ψαλ-μός G5568
A psalm; a sacred song originally sung to stringed accompaniment, used for OT Psalms and Christian worship songs.
Greek psalmós originally referred to the twanging of a stringed instrument and came to denote a song sung to such accompaniment. In the New Testament it serves double duty: it names the biblical book of Psalms when Jesus and the apostles cite Scripture (Luke 20:42; Acts 1:20; Acts 13:33), and it describes a spontaneous worship song contributed during a Christian gathering (1 Cor 14:26). Spanish Salmos and French psaume are direct descendants of this Greek term, preserving the link between musical performance and sacred text.
Senses
1. psalm / sacred song — A psalm or sacred song sung to stringed accompaniment — encompassing both references to the Old Testament book of Psalms as authoritative Scripture (Luke 20:42, 'David himself says in the book of Psalms'; Acts 13:33, 'as it is written in the second Psalm') and the practice of singing psalms in early Christian worship (1 Cor 14:26, 'each one has a psalm'). The etymological root in plucking strings (psallō) is preserved in Spanish Salmos and French psaume, both loanwords from this Greek original. 7×
AR["المَزاميرِ", "المَزَامِيرِ", "بِمَزاميرَ", "مَزاميرَ", "مَزمورٌ", "مَزمورِ"]·ben["গীতসমূহে", "গীতে", "পুস্তকে", "বললেন", "সঙ্গীত"]·DE["Psalm", "Ψαλμῶν", "ψαλμοῖς", "ψαλμῶν", "ψαλμῷ"]·EN["Psalms", "a-psalm", "of-Psalms", "psalm", "psalms", "with-psalms"]·FR["psaume", "ψαλμοῖς"]·heb["מִזְמוֹר", "מִזְמוֹרִים", "תְּהִלִּים"]·HI["भजन", "भजनों", "भजनों-की", "भजनोन", "हो-जाए"]·ID["Mazmur", "Mazmur,", "mazmur", "mazmur-mazmur,"]·IT["psalmois", "psalmon", "salmo"]·jav["Masmur", "Masmur,", "Mazmur,", "kidung", "masmur", "mazmur", "mazmur,"]·KO["시편-의", "시편들", "시편들-과", "시편들에서", "시편에서", "시편의", "찬송을"]·PT["dos-Salmos", "salmo", "salmos", "salmos,"]·RU["Псалмах", "Псалмов,", "псалмами", "псалмах,", "псалме", "псалмов", "псалом"]·ES["Salmos", "con-salmos", "de-Salmos", "de-salmos", "salmo", "salmos"]·SW["cha-Zaburi", "cha-zaburi", "kwa-zaburi", "zaburi"]·TR["Mezmurlar", "Mezmurlarda", "Mezmurların", "ilahi", "mezmurda", "mezmurlarla", "ve-"]·urd["زبور", "زبور-کی", "زبوروں", "زبُور"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ψαλ-μός, ὁ, twitching or twanging with the fingers, ψαλμοὶ τόξων Refs 5th c.BC+ __II mostly of musical strings, πηκτίδων ψαλμοῖς κρέκον ὕμνον Refs 4th c.BC+ __II.2 the sound of the cithara or harp, Refs 5th c.BC+; there were contests in τὸ ψάλλειν, Refs 2nd c.BC+ __II.3 later, song sung to the harp, psalm, LXX+NT