Musical Terms in Psalms
There are some musical terms used in Psalms that have partially or completely unknown meanings. I put these terms in three categories - “According to…”, “An X of Y”, and “Inline”.
Table of contents
According To…
There are several chapter headings in Psalms that indicate that a Psalm is to be performed “according to” someone or something.
| Term | Chapters (in Psalms) |
|---|---|
| Alamoth | 46 |
| Do Not Destroy | 57, 58, 59, 75 |
| The Doe of the Dawn | 22 |
| The Dove on Far-off Terebinths | 56 |
| Gittith | 8, 81, 84 |
| Jeduthun | 39, 62, 77 |
| Lilies | 45, 69, 80 |
| Mahalath/Mahalath Leannoth | 53, 88 |
| Muth-labben | 9 |
| Sheminith | 6 |
| Shushan Eduth | 60 |
Alamoth
Alamoth is used once in Psalm 46, but, like Sheminith, it’s also referenced in 1 Chronicles 15, this time as a way to play harps.
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| 1 Chronicles 15:20 | Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth; |
| Psalm 46:1 | To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song. |
Do Not Destroy
Do Not Destroy is used four times. It is first used in three chapters in a row (57-59, each a Miktam of David). The chapter before this group (56) is “according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinth” and the chapter following this group (60) is “according to Shushan Eduth”.
It used again in chapter 75.
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| Psalm 57:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave. |
| Psalm 58:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David. |
| Psalm 59:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him. |
| Psalm 75:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. |
The Doe of the Dawn
The Doe of the Dawn is only mentioned once in a Psalm of David.
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| Psalm 22:1a | To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. |
The Dove on Far-off Terebinths
The Dove on Far-off Terebinths is only mentioned once in a Miktam of David.
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| Psalm 56:1a | To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. |
Gittith
“The Gittith” is mentioned three times, and always in an “According to” chapter heading.
It is unknown what The Gittith is. Suggestions include a performance style, a musical instrument, a melody (of a commonly known song?), or even an indicator that it’s a joyful song (the Hebrew root gat (גת) refers to a winepress(?)). It could also be related to Gath.
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| Psalm 8:1a | To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David. |
| Psalm 81:1a | To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. Of Asaph. |
| Psalm 84:1a | To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. |
Jeduthun
Jeduthun is referenced three times in the Psalms. Jeduthun was notably a musician mentioned several times in Chronicles.
Interestingly, Psalm 39:1a just says “to Jeduthun” as opposed to “according to Jeduthun” (ESV). I can assume it’s synonymous and that 39:1a is “according to” Jeduthun as well as opposed to being directed towards/addressed to Jeduthun.
The non-Psalms references below are not exhaustive but exhibit how clear it is that Jeduthun was a musician, and that he is referenced with trumpets, cymbals, and lyres. Also mentioned below are Asaph and Heman, who are never in an “according to…” clause, but are both referenced in Psalm headings - twelve Psalms or Maskils from Asaph a single Maskil for Heman (88).
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| 1 Chronicles 16:42 | Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were appointed to the gate. |
| 1 Chronicles 25:1 | David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was: |
| 1 Chronicles 25:3 | Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. |
| 1 Chronicles 25:6 | They were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the order of the king. |
| 2 Chronicles 35:15 | The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place according to the command of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at each gate. They did not need to depart from their service, for their brothers the Levites prepared for them. |
| Psalm 39:1a | To the choirmaster: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. |
| Psalm 62:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. |
| Psalm 77:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph. |
Lilies
Lilies is mentioned three times. The first of which (45) is a Maskil.
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| Psalm 45:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah; a love song. |
| Psalm 69:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. Of David. |
| Psalm 80:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Testimony. Of Asaph, a Psalm. |
Mahalath/Mahalath Leannoth
There are two Psalms “according to Mahalath”.
In this case, there is one Psalm (53) according to “Mahalath” and another according to “Mahalath Leannoth”. It’s possible that they’re separate entities.
There are two people named Mahalath in the Bible - one was the granddaughter of Abraham (through Ishmael), and later one was the granddaughter of David (through Jerimoth). Given that the latter Mahalath (Jerimoth’s daughter) was around in the same time period as the Psalms being recorded, I would assume that these are referencing her and not Ishmael’s daughter. Perhaps she was a musician (like Jeduthun)?
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| Genesis 28:9 | Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth. |
| 2 Chronicles 11:18 | Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, |
| Psalm 53:1 | To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David. |
| Psalm 88:1 | A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. |
Muth-labben
Muth-labben is only used once.
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| Psalm 9:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Muth-labben. A Psalm of David. |
Sheminith
Sheminith is used twice in the Psalms. 1 Chronicles 15:21 references Sheminith as a way to play lyres, which closely follows a reference to Alamoth in 15:20.
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| 1 Chronicles 15:21 | but Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres according to the Sheminith. |
| Psalm 6:1a | To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David. |
| Psalm 12:1a | To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David. |
Shushan Eduth
Shushan Eduth is only used in Psalm 60, another Miktam of David. This Miktam immediately follows the three Miktams which were “According to Do Not Destroy”.
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| Psalm 60:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt. |
An X of Y
There are some different descriptors used in the headings of some chapters in Psalms - each of which is always attributed to someone.
| Term | Chapters (in Psalms) |
|---|---|
| Maskil | 32, 42, 44, 45, 52, 54, 54, 55, 74, 78, 88, 89, 142 |
| Miktam | 16, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60 |
| Shiggaion | 7 |
Maskil
There are 13 Maskils in Psalms.
If these Maskils are attributing an author, six are attributed to David (32, 52-55, 142), three are attributed to the Sons of Korah (42, 44-45), two are attributed to Asaph (74, 78), one is attributed to Heman the Ezrahite, and one is attributed to Ethan the Ezrahite (89).
Three of these Maskils have “According to…” clauses - Lilies (45), Mahalath (53), and Mahalath Leannoth (88).
There’s quite a bit of overlap with other terms in these headings - we can tell that a Maskil could be used for a love song (45), a song (88), a Psalm (88), and a prayer (142), which is also to say that a Maskil is not contrasting to a “Psalm”, “love song”, “song”, or “prayer” in nature. It may, however, be in contrast with a Miktam or Shiggaion.
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| Psalm 32:1a | A Maskil of David. |
| Psalm 42:1a | To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah. |
| Psalm 44:1a | To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah. |
| Psalm 45:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah; a love song. |
| Psalm 52:1a | To the choirmaster. A Maskil of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” |
| Psalm 53:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David. |
| Psalm 54:1a | To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?” |
| Psalm 55:1a | To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. |
| Psalm 74:1a | A Maskil of Asaph. |
| Psalm 78:1a | A Maskil of Asaph. |
| Psalm 88:1a | A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. |
| Psalm 89:1a | A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. |
| Psalm 142:1a | A Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer. |
Miktam
Miktam is used in the heading of Psalm 16, and then five Psalm headings in a row (56-60), which do appear to be some form of a unit to be read together.
All Miktams in Psalms are attributed to David.
The meaning of Miktam is also unknown.
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| Psalm 16:1a | A Miktam of David. |
| Psalm 56:1a | To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. |
| Psalm 57:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave. |
| Psalm 58:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David. |
| Psalm 59:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him. |
| Psalm 60:1a | To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt. |
Shiggaion
Shiggaion is only mentioned once in a chapter attributed to David. It’s very closely related (in English) to Higgaion (also only used once, but inline). There may be some relationship.
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| Psalm 7:1a | A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite. |
Inline
There are two musical terms dropped inline (that is, not in a heading) throughout the Psalms. Most popularly is Selah, which is used 72 times, but there is also Higgaion, which is used a single time in conjunction with Selah.
| Term | Chapters (in Psalms) |
|---|---|
| Higgaion | 9 |
| Selah | 3 (x3), 4 (x2), 7, 9 (x2), 20, 21, 24 (x2), 32 (x3), 39 (x2), 44, 46 (x3), 47, 48, 49 (x2), 50, 52 (x2), 54, 55 (x2), 57 (x2), 59 (x2), 60, 61, 62 (x2), 66 (x3), 67 (x2), 68 (x3), 75, 76 (x2), 77 (x3), 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 87 (x2), 88 (x2), 89 (x4), 140 (x3), 143 |
Higgaion
Higgaion is only used once in the Bible, which is in conjunction with Selah in Psalm 9:16. It is used inline and not in a heading. It’s (in English, anyway) very closely related to Shiggaion. Could there be some relation?
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| Psalm 9:16 | The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah |
Selah
The meaning of Selah is a mystery. The most widely considered interpretations, as far as I can tell, is that Selah indicates a pause or musical interlude.
Selah is by far the most common unknown musical term in Psalms with 71 usages. Unlike the other musical terms used in Psalms (besides Higgaion), Selah is never used in a chapter heading, but instead inline. It is at the end of the verse all but twice (55:19 and 57:3). The usage in 57:3 looks like it could have been split into two verses, but the usage in 55:19 really seems to split a thought. There is no usage of Selah in between those two usages.
It is used at most 4 times in a given chapter (Psalm 89). There is perhaps notably a 40 chapter span from Psalm 90-139 where Selah is never used.
In Psalm 9:16, it’s used in conjunction with Higgaion, which is the only time Higgaion is in the Bible.
Selah is notably used not just in Psalms, but in Habakkuk 3 verses 3, 9, and 13 (also below).
| Reference | Verse |
|---|---|
| Psalm 3:2 | many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah |
| Psalm 3:4 | I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah |
| Psalm 3:8 | Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! Selah |
| Psalm 4:2 | O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah |
| Psalm 4:4 | Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah |
| Psalm 7:5 | let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah |
| Psalm 9:16 | The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah |
| Psalm 9:20 | Put them in fear, O Lord! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah |
| Psalm 20:3 | May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah |
| Psalm 21:2 | You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah |
| Psalm 24:6 | Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah |
| Psalm 24:10 | Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah |
| Psalm 32:4 | For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah |
| Psalm 32:5 | I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah |
| Psalm 32:7 | You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah |
| Psalm 39:5 | Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah |
| Psalm 39:11 | When you discipline a man with rebukes for sin, you consume like a moth what is dear to him; surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah |
| Psalm 44:9 | In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah |
| psalm 46:3 | though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah |
| Psalm 46:7 | The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah |
| Psalm 46:11 | The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah |
| Psalm 47:4 | He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah |
| Psalm 48:8 | As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever. Selah |
| Psalm 49:13 | This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah |
| Psalm 49:15 | But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah |
| Psalm 50:6 | The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Selah |
| Psalm 52:3 | You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah |
| Psalm 52:5 | But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah |
| Psalm 54:3 | For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves. Selah |
| Psalm 55:7 | yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah |
| Psalm 55:19 | God will give ear and humble them, he who is enthroned from of old, Selah because they do not change and do not fear God. |
| Psalm 57:3 | He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness! |
| Psalm 57:6 | They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah |
| Psalm 59:5 | You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel. Rouse yourself to punish all the nations; spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah |
| Psalm 59:13 | consume them in wrath; consume them till they are no more, that they may know that God rules over Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah |
| Psalm 60:4 | You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow. Selah |
| Psalm 61:4 | Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah |
| Psalm 62:4 | They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah |
| Psalm 62:8 | Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah |
| Psalm 66:4 | All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” Selah |
| Psalm 66:7 | who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah |
| Psalm 66:15 | I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah |
| Psalm 67:1b | May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah |
| Psalm 67:4 | Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah |
| Psalm 68:7 | O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, Selah |
| Psalm 68:19 | Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah |
| Psalm 68:32 | O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord, Selah |
| Psalm 75:3 | When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah |
| Psalm 76:3 | There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah |
| Psalm 76:9 | when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth. Selah |
| Psalm 77:3 | When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah |
| Psalm 77:9 | Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah |
| Psalm 77:15 | You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah |
| Psalm 81:7 | In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah |
| Psalm 82:2 | “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah |
| Psalm 83:8 | Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah |
| Psalm 84:4 | Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah |
| Psalm 84:8 | O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah |
| Psalm 85:2 | You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah |
| Psalm 87:3 | Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah |
| Psalm 87:6 | The Lord records as he registers the peoples, “This one was born there.” Selah |
| Psalm 88:7 | Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah |
| Psalm 88:10 | Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah |
| Psalm 89:3 | ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah |
| Psalm 89:37 | Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah |
| Psalm 89:45 | You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. Selah |
| Psalm 89:48 | What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah |
| Psalm 140:3 | They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s, and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah |
| Psalm 140:5 | The arrogant have hidden a trap for me, and with cords they have spread a net; beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah |
| Psalm 140:8 | Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; do not further their evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah |
| Psalm 143:6 | I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah |
| Habakkuk 3:3 | God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. |
| Habakkuk 3:9 | You stripped the sheath from your bow, calling for many arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers. |
| Habakkuk 3:13 | You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah |