“Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.”
My Notes
What Does Psalms 33:2 Mean?
"Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings." The psalmist commands worship with specific instruments: the harp (kinnor — a lyre), the psaltery (nevel — a larger stringed instrument), and an instrument of ten strings (asor — possibly a ten-stringed harp or zither). The specificity isn't restrictive — it's expansive. Every type of stringed instrument available is deployed. The worship is full-spectrum, using every tool the musicians have.
The command to praise with instruments establishes that musical worship isn't optional or supplementary — it's commanded. The physical act of playing an instrument is itself an act of obedience. The music isn't just the vehicle for words. The music itself is the offering.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How do you view music in worship — as decoration before the 'real' content, or as commanded praise?
- 2.What 'instrument' (skill, craft, tool) do you have that could be directed toward God as an act of worship?
- 3.Why does the psalm specify multiple instruments rather than just commanding praise in general?
- 4.How does treating music as a commanded offering change how musicians approach their craft?
Devotional
Harp. Psaltery. Ten strings. The psalm doesn't say "praise God however you feel like it." It names instruments. It specifies tools. It treats musical worship as a craft requiring specific equipment and practiced skill.
This matters because we sometimes treat worship music as decoration — something that happens before the real content (the sermon) begins. The psalmist treats it as a command equal to any other: praise the LORD with harp. That's not a suggestion. It's an imperative. The harp is as much a tool of obedience as a prayer is.
The specificity of instruments — three different kinds in a single verse — says something about the richness God wants in worship. Not one note. Not one sound. A full palette. The kinnor for melody. The nevel for depth. The ten-stringed instrument for complexity. God isn't satisfied with monotone worship. He designed human ears to hear harmony, counterpoint, and texture. And he wants all of it directed toward him.
The music itself is the offering. Not just the lyrics carried by the music. The physical act of drawing a bow across strings, of plucking with practiced fingers, of producing beauty through discipline and skill — that's worship. The carpenter who builds a beautiful cabinet for God's house is worshipping with wood. The musician who plays a beautiful passage for God's glory is worshipping with strings.
Whatever instrument you play — literal or metaphorical — play it for him. Not as a preliminary to worship. As worship itself.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Praise the Lord with harp,.... An instrument David was well skilled in the use of, the inventor of which was Jubal, Gen…
Praise the Lord with harp - For a description of the “harp,” see the notes at Isa 5:12. Sing unto him with the psaltery…
Four things the psalmist expresses in these verses:
I. The great desire he had that God might be praised. He did not…
Give thanks unto the Lord with harp:
Sing praises unto him with the psaltery of ten strings (R.V.).
The harp and…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture