The Evolution of Old Testament ReligionOrchard, W. E. (William Edwin)
Religion
The Evolution of Old Testament Religion
Orchard, W. E. (William Edwin)
Bible. Old Testament -- Theology; Judaism -- History -- To 70 A.D.
assumption that these are musical terms, we have three classes of them
in the Psalms. One class apparently gives directions for the tune to
which the Psalm is to be sung, and this tune is named, like some modern
hymn tunes, after the words with which the tune had been originally
or customarily associated; these appear to have been popular songs,
not necessarily of an entirely religious character (Ps. lvi., R.V.
title: "set to Jonath elem rehokim"; mar. translates: "The silent dove
of them that are afar off"; Ps. lvii., lviii.: "set to Al tashheth,"
which means: "Do not destroy." In the Septuagint the setting of Ps.
lxx. has been altered to: "Save me, O Lord"). Other titles seem to
direct the voice to be used in singing, as either falsetto or bass (Ps.
xlvi., "set to Alamoth"; probably maiden-like voices, and as women
took no part in the service of the choirs, this must refer either to
tenor, or male falsetto; Ps. vi., xii., "set to the Sheminith." R.V.
mar., "the eighth." This is probably the octave or bass voice). Two
references are to be found to the instrumental accompaniment to be
used, as either stringed or wind instruments (Ps. iv., vi., etc.,
"on stringed instruments"; Ps. v., "with the Nehiloth," mar., "wind
instruments"). The much discussed meaning of _Selah_ is most probably
to be sought in a musical direction. The word means: "lift up." The
Septuagint translates, "interlude," but many other versions (Version
of Aquila, Syriac Peshitto, Jerome and the Targum) translate, "for
ever." This duplicate translation suggests the very possible clue
that at the places where _Selah_ appears, the Psalm might be ended,
if desired, and the "for ever," or the doxology, which was usually
sung at the end of the Psalm and which is found at the end of each
book, could be taken there. As completed, the Psalter is therefore a
book with directions for a fully organised and choral worship, and
we have to seek for a time when such a worship was in existence. The
difficulty is that these musical directions are somewhat rare and
are not found in the later books, but only in connection with those
Psalms entitled, "for the Director." As the instruments mentioned are
only of the simplest kind and not of the varied character used in the
ornate worship of the Temple (cxlix. 3; cl. 3-5), and as by the time
the Greek translation was made (150 B.C.), their significance was
forgotten, we have to put the final edition long after the founding of
synagogue worship, in which the Director's Psalm Book was first used,
and at some period when there had been a complete change in musical
practice. This demands a time when Hellenistic culture had moulded even
the Temple worship. (The Jews were under Greek influence and rule from
B.C. 333 to B.C. 63.) The time from which a full choral service was in
use in the Temple is to be carried back, according to the Chronicler,
to the time of Solomon and David, but a comparison with the earlier
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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