Shigionoth

Occurrence in Scripture

Shigionoth appears once, in Habakkuk 3:1. The King James Version renders the verse "A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth." Habakkuk 3 is both a prayer and a song. It looks back on what God has done in the past and asks Him to deliver His people once again. The chapter closes at Habakkuk 3:19 with the note "To the chief singer on my stringed instruments." Selah appears in verses 3, 9, and 13 of the same chapter. Taken together, the superscription, the reference to the chief singer, and the presence of Selah suggest that Habakkuk 3, like the Psalms, was arranged to be sung in congregational worship.

Shiggaion, thought to be the singular form of the same word, appears in the superscription of Psalm 7. The King James Version renders this superscription "Shiggaion of David." In this psalm, David, pursued by his enemies, asks God for righteous judgment.

Meaning and Background of the Word

Shigionoth is generally regarded as a musical term attached to a superscription. As with Selah, its exact meaning is unknown. Scholars have proposed several explanations:

• Derivation from "to wander": This view links the word to the Hebrew verb shagah ("to wander, to stagger"). On this reading, it denotes a song of intense emotion with an irregular rhythm or flow.
• A lament: This view connects the word to a term meaning "lament, wailing" in Akkadian, a language of ancient Mesopotamia. On this reading, it denotes a song form expressing sorrow or earnest longing.
• The name of a tune or instrument: This view takes the word to refer to a melody or manner of performance used when the song was sung.

The Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation, is reported to render the word in Habakkuk 3:1 with an expression meaning "with song." This suggests that its translators likewise understood the word broadly as "song" rather than in a more specific sense.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

Shigionoth does not recur in the New Testament. The word does show, however, that a prophetic book could contain a prayer that was sung. For this reason, it is understood as evidence that prayer and praise went together in Old Testament worship. The New Testament likewise exhorts believers to teach one another and praise God in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16).

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

There are no clear denominational differences in the interpretation of Shigionoth. Sermons and devotional books, however, sometimes assign the word a definite meaning, such as "a song in which sorrow turns to joy" or "a song overflowing with emotion." Such readings adopt one of the theories described above; the text itself does not state the meaning.

In the Korean Church

The word Shigionoth itself is rarely used. Habakkuk 3, which bears the word in its superscription, is frequently cited in preaching, especially verses 17–19, as a passage expressing a faith that rejoices in God even in hardship.