 5:12; 14:11; 22:24), marg.; (Amos 5:23; 6:6) where it is translated viol . The ancient viol was a six-stringed guitar. In the Prayer Book version of the Psalms the Hebrew word is rendered “lute.” This instrument resembled the guitar, but was superior in tone, being larger, and having a convex back, somewhat like the vertical section of a gourd, or more nearly resembling that of a pear. These three instruments, the psaltery or sautry, the viol and lute, are frequently associated in the old English poets and were clearly instruments resembling each other though still different. The Greek psalterium (psalterion), from which our word is derived, denotes an instrument played with the fingers instead of a plectrum or quill, the verb being used of twanging the bow-string. It is impossible to say positively with what instrument the nebel of the Hebrew exactly corresponded, From the fact that nebel in Hebrew also signifies a wine-bottle or skin it has been conjectured that the term when applied to a musical instrument denotes a kind of bagpipe. The psalteries of David were made of cypress, (2 Samuel 6:5) those of Solomon of algum Or almug trees. (2 Chronicles 9:11) Among the instruments of the band which played before Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image on the plains of Dura, we again meet with the psaltery. (Daniel 3:6,10,15) pesanterin .

PSAL'TERY was a stringed instrument with ten strings, like a harp, but its shape is much disputed. See Harp, Musical Instruments.

Part of speech: noun (n.)

A stringed instrument of music used by the Hebrews, the form of which is not known. Praise the Lord with harp; sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Ps. xxxiii. 2.