Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just calling for instruments, but for all kinds of instruments, even those typically associated with secular celebration, to be brought into God's worship. It’s an invitation to use every creative gift and every sound to magnify the divine.
Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm, the grand finale of the Psalter, is a powerful call to worship God with everything we have. Building on the previous verses that urge praise with trumpets and loud instruments, this verse expands the celebration to include the joyful sounds of tambourines, dancing, stringed instruments, and pipes. It emphasizes that all forms of music and expression, even those traditionally associated with celebration and merriment, should be consecrated to God's glory.
When we think of worship music, what comes to mind? Often, it's guitars or pianos. But Psalms 150 calls for a much broader celebration!
The Full Orchestra of Worship
Psalms 150:4 isn't just a list of ancient instruments; it's an invitation to use all of creation's sounds to praise God. Notice the variety:
The scholars point out that the specific instruments may be hard to identify precisely, but the categories are clear: rhythm, melody, and wind. The key takeaway is that God's praise isn't limited to one style or one type of sound. All of these were used in ancient worship, and the principle extends to us today.
Did you know some instruments mentioned here were also used in secular settings? Psalms 150 makes a powerful statement about where those sounds belong.
From the World to the Sanctuary
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It's fascinating to consider that instruments like the pipe and stringed instruments were not solely for religious use. The ancient world, like ours, had music for celebrations, for work, and for entertainment.
However, Psalm 150 declares that all these instruments, every sound and every rhythm, should ultimately be directed towards God's praise. This challenges us to think about:
Understand the original words
tōp̄ · Hebrew Noun
A frame drum or hand-held percussion instrument commonly played during times of religious festivities and expressions of corporate joy.
māḥôl · Hebrew Noun
A rhythmic physical response to joy and worship, used historically in Israel to express profound gratitude and victory before God.
ʿūḡāḇ · Hebrew Noun
A term for wind instruments, often associated with piping or fluting, contributing to the melodic diversity of communal worship.
This passage directly parallels Psalm 150:4, also calling for praise with dance and musical instruments, reinforcing the idea of joyful, active worship.
2 Samuel 6:5This verse describes David and all Israel bringing up the Ark of God with 'all kinds of musical instruments made of fir wood,' showing a biblical precedent for using a variety of instruments in praising God.
Exodus 15:20Miriam and the Israelite women use timbrels and dance to praise God after the Red Sea crossing, illustrating that joyful, energetic praise using these instruments is a response to God's deliverance.
1 Chronicles 15:16This verse details David instructing the Levites to appoint singers with musical instruments, highlighting the importance of structured, divinely appointed music in the worship of God.
Nehemiah 12:27The dedication of Jerusalem's wall involves joyous processions with music, including stringed instruments, timbrels, and cymbals, demonstrating the public and celebratory use of diverse instruments in giving thanks to God.
pulpitPsalms 150:4: "Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs."
Verse 4. - Praise him with the timbrel and dance (comp. Psalm 149:3). Praise him with stringed instruments and organs; literally, with strings and pipe. "Organs" are, of course, out of the question. The "pipe" intended is probably the double pipe so often represented on the monuments of Egypt, Assyria, and Phoenicia.
ellicottPsalms 150:4: "Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs."
(4) Timbrel and dance.— See Psalm 149:3 . Stringed instruments.—Minnîm. Literally, parts, so threads, so here, as in LXX. and Vulg., “with” or “on strings.” (See Note, Psalm 45:9.) Organs.—Heb., ‘ugab, which has been variously identified with the syrinx, or Pan’s pipes, of the Greeks, with the “bagpipe,” and even with a rude instrument embodying the principle of the modern organ. (See Bible E…
This verse isn't just calling for instruments, but for all kinds of instruments, even those typically associated with secular celebration, to be brought into God's worship. It’s an invitation to use every creative gift and every sound to magnify the divine.
This psalm, the grand finale of the Psalter, is a powerful call to worship God with everything we have. Building on the previous verses that urge praise with trumpets and loud instruments, this verse expands the celebration to include the joyful sounds of tambourines, dancing, stringed instruments, and pipes. It emphasizes that all forms of music and expression, even those traditionally associated with celebration and merriment, should be consecrated to God's glory.
This psalm, the grand finale of the Psalter, is a powerful call to worship God with everything we have. Building on the previous verses that urge praise with trumpets and loud instruments, this verse expands the celebration to include the joyful sounds of tambourines, dancing, stringed instruments, and pipes. It emphasizes that all forms of music and expression, even those traditionally associated with celebration and merriment, should be consecrated to God's glory.
"Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!" — This verse isn't just calling for instruments, but for all kinds of instruments, even those typically associated with secular celebration, to be brought into God's worship. It’s an invitation to us…
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Last reviewed October 2026