15. Singing Psalms which make mention of musical instruments
It would be very insteresting to know whether exclusive Psalmist sing all the 150 psalms of the Psalter? This question is asked in the light of the numerous places in the Psalter where mention is made of singing accompanied by musical instrument, either in the title, which is part of the inspired record or in the Psalm itself.
The metrical version of the Psalms omits the inclusion of the inspired titles of the Psalms and yet makes the claim that the metrical version is a faithful translation of the original. How can the metrical version be described as a faithful translation when it omits the inspired titles of many of the Psalms? In many cases where an inspired title is given to the Psalm it forms verse 1. There is actually one verse more in the Hebrew Bible than in the Authorised Version or the metrical version. At least the Authorised Version includes the title separately, whereas the metrical version omits it altogether!
Would this omisison have anything to do with the fact that in a number of these inspired titles there are specific commands given to sing the Psalm with the accompaniment of musical instruments?
Here are some examples of this type of command in the inspired title:
Psalm 4 The title reads in the Authorised Version: To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David. The word 'Neginoth' is translated in Habakkuk 3:19 as 'stringed instrument'. Isaiah 38:20 is another place where a form of this word appears: The LORD was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.
Other Psalms where this word 'Nehinoth' appears in the title are:
Psalm 6:1 To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David.
Psalm 54:1 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?
Psalm 55:1 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David.
Psalm 61:1 To the chief Musician upon Neginah, A Psalm of David.
Psalm 67:1 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song.
Psalm 76:1 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song of Asaph.
Psalm 6 includes another words that points to how this Psalm is to sung. The word 'Sheminith' is believed to be either an eight-stringed musical instrument or a musical notation, i.e. an octave.
Therefore, in each of the inspired titles to these Psalms there is an express command to sing with an instrument. Does this instruction which is part of the inspired record not matter when we come to sing the Psalm?
There are a whole series of Psalms which have commands to sing with a musical instrument contained with the body of the Psalm. Examples of these would be:
Psalm 33:1,2: Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
Psalm 43:4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
Psalm 57:8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
Psalm 71:22: I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
Psalm 92:3: Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.
Psalm 108:1,2: O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
Psalm 144:9: I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
Psalm 147:7: Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God.
Psalm 149:3: Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
Psalm 150:3-5: 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.
It would certainly be of interest to know how exclusive psalmists sing the verses highlighted from these Psalms? Do they sing these verses with meaning? Do they mean what they sing when they sing these words? After all the New Testament commands us that worship must be characterised by a 'sound mind'. Our rational powers are not to be suspended as they often are in Charismatic circles. Or do exclusive psalmists avoid singing these verses?
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