Harp

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

A stringed instrument of music

• Isaiah 38:20 The LORD will save me; we will play songs on stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the LORD.
• Ezekiel 33:32 Indeed, you are to them like a singer of love songs with a beautiful voice, who skillfully plays an instrument. They hear your words but do not put them into practice.
• Habakkuk 3:19 GOD the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights! For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments.

With three strings (margin)

• 1 Samuel 18:6 As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments.

Ten strings

• Psalm 33:2 Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to Him with ten strings.
• Psalm 92:3 with the ten-stringed harp and the melody of the lyre.
• Psalm 144:9 I will sing to You a new song, O God; on a harp of ten strings I will make music to You —
• Psalm 150:4 Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute.

Originated with Jubal

• Genesis 4:21 And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.

Made of almug wood

• 1 Kings 10:12 The king made the almug wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood been brought in, nor has such been seen again to this day.)

David skillful in manipulating

• 1 Samuel 16:16 Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the spirit of distress from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you will be well.”
• 1 Samuel 16:23 And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play. Then Saul would find relief and feel better, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.

Used in worship

• 1 Samuel 10:5 After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.
• 1 Chronicles 16:5 Asaph was the chief, Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They were to play the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals
• 1 Chronicles 25:1–7 Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list of the men who performed this service: From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarel…
• 2 Chronicles 5:12–13 all the Levitical singers — Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives — stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps, and lyres, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD…
• 2 Chronicles 29:25 Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet. For the command had come from the LORD through His prophets.
• Psalm 33:2 Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to Him with ten strings.
• Psalm 43:4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise You with the harp, O God, my God.
• Psalm 49:4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp:
• Psalm 57:8 Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
• Psalm 71:22 So I will praise You with the harp for Your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to You with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

Used, in national jubilees, after the triumph over Goliath, (margin)

• 1 Samuel 18:6 As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments.

Over the armies of Ammon and Moab

• 2 Chronicles 20:28 So they entered Jerusalem and went into the house of the LORD with harps, lyres, and trumpets.
• 2 Chronicles 20:20–29 Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.” Then Jehoshaphat consulted with the…

When the new walls of Jerusalem were dedicated

• Nehemiah 12:27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from all their homes and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.
• Nehemiah 12:36 and his associates— Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani— with the musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession.

Used in festivities

• Genesis 31:27 Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and harps.
• Job 21:11–12 They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about, singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute.
• Isaiah 5:12 At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.
• Isaiah 23:16 “Take up your harp, stroll through the city, O forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody, sing many a song, so you will be remembered.”
• Isaiah 24:8 The joyful tambourines have ceased; the noise of revelers has stopped; the joyful harp is silent.
• Isaiah 30:32 And with every stroke of the rod of punishment that the LORD brings down on them, the tambourines and lyres will sound as He battles with weapons brandished.
• Ezekiel 26:13 So I will silence the sound of your songs, and the music of your lyres will no longer be heard.
• Revelation 18:22 And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again.

In mourning

• Job 30:31 My harp is tuned to mourning and my flute to the sound of weeping.’’

Discordant

• 1 Corinthians 14:7 Even in the case of lifeless instruments, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone recognize the tune they are playing unless the notes are distinct?

Hung on the willows by the captive Jews

• Psalm 137:2 There on the willows we hung our harps,

Heard in heaven, in John's apocalyptic vision

• Revelation 5:8 When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
• Revelation 14:2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of many waters and the loud rumbling of thunder. And the sound I heard was like harpists strumming their harps.
• Revelation 15:2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, beside which stood those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. They were holding harps from God,

The symbol used in the psalmody to indicate when the harp was to be introduced in the music was "Neginoth." See titles of

• Psalm 4 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved my distress; show me grace and hear my prayer. How long, O men, will my honor be maligned? How long will you love vanity and seek after lies? Selah Know that the LOR… (whole chapter)
• Psalm 6 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments, according to Sheminith. A Psalm of David. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath. Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am frail; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are in agony. My soul is deeply distressed. How long, O LORD, how… (whole chapter)
• Psalm 54 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went to Saul and said, “Is David not hiding among us?” Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might! Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. For strangers rise up against me, and rut… (whole chapter)
• Psalm 55 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea. Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they bring down disaster upon me and rese… (whole chapter)
• Psalm 61 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. Of David. Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call out to You whenever my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been my refuge, a tower of strength against the enemy. Let me dwell in… (whole chapter)
• Psalm 67 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Psalm. A song. May God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, Selah that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. Let the nati… (whole chapter)
• Psalm 76 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A song. God is known in Judah; His name is great in Israel. His tent is in Salem, His dwelling place in Zion. There He shattered the flaming arrows, the shield and sword and weapons of war. Selah You are resplendent with light, more… (whole chapter)

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