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Bible Encyclopedias
Cymbals
The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia
or Musical instruments of percussion. The term is used in the A. V. in all passages except one (Zechariah 14:20) as the rendering of the Hebrew "áºeláºelim" and "meáºiltayim." Known to most nations of antiquity, cymbals served to mark time or rhythm at dances or for singers and other musical performers. This is also their function in the Bible. In Ezra 3:10 they accompany "ḥaáºoáºerot" (trumpets) only; but elsewhere they are mentioned in connection with several other instruments. They were prominent in the music at religious ceremonies (1 Chronicles 15:16,19; 2 Chronicles 5:13, 29:25; Nehemiah 12:27). Levites were set apart as cymbalists (1 Chronicles 16:42).
One Pair in the Temple.
Cymbals were made of brass (1 Chronicles 15:19; Josephus, "Ant." 7:12, § 3; Yer. Suk. , end), or of copper with a slight admixture of silver, to judge from a pair found in an Egyptian tomb. They varied considerably in size. Among the Arabs two different sets are in use: one, of a large diameter, at religious ceremonies; the other, of smaller size, to accompany the dance. A similar difference seems to be indicated by the several qualifications of the cymbals mentioned in Ps. 5; viz., "high sounding" ("áºiláºele teru'ah") and "loud" ("áºiláºele shema'"). The fact that Josephus ( c.) describes only one kind, ÏλαÏÎα and μεγάλα ("broad" and "large"), has not been without weight in shaping the opinion that, as among the Arabs, so among the Hebrews, only the broad sortâe., those of large diameterâwere per mitted at holy offices. The Mishnah, too ('Ar. 13a; compare Gem. 13b), is emphatic in stating that only one pair was used in the Temple. The "loud" (shema') cymbals have, in consequence, been explained as castanets, e., four small plates fastened to the thumbs and forefingers of both hands (=κÏÎμβαλα, "seistra"; see Pfeiffer, "Ueber die Musik der Hebräer," p. 54)âbut there is no warrant for the assumption (see illustrations in "Psalms," ed. Haupt, "S. B. O. T." pp. 232, 233).
The cymbals in use in the Second Temple were credited by the Rabbis of the Talmud with great antiquity, and had undergone repairs impairing the quality of the tone (Yer. Suk. , end). Still their loud and far-carrying sound was also remembered (ib. 55c, below; Tamid 30b). The Temple cymbals were in charge of a special officer: Ben Arza is mentioned in this capacity (Sheḳ. 5:1; Yer. Sheḳ. 48a). His instruments gave the signal for the Levites to chant the psalms (Tamid 7:3,4). The verb used to denote playing on the cymbals is "hiḳḳish" (
), which, in connection with the preposition "upon" (
) occurring in some passages (where, however, other readings have × = "with"), may possibly indicate that the instrument in the Temple consisted of only one plate, which was stationary, and was beaten by the performer with a clapper or hammer. In confirmation of this view the fact may be considered that, while in Biblical Hebrew the name is a plural (?) or a dual, in later Mishnaic it occurs as a singular.
In Zechariah 14:20 the Authorized Version renders the Hebrew words "meáºillot ha-sus" by "bells," while the Septuagint has "bridles" (see BRIDLE), and the Targum translates them as "blankets"; e., caparisons. Rashi explains that reference is here made to 
("clappers," or clapper-like, globe-shaped balls of metal), which, as he suggests by his translation into French, "tinter," emit a jingling soundâan explanation which Ḳimḥi, quoting Rabbi Eleazar b. Pedath (Bab. Pesaḥim 50a), accepts. The use of such contrivances to ornament horses' trappings is common in the Orient. In fact, "áºiláºol," in Talmudic Hebrew, is the name of a belt (hence the LXX. "bridle") ornamented with such clappers, worn by women of ill repute and indicative of their trade (Midr. R. to Esther 1:11; Soá¹ah 9a).
Perhaps the allusion in 1 Corinthians 13:1 is also to this custom. The κÏμβαλον á¼Î»Î±Î»Î¬Ïον, taken as denoting such an attachment to a belt of this kind and purpose, expresses most strongly and strikingly the underlying thought of the passage.
- Nowack, Hebräische Archäologie, 1:270;
- Benzinger, Arch. p. 271;
- John Stainer, Music of the Bible, London, without date;
- Riehm, Handwörterbuch, 2d ed., s. Becken.
These files are public domain.
Singer, Isidore, Ph.D, Projector and Managing Editor. Entry for 'Cymbals'. 1901 The Jewish Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tje/c/cymbals.html. 1901.
