lyre

The musical instrument that is most often translated as “lyre” or “lute” in English is translated in the following ways:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016: pangwe (a musical instrument that is made from a hollow tube filled with pellets or small stones to create a rain-like sound) or “five stringed instrument” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “guitar” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “sitar ” (source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Adilabad Gondi: chondka (source: Adilabad Gondi Back-Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde: marimba (source: Nyakyusa-Ngonde back translation)

In the UBS Helps for Translators‘ Human-made Things in the Bible (original title: The Works of Their Hands: Man-made Things in the Bible) it says the following:

Description: The lyre consisted of a sound box out of the ends or sides of which projected two arms. The arms supported a crosspiece. Strings descended from the crosspiece over the sound box. As with the nevel, the number of strings could vary. Their varying thickness and tension gave the instrument a range of notes. The lyre was normally made of wood. The strings were made of animal intestines (perhaps from sheep).

Usage: The strings were normally plucked with the fingers. The kinor in particular is frequently depicted as an instrument that accompanied singing.

Job 21:12: For the stringed instrument (kinor in Hebrew) accompanying the tambourine, French Common Language Version has “guitar” and the French La Bible de Jérusalem has “zither,” which seems to be an instrument used in 1 Samuel 10:5. The first line of this verse may also be rendered “The children sing as people play the tambourine and the lyre.” In some languages these instruments will be a local drum and a stringed instrument; the latter may be a guitar. If no instruments can be found to render any of the instruments in this verse, the translator may have to express the whole verse differently; for example, “The children dance and sing and make joyful sounds/music.”

The identity of the instrument called sabka’ in Aramaic in Daniel (Hebrew) is uncertain. New Revised Standard Version, updated edition renders it “trigon,” which is a small triangular lyre-type instrument with four strings. Probably trigon is technically correct, but it is unknown to the average English reader. Good News Translation has attempted to find a better-known equivalent with “zither,” but the zither has far too many strings (over thirty). Some translations use “lyre” for sabka’ and render the Aramaic word qathros before it as “zither”. Revised English Bible has “triangle,” but most readers will wrongly identify that as a percussion instrument. Common English Version avoids the problem by rendering only the first three instruments in the list and grouping the last three together, including sabka’ as follows: “Trumpets, flutes, harps, and all other kinds of musical instruments.”

Lyre (source: Knowles, revised by Bass (c) British and Foreign Bible Society 1994)

Quoted with permission.

large lyre / harp

The musical instrument that is most often translated as “harp” or “large lyre” in English is translated in the following ways:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016: “two stringed instrument” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “instruments which have strings to praise you,” “beautiful to-be-listened-to instruments,” or kudyapi (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Newari: sarəngi (source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Adilabad Gondi: karnaat (source: Adilabad Gondi Back-Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde: zeze (source: Nyakyusa-Ngonde back translation)
  • Mairasi: kecapi (“like a ukulele”) (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Natügu: “ukulele” (source: Brenda Boerger in Open Theology 2016, p. 179ff. )
  • Cherokee: “musical instrument made of suspended wires” (source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 16)

In the UBS Helps for Translators‘ Human-made Things in the Bible (original title: The Works of Their Hands: Man-made Things in the Bible) it says the following:

Description: The exact identification of the nevel is very problematic. Some take it to be a kind of harp. The harp consisted of a neck projecting out of a soundbox. Strings were stretched from the extremity of the neck down its length and into the sound box. The body of the harp was made of wood and its strings of animal intestines (perhaps from sheep). The number of strings varied.

Others place the nevel in the category of lyres, where the strings are stretched over top of and parallel to the soundbox. While this is the interpretation preferred here, we will discuss the harp-type of instrument, since the identification is problematic and many translations have preferred “harp” for nevel.

Usage: The strings were plucked either with the fingers or with a thin piece of ivory or metal to give a resonating sound, probably in a lower register than that made by the kinor.

Translation: In several Psalms (33.2; 92.3; 144.9), the nevel is linked to the Hebrew word ‘asor, which could indicate it was “ten-stringed.”

Some degree of cultural adaptation must be made in the translation of these stringed instruments since cultures differ from each other in the shape, the number of strings, and the function of their instruments. Translators will have to select an equivalent instrument in the receptor language. In most passages the most accurate translation for nevel will be “guitar” or some equivalent medium-sized stringed instrument on which the strings are stretched over a sound box and are plucked.

In those passages where nevel and kinor appear together it is recommended that the translator use an instrument that can vary in size and then render the two words as “large and small X,” for example, “large and small guitars.” Alternately, it may be possible to select two stringed instruments that are similar in construction but different in size, for example, “guitar and lute.” It is also possible to say “large and small stringed instruments” or to combine the two, saying “stringed instruments.”

Psalms 33:2: “Praise the LORD with the lyre” (New Revised Standard Version, updated edition) contains two major translation problems. The first problem is that in many languages, the phrase “with the lyre” must be changed into a verb phrase or clause; for example, the whole line may be rendered “Praise the LORD by playing music on the lyre” or “Make music with the lyre, and praise the LORD.” The second problem, which applies also to the second line of this verse, is the terms to be used for the musical instruments here. In languages in which there are several stringed instruments, translators may use one of the smaller ones for kinor (“lyre”) and a larger one for nevel (“harp” in New Revised Standard Version, updated edition). In languages where there is little or no choice, they should use the known local stringed instrument for the kinor, and a more generic expression for the nevel. Where there are no known stringed instruments, it will often be necessary to say “small instruments with strings” for kinor and “large instruments with strings” for nevel.

Harp (source: Knowles, revised by Bass (c) British and Foreign Bible Society 1994)

Quoted with permission.

cymbals

The musical instrument that is most often translated as “cymbals” in English is translated in the following ways:

  • Laarim: “jingles” (source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Uma: “drum” (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “tin” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “bamboo clapper” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “percussion-instrument” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “rattling decoration” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Kupsabiny: “drum sticks” (source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Paicî: “cooking pot lid” (in 1 Cor. 13:1) (Source: Ian Flaws)
  • Natügu: “smacking things” and “banging things” (in Psalm 150:5) (source: Brenda Boerger in Open Theology 2016, p. 179ff. )

In the UBS Helps for Translators‘ Human-made Things in the Bible (original title: The Works of Their Hands: Man-made Things in the Bible) it says the following:

Description: Cymbals were a percussion instrument consisting of two metal discs that were struck together in order to make a shrill, clashing sound. There were two types of cymbals: (1) flat metal plates that were struck together, and (2) metal cones, one of which was brought down on top of the other, on the open end.

Translation: The equivalent of “cymbal” in many languages is a phrase such as “loud metal.”

Cymbals (source: Susan Mitford (c) British and Foreign Bible Society 1986)

Quoted with permission.

See also clanging cymbal.

complete verse (1 Chronicles 16:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 16:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “The person who was leading those people was Asaph. He was beating sticks. And his assistants were Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel. Those people were playing lyres.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Their leader was Asaph. And his assistant was Zechariah. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, [and] Obed-edom were chosen to play the lute. Asaph sounded the cymbals.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Asaf was the (one who) leads them and he was the one-to-sound the cymbals. Next to him was Zacarias, then Jiel, Shemiramot, Jehiel, Matitia, Eliab, Benaya, Obed Edom, and Jiel. They were the ones-to-play the lyres and harps.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Asaph, who played the cymbals, was their leader. Zechariah was his assistant. The other descendants of Levi who helped Asaph were Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They played lyres and harps.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 16:5

Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah … is literally “Asaph was the chief and his second was Zechariah….” The Septuagint, followed by Klein, says “Asaph was the leader and those second to him were Zechariah….” The words chief and second may be better translated as verbs in some languages. Parole de Vie, for example, translates “Asaph directed them and Zechariah helped him.” To be a chief in this context means to lead in worship.

The people named here are mostly the same as in 1 Chr 15.17-18, with some omissions and some changes in spelling. The Revised Standard Version punctuation is ambiguous as to whether the nine individuals named after Asaph were all his assistants or whether Zechariah (Hebrew “Zecharya”) alone was his assistant (so Good News Translation, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). The punctuation of the Masoretic Text favors the interpretation in Good News Translation, so Zechariah should not be included among those who play harps and lyres.

The name Je-iel occurs twice. The first time it should probably be spelled “Jaaziel” (New Century Version, New English Bible/Revised English Bible, Klein) as in 1 Chr 15.18.

Who were to play harps and lyres: For harps and lyres, see the comments on 1 Chr 13.8. Other translations of these two instruments include “harps and zithers” (American Bible) and “lutes and harps” (New English Bible). If the receptor language does not have different instruments that correspond to these two musical instruments, a translation such as “stringed instruments” ( NET Bible) is acceptable.

Asaph was to sound the cymbals is literally “and Asaph with cymbals causing to hear” or “… with cymbals making oneself heard.” For cymbals see the comments on 1 Chr 13.8.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Chronicles 16:5

16:5a Asaph was the chief, Zechariah was second,

Asaph was the head, and Zechariah was next to him in rank.
-or-

⌊David chose⌋ Asaph to lead ⌊the other Levites, and he chose⌋ Zechariah to assist him.

16:5b then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel.

⌊They were followed by⌋ Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel.
-or-

⌊The other Levites who assisted them were⌋ Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel.

16:5c They were to play the harps and lyres,

They played the ⌊stringed music instruments called⌋ lyres and harps.
-or-

⌊They chose these other Levites⌋ to play the ⌊stringed music instruments called⌋ harps and lyres.

16:5d while Asaph sounded the cymbals

Asaph sounded the ⌊metal discs called⌋ cymbals.
-or-

⌊They also chose⌋ Asaph to strike the bronze discs, ⌊causing a crashing⌋ sound.

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