Bible Strands
Psalms 150:5
Praise Him with clashing cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the worshiping community at the conclusion of a hymn, directing them to complete their praise with specific percussion instruments.
The words — The text repeats הַלְלוּ (hallu) for "praise" and צִלְצְלֵי (tziltzelei) for "cymbals," modified by שָׁמַע (sha.ma') meaning "sound" and תְרוּעָה (teru'ah) meaning "shouting" or "resounding."
The thread — This instruction mirrors David’s command for Levitical musicians to sound bronze cymbals in 1 Chronicles 15:19 and aligns with the organized temple music detailed in 1 Chronicles 25:1.
Why it lands — The verse requires loud, explicit musical accompaniment as a concrete act of worship, framing praise as a disciplined auditory practice rather than an internal sentiment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
Cross-references
- 1 Chronicles 15:16 David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.
- 1 Chronicles 25:1 Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list of the men who performed this service:
- 1 Chronicles 15:19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals.
- 1 Chronicles 15:28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and with cymbals and the music of harps and lyres.
- 1 Chronicles 25:6 All these were under the direction of their fathers for the music of the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the direction of the king.
- 2 Samuel 6:5 David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of wood instruments, harps, stringed instruments, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.
- 1 Chronicles 16:5 Asaph was the chief, Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They were to play the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals
- 1 Chronicles 13:8 David and all the Israelites were celebrating before God with all their might, with songs and on harps and lyres, with tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.