g) Technical Terms in the Psalm Titles
With each term we will give, in parenthesis, an example of each.
i)
Types of Psalms
(1)
Mizmor:
psalm, song rendered to accompaniment of instrumental music; from zamar, to
pluck. 57 psalms so labeled (Ps. 3).
(2)
Shir: song;
simply a general term for vocal music. 27 psalms (of these, 15 are called shir- hamma'aloth or song of ascents) (Ps.
120).
(3)
Maskil:
didactic poem, contemplative poem. 13
psalms (Ps. 32).
(4)
Mikhtam:
disputed. Might signify "a song of
covering or atoning for sin. 6 psalms
(Ps. 16).
(5)
Tepillah:
prayer. 5 psalms (Ps. 17,86,90,102,142).
(6)
Tehillah:
song of praise. 5 psalms (Ps. 145).
(7)
Shiggayon:
irregular or wandering song. (Ps 7 &
Hab 3).
ii)
Musical terms in the titles
(1)
Lammenasseah:
to the choir leader (chief musician; Ps. 11,140).
(2)
Neginot:
stringed instruments or songs to be sung to the accompaniment of stringed instruments
(Ps. 55).
(3)
Nehillot:
wind instruments (Ps. 5).
(4)
Sheminit:
either an 8-string lute or possibly "an octave" (Ps. 12).
(5)
Elamoth:
maidens; may mean soprano or high pitch (cf. 1 Chron 15:20; Ps. 46).
(6)
Mahalath:
sickness/grief, may thus imply a song of lament (Ps. 53).
iii)
Melody indicators
(1)
al mut lab-ben (Ps 9), may indicate some well-known
song beginning w/the words, "The death of a son...".
(2)
al-ayyelet hash-shahar
means acc to the hind of the morning (Ps 22).
(3)
Shushan or el shoshannim would refer to the lily
& perhaps signified "to the lilies" (Ps. 60,80).
(4)
al tashhet seems
to mean "do not destroy", apparently a well-known song that began
with these words & its melody was to be followed here (Ps. 57,58,59,75).
(5)
al Yonat elem rehoqim
apparently means "according to a dove of silence those who are afar
off..." (Ps. 56).
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