PSALMS: TECHNICAL TERMS

It is common to run across some strange words in the Psalms, especially in their headings. Or even if the words aren't strange, you may find that various translations seem to understand a Hebrew word in quite different ways. There are at least two good reasons why that happens. In the first place, poetry by its very nature often employs words that are archaic, even in the time of the writing. Secondly, a number of the words in question are technical terms. And wherever a technical term occurs in the Old Testament there is a great deal of trouble deciding exactly what it refers to. For example, an unknown Hebrew word may be located within a listing of animals. In that case we can assume that it also refers to an animal, but exactly which animal may be a matter of educated guesswork on the part of the translator.

The same thing happens in the Psalms, whose headings may refer to the author, the type of song, its subject matter, the intended recipient, instructions on how it is to be sung, or the type of musical accompaniment to be employed. Below is a rough guide on some of the Hebrew words in question, their possible root verbs, the psalms which use the term in their headings, and suggested explanations of the terms.

menasseah (55 times in the Psalms): to the choirmaster, to David, for praise, “to shine” – connected with God's blessings or victory.

leannoth (Psalm 88): for penance

shiggaion (Psalm 7): dirge, erratic and wild rhythmic song

miktam (Psalms 16, 56-60): golden; “to cover” – atonement, protection

gittith (Psalms 8,81, 84): lyre; “wine press” – in-gathering ceremony, vintage melody

mahalat (Psalms 53, 58): “to be sick” – purification ritual

maskil (Psalms 32, 42, 44-45, 52-55, 74,78, 88-89, 142): “to have insight” – didactic, skillful

alamoth (Psalm 46): maidens, mystery

jeduthun (Psalms 39, 62, 77): a family of singers mentioned in I Chronicles 16:41, confession

sheminith (Psalms 6, 12): “eight” – men's voices an octave lower, 8-stringed instrument, eighth part of a ceremony

Other more obvious headings include “for flutes” in Psalm 5 and “with stringed instruments” in psalms 4, 6, 54-55, 67, and 76.

The following psalm headings apparently give the name of the melody to be used: psalms 9, 22, 45-46, 53, 56-57, 60-61, 69, 80, and 88.

Finally, there is the ubiquitous word “selah,” which appears 71 times in the Psalter and even elsewhere in the OT. The following meanings have been suggested, with no consensus in sight among scholars:

forever

Amen

“to build up” – crescendo, higher key, repeat

“to bend” – in prayer

“to pause” – a musical interlude, a period of meditation

a change of voices (based on a supposed acrostic s-l-h)

All of the above demonstrates that this is an area in which it does not pay to be too dogmatic in one's view.