The musical instrument that is most often translated as “flute” or “pipe” in English is more or less universally used, so it’s typically translated directly with the applicable term.
Since its cultural significance is sometimes different it might be translated with a different instruments is some cases (see also below). When in Matthew 11:17 and Luke 7:32 the flute is mentioned as an instrument played at a wedding, the Chichewa (interconfessional translation, 1999) translates it as “we played the wedding drum for you” (source: Wendland 1987, p. 74), the Yakan and Kankanaey translations use “gongs” (source: Yakan and Kankanaey Back Translations), in Western Bukidnon Manobo “drumming” is used (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation), and in Tagbanwa “stringed-instruments” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).
Or in Jeremiah 48:36 where the flute is used for mourning, Bassa uses “funeral drum” (source: Newman / Stine) or Hiligaynon, while using “flute,” makes the meaning explicit: “like a lonely music of a flute for the dead” (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation).
Description: The flute was a wind instrument consisting of a tube with a series of finger holes used to alter the tone. Some flutes were made of reed and could take several forms: the tube could be a cylinder or it could be more in the shape of a cone. There were instruments made of a single tube, while others had two tubes side by side. Often ancient double flutes or double pipes were arranged in a V-shape, with two separate reeds. One of these pipes had several holes while the other had only one hole and acted as a kind of drone, providing an unchanging tone to accompany the varying tones coming from the first pipe. Some pipes or flutes were made of other materials, such as wood, ivory, bone, or metal.
Usage: Sound was produced with the flute by blowing across an opening leading into a hole running inside the length of the instrument; in some cases the opening hole was in the end of the instrument while in others this hole was in the side of the instrument toward one end. With the reed pipe, on the other hand, a column of air was set in motion by blowing over a reed device, causing it to vibrate.
Translation: If there is no wind instrument available to translate “flute,” a different kind of wind instrument may be used.
The Hebrew word ‘ugav is usually understood to refer to a wind instrument. It is possible, however, that it is a generic term for “instrument” or even refers to a particular stringed instrument. In Job 21:12 and Job 30:31 it is identified as an instrument that expressed joy and contentment.
Psalms 5:1: The Hebrew word nchiloth appears only here in the Old Testament, and its meaning is uncertain. It may mean “wind instruments” in general or “flutes” in particular. Extra-biblical evidence indicates that it may have been an instrument played for funeral laments.
Matthew 9:23: Here NRSVue has “flute players”: According to Jewish tradition, even the poorest people were expected to have two flute players and a wailing woman for a funeral. In order to clarify the role of the flute players Good News Translation adds “for the funeral.” This information was immediately evident to a Jewish reader who was familiar with the funeral customs, but it will not be clear to other readers. Many cultures are familiar with the flute or other instruments that are played by blowing through a wooden tube. If no such instrument exists, then translators can say “those who played musical instruments for a funeral” or, as in Good News Translation, “musicians for the funeral.” See also flute players.
Men playing flutes (source: Louise Bass (c) British and Foreign Bible Society 1994)
Image taken from the Wiedmann Bible. For more information about the images and ways to adopt them, see here . For other images of Willy Wiedmann paintings in TIPs, see here.
Painting by Sawai Chinnawong, used with permission by the Overseas Ministries Study Center (OMSC) at Princeton Theological Seminary. You can purchase this and many other artworks by artists in residence at the OSMC in high resolution and without a watermark via the OSMC website .
“Sawai Chinnawong of Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, [is] an ethnic Mon whose Buddhist ancestors migrated to Thailand from Myanmar, Mr. Chinnawong committed his life to Christ while in his twenties. Today he is a member of the United Church of Christ of Thailand. His love for art began when he was a child in Thailand when he saw some old men painting on a Buddhist temple wall. He says he would watch them for hours each day. Sawai’s interest in art persisted into adulthood, and he studied art in a vocational school in Bangkok, Thailand. It was at this time that Sawai became a Christian. He says that a missionary was witnessing on the street one day, and soon after, he began to study the Bible every day after art class.
“After completing his art studies, Sawai attended the McGilvary Faculty of Theology at Payap University in Chiang Mai. He was deeply influenced by a series of lectures on the history of Christian Art given there in 1984 by artist and professor Nalini Jayasuriya, another of our OMSC artists. He began creating liturgical art while attending seminary, and designed the artwork for the chapel there. Today his art is appreciated in many places for its portrayal of Christian themes through a Thai graphic idiom that is inspired by Thai culture.
“‘My work represents influences from many styles…I believe Jesus Christ is present in every culture, and I have chosen to celebrate his presence in our lives through Thai traditional cultural forms. My belief is that Jesus did not choose just one people to hear his Word, but chose to make his home in every human heart. And just as his Word may be spoken in every language, so the visual message can be shared in the beauty of the many styles of artistry around the world.’ (Sawai Chinnawong” (Source )
For more images by Sawai Chinnawong in TIPs see here.
The following is a stained glass window in the Chichester Cathedral in England by Marc Chagall from 1967:
Photo by Jules & Jenny, hosted by Wikimedia Common under the cc-by-2.0 license
Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 150:4:
Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“Praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with strings and flutes.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Newari:
“Praise Him by beating the drum and dancing.
Praise Him playing the lute and the flute.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“[You (plur.)] praise him by-means-of tambourines/[tamborin] and dancing.
[You (plur.)] praise him by-means-of instruments which have strings and flutes/[plawta].” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Laarim:
“you (plur.) praise him with jingles and dance,
praise him with harps and flutes,” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Muwe mnamsifu na ngoma na kucheza,
muwe mnamsifu na ngoma na filimbi.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“Praise him by beating drums and by dancing.
Praise him by playing stringed instruments and by playing flutes!” (Source: Translation for Translators)
The Natügu translation of Psalm 150 features “indigenous instruments and body movements associated with [a traditional] dance to reflect the high praise of the composition.” The English back-translation follows (the Natügu original can be read right here ):
1 Let’s exalt Yahweh in his being in the House-for-worshipping.
And in his being in the High Heaven.
2 Let’s make-songs-about him for his exceeding greatness
In doing powerful things.
3-5 Let’s dance to him with leg-rattles
and strongly beat the drum to him.
Let’s dance to him by our banging things,
our smacking things, and by our shaking things in our hands.
Let’s blow the conch shell and bamboo flutes (to him).
And let’s strum the guitar and ukulele in our exalting him.
6 We who are alive should rejoice in Yahweh.
Our praising Yahweh is forever and ever.
Following is a translation of Psalm 150 into dance and song in Kabiyè by Groupe Ɛsɔwazaa. The video is followed by an English back-translation as well as the original Kabiyè text and a French back-translations. The leader (call) part is in standard type, the ensemble (response) is italicized.
Uuuuyi, uuuyi, hiiiii [shouts of joy]
Praise the Eternal, eee.
In heaven in his house, eee.
Praise him in heaven, eee.
For his power, eee.
For his works, eee.
For his greatness, eee.
Which has no end, eee.
Eee which has no end, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (5 times)
Take the horn, eee.
Every stringed instrument, eee.
Drums and flutes, eee.
Bring them and let us praise him with them, eee.
With the cymbals, eee.
Big and small, eee.
On his throne, eee. (4 times)
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (5 times)
Are you alive? yes.
Come and let us praise God, eee. (3 times)
Everything that breathes, eee.
Eee Praises God, eee.
Eee Let us praise God, eee. (2 times)
Trees and birds, eee.
(They) praise God, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (5 times)
Praise the Eternal, eee. (2 times)
Eee Praise the Eternal, eee.
Praise the Eternal, eee.
He is so good, eee.
He is so big, eee.
He is so vast, eee.
Shout to praise him with shouts, eee.
Shout to praise him, eee.
Stoop down to praise him, eee. (4 times)
Rise up to praise him, eee. (2 fois)
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (5 times)
Dance to praise him, eee. (2 fois)
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (6 times)
Praise the Eternal, eee. (4 times)
He is so good, eee.
He is so just, eee.
He is so vast, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo.
Click or tap here to see the the text in French back-translation
Uuuuyi, uuuyi, hiiiii [cris d’allégresse]
Louez l’Eternel, eee.
Au ciel dans sa maison, eee.
Louez-le au ciel, eee.
Pour sa puissance, eee.
Pour ses oeuvres, eee.
Pour sa grandeur, eee.
Qui n’a pas de fin, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (5 fois)
Prenez la corne, eee.
Tout instrument à cordes, eee.
Tambours et flutes, eee.
Amenez et louons-le avec, eee.
Avec les cymbales, eee.
Grandes et petites, eee.
Sur son trône, eee. (4 fois)
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (6 fois)
Es-tu vivant ? oui.
Viens et louons Dieu, eee. (3 fois)
Tout ce qui respire, eee.
Eee Loue Dieu, eee.
Eee Louons Dieu, eee. (2 fois)
Arbres et oiseaux, eee.
Louent Dieu, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (4 fois)
Louez l’Eternel, eee. (2 fois)
Eee Louez l’Eternel, eee.
Louez l’Eternel, eee.
Il est tellement bon, eee.
Il est tellement grand, eee.
Il est tellement vaste, eee.
Acclamez pour louez-le avec, eee.
Acclamez pour le louer, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (4 fois)
Abaissez-vous pour le louer, eee. (4 fois)
Levez-vous pour le louer, eee. (2 fois)
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (4 fois)
Dansez pour le louer, eee. (4 fois)
Louez l’Eternel, eee. (4 fois)
Il est tellement bon, eee.
Il est tellement juste, eee.
Il est tellement vaste, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo.
Kabiye transcription and translation to French was completed by Mawèdong Amana, checking of Kabiye orthography and French translation was done by Kpatcha Hemou and Essokilina Tchamie, English translation by Sarah Jane Capper. Groupe Ɛsɔwazaa members: Pouwèdéou Noëline Mizou, Tchilalou Atakora, Poyodi Pounegue, Ezolina Françoise Tayele.
The artists in these videos composed these songs by studying Psalms 6, 150 and 118 as well as Kabiye music and dance styles. They participated in a two-week workshop organized by SIL Togo-Benin in Kara, Togo in partnership with the master’s thesis research of Sarah Jane Capper for Dallas International University; the Association pour la Promotion des Saintes-Écritures en Kabiye (APSEK); and Scriptura.
Following is a translation of Psalm 150 into dance and song in Kabiyè by Groupe Mɛwɛ Tam Sɔɔlɩm. The video is followed by an English back-translation as well as the original Kabiyè text and a French back-translations. The leader (call) part is in standard type, the ensemble (response) is italicized.
Yuuuuiii, uuuii, uuuii [shouts of joy]
Let us praise God, the Eternal, God, Eternal.
Eee let us praise God, the Eternal yee, God, Eternal. (2 times)
Eee let us praise God, the Eternal yoo, God, Eternal.
Let us praise God, the Eternal, God, the Eternal!
Yee let us praise God, the Eternal yee, God, the Eternal!
Eee let us praise him in his house yee, God, Eternal. (2 times)
Eee where he shows his power, God, Eternal. (2 times)
In his royal house yeee, the Eternal, God, Eternal!
In his royal house, the Eternal yooo, God, Eternal!
In his royal house, the Eternal yeee, God, Eternal!
God, the Eternal yee, God, the Eternal.
Eee let us praise God, the Eternal yeee, God, Eternal.
His works are many, God, Eternal.
His works are numerous yeee, God, Eternal.
Hmmmm, My God is great, God, Eternal.
He is so big yee, God, Eternal. (2 times)
With what should we praise him? God, Eternal.
Let us say, “With what should we praise him yeee?” God, Eternal.
Hummm Eternal God yee, Eternal God.
Eternal God, Eternal God. (3 times)
Let us praise him with horns yeee, let us praise the Eternal. (3 times)
Ooo let us praise him with horns yeee, let us praise the Eternal.
Let us praise him with flutes yeee, let us praise the Eternal. (2 times)
Let us praise him with drums yeee, let us praise the Eternal. (2 times)
Aaa let us praise him with drums yeee, let’s praise the Eternal.
Let us praise him with drums and dances yeee, let us praise the Eternal. (2 times)
Let us praise him with flutes yeee, let us praise the Eternal.
Aaa let us praise him with flutes yeee, Let us praise the Eternal.
Let us praise God, he is eternal yee, let us praise the Eternal. (2 times)
Who must praise God? Everything that God has made and created and that lives must come and praise God.
Let everything that breathes, praise God.
Eee let everything that breathes, praise the Eternal. (2 times)
Let all humans praise him yee, let us praise the Eternal.
Let boys and girls praise him yee, let us praise the Eternal.
Let women and men praise him yee, let us praise the Eternal. (2 times)
Ooo let us praise the Eternal yee, Let us praise the Eternal.
Let the animals praise him, let us praise the Eternal.
Let the trees and the wind praise him, let us praise the Eternal.
Let the trees and the flowers praise him, let us praise the Eternal.
Hummm, praise the Eternal yee, praise the Eternal.
Let the trees and the flowers praise him yee, let us praise the Eternal.
May all humans praise him yee, let us praise the Eternal.
Let us praise the Eternal yee, let us praise the Eternal. (2 times)
Let the idolaters praise him yee, let us praise the Eternal. (2 times)
Let the Christians praise him yee, let us praise the Eternal. (2 times)
Dance with glory to praise him yee, let us praise the Eternal.
Dance with glory to praise him yee, let us praise the Eternal.
Dance with glory to praise him, let us praise the Eternal.
Hɩmmm praise the Eternal, let us praise the Eternal yeee, let us praise the Eternal. (2 times)
Everything that breathes, praise the Eternal, let us praise the Eternal. (2 times)
Praise the Eternal, praise the Eternal, praise the Eternal. (2 times)
Click or tap here to see the the text in French back-translation
Yuuuuiii, uuuii, uuuii [cris d’allégresse]
Louons Dieu, l’Eternel, Dieu, Eternel.
Eee louons Dieu, l’Eternel yee, Dieu, Eternal. (2 fois)
Eee louons Dieu, l’Eternel yoo, Dieu, Eternel.
Louons Dieu, l’Eternel, Dieu, Eternel!
Eee louons Dieu, l’Eternel yee, Dieu, Eternel!
Eee louons-le dans sa maison yee, Dieu, Eternal! (2 fois)
Eee là où il montre sa puissance, Dieu, Eternel. (2 fois)
Dans sa maison royale yeee, l’Eternel, Dieu, Eternel!
Dans sa maison royale, l’Eternel yooo, Dieu, Eternel!
Dans sa maison royale, l’Eternel yeee, Dieu, Eternel.
Dieu, l’Eternel yee, Dieu, Eternel.
Eee louons Dieu, l’Eternel yeee, Dieu, Eternel.
Ses œuvres sont nombreuses, Dieu, Eternel.
Ses œuvres sont nombreuses yeee, Dieu, Eternel.
Hmmmm, Mon Dieu est grand, Dieu, Eternel.
Il est tellement grand yee, Dieu, Eternel.(2 fois)
Avec quoi devons-nous le louer? Dieu, Eternel.
Disons avec quoi devons-nous le louer yeee? Dieu, Eternel.
Hummm Dieu Eternel yee, Dieu Eternel.
Dieu Eternel, Dieu Eternel. (3 fois)
Louons-le avec des cornes yeee, louons l’Eternel. (3 fois)
Ooo louons-le avec des cornes yeee, louons l’Eternel.
Louons-le avec des flutes yeee, louons l’Eternel. (2 fois)
Louons-le avec les tambours yeee, louons l’Eternel. (2 fois)
Aaa louons-le avec les tambours yeee, louons l’Eternel.
Louons-le avec des tambours et des danses yeee, louons l’Eternel. (2 fois)
Louons-le avec de flutes yeee, louons l’Eternel.
Aaa louons-le avec de flutes yeee, louons l’Eternel.
Louons Dieu, il est éternel yee, louons l’Eternel. (2 fois)
Qu’est-ce qui doit louer Dieu ? Tout ce que Dieu a fait et créé et qui vit doit venir et louer Dieu.
Que tout ce qui respire, loue Dieu.
Eee que tout ce qui respire, loue l’Eternel. (2 fois)
Que tous les humains le louent yee, louons l’Eternel.
Que les garçons et les filles le louent yee, louons l’Eternel.
Que les femmes et les hommes le louent yee, louons l’Eternel. (2 fois)
Ooo louons l’Eternel yee, louons l’Eternel.
Que les animaux le louent, louons l’Eternel.
Que les arbres et le vent le louent, louons l’Eternel.
Que les arbres et les fleurs le louent, louons l’Eternel.
Hummm, louent l’Eternel yee, louons l’Eternel.
Que les arbres et les fleurs le louent yee, louons l’Eternel.
Que tous les humains le louent yee, louons l’Eternel.
Louons l’Eternel yee, louons l’Eternel. (2 fois)
Que les idolâtres le louent yee, louons l’Eternel. (2 fois)
Que les chrétiens le louent yee, louons l’Eternel. (2 fois)
Dansez avec gloire pour le louer yee, louons l’Eternel. (2 fois)
Dansez avec gloire pour le louer yee, louons l’Eternel.
Dansez avec gloire pour le louer, louons l’Eternel.
Hɩmmm louez l’Eternel, louons l’Eternel yeee, louons l’Eternel. (2 fois)
Tout ce qui respire, loue l’Eternel, louons l’Eternel. (2 fois)
Louez l’Eternel, louez l’Eternel, louez l’Eternel. (2 fois)
Kabiye transcription and translation to French was completed by Mawèdong Amana, checking of Kabiye orthography and French translation was done by Kpatcha Hemou and Essokilina Tchamie, English translation by Sarah Jane Capper. Groupe Mɛwɛ Tam Sɔɔlɩm members: Piwèlong Tamassi, Kézié Daniel Bataba, Toï Mèhèza Meba, Essokamhaou Pagana, Mamalinèwè Pekpissi.
The artists in these videos composed these songs by studying Psalms 6, 150 and 118 as well as Kabiye music and dance styles. They participated in a two-week workshop organized by SIL Togo-Benin in Kara, Togo in partnership with the master’s thesis research of Sarah Jane Capper for Dallas International University; the Association pour la Promotion des Saintes-Écritures en Kabiye (APSEK); and Scriptura.
God transcends gender, but most languages are limited to grammatical gender expressed in pronouns. In the case of English, this is traditionally confined to “he” (or in the forms “his,” “him,” and “himself”), “she” (and “her,” “hers,” and “herself”), and “it” (and “its” and “itself”).
Modern Mandarin Chinese, however, offers another possibility. Here, the third-person singular pronoun is always pronounced the same (tā), but it is written differently according to its gender (他 is “he,” 她 is “she,” and 它/牠 is “it” and their respective derivative forms). In each of these characters, the first (or upper) part defines the gender (man, woman, or thing/animal), while the second element gives the clue to its pronunciation.
In 1930, after a full century with dozens of Chinese translations, Bible translator Wang Yuande (王元德) coined a new “godly” pronoun: 祂. Chinese readers immediately knew how to pronounce it: tā. But they also recognized that the first part of that character, signifying something spiritual, clarified that each person of the Trinity has no gender aside from being God.
While the most important Protestant and Catholic Chinese versions respectively have opted not to use 祂, some Bible translations do and it is widely used in hymnals and other Christian materials. Among the translations that use 祂 to refer to “God” were early versions of Lü Zhenzhong’s (呂振中) version (New Testament: 1946, complete Bible: 1970). R.P. Kramers (in The Bible Translator 1956, p. 152ff. ) explains why later versions of Lü’s translation did not continue with this practice: “This new way of writing ‘He,’ however, has created a minor problem of its own: must this polite form be used whenever Jesus is referred to? Lü follows the rule that, wherever Jesus is referred to as a human being, the normal tā (他) is written; where he is referred to as divine, especially after the ascension, the reverential tā (祂) is used.”
In that system one kind of pronoun is used for humans (male and female alike) and one for natural elements, non-liquid masses, and some spiritual entities (one other is used for large animals and another one for miscellaneous items). While in these languages the pronoun for spiritual entities used to be employed when referring to God, this has changed into the use of the human pronoun.
Lynell Zogbo (in The Bible Translator 1989, p. 401ff. ) explains in the following way: “From informal discussions with young Christians especially, it would appear that, at least for some people, the experience and/or concepts of Christianity are affecting the choice of pronoun for God. Some people explain that God is no longer ‘far away,’ but is somehow tangible and personal. For these speakers God has shifted over into the human category.”
In Kouya, God (the Father) and Jesus are referred to with the human pronoun ɔ, whereas the Holy Spirit is referred to with a non-human pronoun. (Northern Grebo and Western Krahn make a similar distinction.)
Eddie Arthur, a former Kouya Bible translation consultant, says the following: “We tried to insist that this shouldn’t happen, but the Kouya team members were insistent that the human pronoun for the Spirit would not work.”
In Burmese, the pronoun ko taw (ကိုယ်တော်) is used either as 2nd person (you) or 3rd person (he, him, his) reference. “This term clearly has its root in the religious language in Burmese. No ordinary persons are addressed or known by this pronoun because it is reserved for Buddhist monks, famous religious teachers, and in the case of Christianity, the Trinity.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae in The Bible Translator 2002, p. 202ff. )
In Thai, the pronoun phra`ong (พระองค์) is used, a gender-neutral pronoun which must refer to a previously introduced royal or divine being. Similarly, in Northern Khmer, which is spoken in Thailand, “an honorific divine pronoun” is used for the pronoun referring to the persons of the Trinity (source: David Thomas in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 445 ). In Urak Lawoi’, another language spoken in Thailand, the translation often uses tuhat (ตูฮัด) — “God” — ”as a divine pronoun where Thai has phra’ong even though it’s actually a noun.” (Source for Thai and Urak Lawoi’: Stephen Pattemore)
The English “Contemporary Torah” addresses the question of God and gendered pronouns by mostly avoiding pronouns in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (unless God is referred to as “lord,” “father,” “king,” or “warrior”). It does that by either using passive constructs (“He gave us” vs. “we were given”), by using the adjective “divine” or by using “God” rather than a pronoun.
Some Protestant and Orthodox English Bibles use a referential capitalized spelling when referring to the persons of the Trinity with “He,” “His,” “Him,” or “Himself.” This includes for instance the New American Standard Bible or The Orthodox New Testament, but most translations do not. Two other languages where this is also done (in most Bible translations) are the closely related Indonesian and Malay. In both languages this follows the language usage according to the Qur’an, which in turn predicts that usage (see Soesilo in The Bible Translator 1991, p. 442ff. and The Bible Translator 1997, p. 433ff. ).
In verses 3-5 various instruments are named which are to be used in this service of praise: trumpet (see 47.5; 98.6); lute and harp, a translation of nebel and kinor (see 33.2, where Revised Standard Version has “lyre” instead of lute); “drums” (Revised Standard Versiontimbrel; see 149.3). In verse 4b “harps” translates the word strings, which may also be the word used in 45.8 (but nowhere else in the Old Testament). “Flutes” (Revised Standard Versionpipe) are wind instruments; see the word in Genesis 4.21; Job 21.12; 30.31.
In verse 5 two kinds of cymbals are mentioned (elsewhere only in 2 Sam 6.5): literally “cymbals of hearing” and “cymbals of shouting,” which may mean small cymbals and large cymbals, or just a poetic variation, “clanging cymbals … clashing cymbals.” There were two types of cymbals: (1) flat metal plates which were struck together, and (2) metal cones, one of which was brought down on top of the other, on the larger end. They were probably made out of bronze.
Taylor and others point out that trumpets were played by priests; harps, lyres, and cymbals by the Levites; and the other instruments (verse 4) by lay people. The translation of the terms for these musical instruments is usually handled in three ways: (a) by means of descriptive phrases; (b) by means of local instruments; and (c) by using generic terms accompanied by a loan word. The first example is illustrated in the case of “cymbal” by (1) above. The third case would be “flat metal plates struck together, called cymbals.” This third case would adversely affect the poetic effect and would be more suitable as a footnote.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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