Bible Word Study
ψαλμός
psalmos · a psalm
ψαλμός
a psalm
Definition
In the New Testament, ψαλμός (psalmos) primarily refers to a sacred song or hymn, specifically one from the Hebrew Psalter, the book of Psalms. It denotes a song of praise, often accompanied by stringed instruments, used in worship. In passages like Luke 20:42 and Acts 1:20, it directly cites the Hebrew Psalms as Scripture. In a broader liturgical sense, as seen in 1 Corinthians 14:26 and Ephesians 5:19, it refers to a spiritual song contributed by believers for mutual edification and praise within the Christian assembly.
Biblical Usage
The word is used seven times, predominantly in Luke-Acts and the Pauline epistles. In Luke 24:44 and Acts 13:33, it refers to the entire book of Psalms as prophetic Scripture fulfilled in Christ. In the epistles (1 Corinthians 14:26, Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16), it describes a specific type of spontaneous or prepared song used in corporate worship, listed alongside 'hymns' and 'spiritual songs' as a means of teaching and admonishing believers.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek verb ψάλλω (psallō, G5567), meaning 'to pluck' or 'to play a stringed instrument.' Thus, a ψαλμός originally meant a song sung to the accompaniment of a harp or lyre. This root meaning carried into its biblical usage, emphasizing the musical and worshipful nature of these compositions.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it connects the worship of the New Testament church directly to the Hebrew Scriptures, affirming the Psalter's ongoing relevance. It highlights the role of the Psalms as prophetic testimony to Jesus Christ (Luke 24:44). Furthermore, its usage in Paul's letters underscores the importance of diverse, Spirit-led musical expression for building up the body of Christ in truth and wisdom (Colossians 3:16). In the Greco-Roman world, the term could refer to any song accompanied by a stringed instrument. However, in the Jewish and early Christian context, it became almost exclusively associated with the sacred songs of the Hebrew Bible. For the early church, these were not merely poems but inspired Scripture, integral to prayer, prophecy, and Christological understanding. ᾠδή (ōdē, G5603) — a more general term for a song or ode, used for both secular and sacred songs. ὕμνος (hymnos, G5215) — a hymn, a song of praise specifically directed to God or Christ.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). Concordance and morphology data are derived from the interlinear Bible.
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]