Harp
“From a root meaning to give forth a tremulous sound, like a vibrating string”
Summary
The harp (Hebrew kinnor) was the national stringed instrument of the Hebrews, used prominently in worship and celebration, with its invention attributed to Jubal before the flood.
☩Origin and Description
The harp was the earliest of all musical instruments, with the writer of Genesis assigning its invention to Jubal during the antediluvian period. The Hebrew kinnor was the national instrument of the Hebrews and was well known throughout Asia. Josephus records that the harp had ten strings and was played with a plectrum, though David is said to have played it with his hand. There appears to have been both a smaller portable harp and a larger instrument with more strings.
☩Use in Worship
The harp was prominently used in the worship of God. David organized Levitical musicians who prophesied with harps, and the instrument was essential to temple services. The Psalms frequently call for praise upon the harp, and it accompanied songs of thanksgiving and celebration. The 'harp on the Sheminith' mentioned in Chronicles was likely an eight-stringed instrument.
☩Expression of Joy and Sorrow
Unlike the Greeks who associated the lyre with mourning, the Hebrews used the kinnor primarily on occasions of joy and praise. When the Jewish exiles hung their harps on the willows of Babylon, it symbolized the impossibility of singing the Lord's song in a foreign land. Job describes his harp as 'turned to mourning' when grief pressed upon him—not that the instrument was lugubrious, but that it was set aside during affliction.
☩David and the Harp
David was renowned for his skill on the harp, which he used to drive away Saul's evil spirit. The skill of the Jews on the kinnor reached its highest perfection in the age of David, and the effects of his performances are described as truly marvelous. He organized the temple musicians and elevated music to an important place in Israel's worship. Under David, the harp became an important adjunct to the 'schools of the prophets.'
☩Harps in Heaven
The harp is remarkable for being the only musical instrument referred to symbolically as being in heaven. In John's apocalyptic vision, the twenty-four elders have harps, and the voice heard is described as that of 'harpers harping with their harps.' The victors over the beast stand with 'harps of God' to sing His praise—symbolizing the perfect worship of the redeemed.
Related Verses59 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Harp," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Hastings (ed.), "Harp," in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1915–1918).
- 3.George Morrish, "Harp," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Harp," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).