Cymbals

Biblical Texts

Cymbals appear chiefly in passages describing Israel's worship music.

• The moving of the Ark: David and the people played cymbals, along with harps, psalteries, and timbrels, before the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6:5; 1 Chronicles 13:8).
• The organization of the Levitical singers: David appointed Heman, Asaph, and Ethan from among the Levites "to sound with cymbals of brass" (1 Chronicles 15:19). After the Ark was placed in the tent, the text records that "Asaph made a sound with cymbals" (1 Chronicles 16:5). Another passage records that the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun were responsible for harps, psalteries, and cymbals (1 Chronicles 25:1, 6).
• Ceremonies connected with the temple: Cymbals were used at the dedication of Solomon's temple (2 Chronicles 5:12–13), at Hezekiah's restoration of worship (2 Chronicles 29:25), at the laying of the temple's foundation after the return from exile (Ezra 3:10), and at the dedication of the wall in the time of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 12:27).
• Psalm 150:5: "Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals."

Background and Terminology

Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah use the Hebrew word metziltayim, while 2 Samuel 6:5 and Psalm 150:5 use tseltselim. Both words are generally thought to derive from a root meaning "to ring" or "to clang." Metziltayim is a dual form denoting a pair, and so it is understood to refer to an instrument played by striking two pieces together. As the expression "cymbals of brass" in 1 Chronicles 15:19 indicates, the instruments were made of bronze.

Jegeum, the term used in Korean Bibles, is the name of a traditional Korean brass percussion instrument; Korean translators borrowed the name of an instrument familiar to Korean readers. Some modern Korean translations render the term as "cymbals" instead.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

In the Old Testament, cymbals were temple instruments entrusted to the Levitical singers and are associated with the community's joyful and thankful praise before God. The New Testament does not mention cymbals as instruments of worship. However, the "tinkling cymbal" of 1 Corinthians 13:1 translates the Greek kymbalon, meaning cymbal, which is also the word the Septuagint uses to render the Hebrew terms for cymbals. Paul used this word figuratively to show that spiritual gifts without love are nothing more than noise (the Love Chapter).

Interpretation and Debate

Scholars differ on whether the two kinds of cymbals in Psalm 150:5 are two instruments of different sizes or the same instrument played in different ways. Some hold that cymbals served as a signal marking the beginning of a song or the divisions between its sections, but the text does not say so directly.

Traditions also differ on how temple instruments relate to Christian worship today. Most churches cite Psalm 150 and similar passages as grounds for using instruments in worship. By contrast, some Reformed traditions and some Churches of Christ that practice a cappella singing regard temple instruments as part of the Old Testament ceremonial order fulfilled in Christ and are cautious about using instruments in worship. John Calvin, in his commentary on the Psalms, is also reported to have regarded temple instruments as belonging to the era of the law (worship music controversy).

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, Psalm 150 is frequently cited when explaining the use of drums and percussion by praise teams or the practice of praise gatherings. The Chronicles passages on the Levitical singers are commonly used in sermons for choir dedication services or on the ministry of praise.