the fact of the connection nol being readily apparent
niideis ii improbable that the Superscription should have been prefixed by any but David himself.
Of the terms left untranslated oi obscurt in our Bible, ii may be will to offer some explanation in this place, referring to them in alphabetical order for a fuller elu- cidation, (in this subject most commentators offer in- struction, but tin- reader may especially consult Ri sen- miiller. Scholia in Comp. Redact a, iii. 1 1 22; De Wette) Commentar tiber die, Psalmen, p. 27 :'>7 ; Ewald, l'<nt. Biicher, i. 169 180, 195. The following summary ex- hibits the literary ami musical sj -ii ms of notation found in the individual titles to the Psalms at one view, clas- silied mulct the several terms and panicles used to point
out i heir bearing ami significance:
I. With the prefix ~. o'- {to or ba):
it. The author : namely,
i David: iii-viii, xi xxxii, xxxiv-xli, li, liil-lxv, lxviii- lxx, lxxxvi, ci, ciii, cviii-cx, exxii, exxiv, exxxi, c.xxxiii, exxxviii cxliv.
•j. Levites: (1.) Korahites only: xlii, xliv-xlix, Ixxxiv, Ixxxv, Ixxxvii.
('.'.) AsaphCites] specially, as a branch of the Korah- i;es: I, Ixxiii-lxxxiii.
PSALMS
Y49
PSALMS
(3.) Ilernan the [Ezraite, i. e.] Korahite individually: Ixxxviii.
(4.) Ethan the [Ezraite, i. e.] Korahite iudividually : lxxxix.
3. Moses: xc.
4. Solomon: lxxii, cxxvii.
5. General terms: (1) "Man of God," xc: (2) "Jeho- vah's servant," xviii, xxxvi; (3) "an afflicted one," cii.
6. The person to whom the poem was dedicated, or by whom it was set to music, or under whose direction it was to be rendered :
1. tlSJ^n. ham-mcnatstsedch (A. V. "the chief musi- cian"), the musical precentor of the Temple fur the time being : iv-vi, viii, xi-xiv, xviii-xxii, xxxi, xxxvi, xxxix- xlii, 'xliv-xlvii, xlix, li-lxii, lxiv-lxx, lxxv-lxxvii, lxxx, Ixxxiv, lxxxv, Ixxxviii, cix, cxxxix, cxl.
2. Jednthuu in particular: xxxix.
c. The object or special purpose of the writer:
1. "PSTn, hazkir (to remind, A.V. "to bring to remem- brance"), as a memeuto of some special deliverance, etc. : xxxviii, Ixx.
2. "THb, lammed (" to teach"), perhaps to be publicly pronounced memoriter : lx.
3. m'3?, annolh (to reply, A.V. "Leannoth," q.v.), re- sponsive, perhaps a note of the style of recitation : Ixxxviii.
4. iTTiPJ, toddh (confession, A.V. "to praise"), in ac- knowledgment, i. e. of God's mercy : ci.
5. Commemorative of the Sabbath-day: xcii.
II. With the prefix 2, be- (ivith) :
a. To designate the orchestral accompaniment: only ril3n53, negim'ith (q.v.), or stringed instruments in geuer- al: iv,vi, liv, lv, lxviii, lxxvi.
6. To designate the occasion of composition : iii, xxxiv, li, lii, lvi, lvii, lix, lx, lxiii, cxlii. The occasion is some- times otherwise stated: vii, xviii, xxx.
III. With the preposition 7V, al (upon), to denote the musical style of performance, as indicated by:
a. The instrument employed by the leader:
1. Dn2'4'"'i'i^, hash-shoshannim (the lilies, i. e. lily-shaped, A.V. "Shoshaunim," q.v.), straight trumpets: xlv, Ixix [D^iailU], lx {y^-O, sing.].
2. nbllO, machaldth (the smooth-toned, A.V. "Maha- lath," q.v.), probably a lute or light stringed instrument: liii, Ixxxviii.
3. r3^3, negindth, a stringed instrument in general: lxi. See Neginotii.
4. r^flJil, hag-gittlth, the Gittitish, probably a peculiar form of lyre: viii; or perhaps on an eight- stringed lyre. See Gittitii.
b. The pitch of the singing:
1. rVp'D'i'il, hash-sheminith (the eighth), the octave, i. e. in a " tenor" voice: vi, xii. See Sheminith.
2. Pll'sbi*, alamoth (q.v.), (virgins), in a. female key, i. e. "soprano:" xlvi.
c. After the style of some noted performer: only Judu- thun : lxii, lxxvii.
d. The tune or melody to be imitated:
1. "3b HITS, muth lab-Un (q. v.) (death to the son), i. e. a ditty so beginning or thus entitled: ix.
2. ISn^n rb?N, ayyileth hasJi-shdhar (q. v.), (hind of the damn), a popular song so called : xxii.
3. D^ph-I fibx Mil, yon&th elem rechokim (q. v.) (dove of silence of distant ones), an emblematic title of some_ well-known air: lvi.
4. (W omitted on account of the alliteration with bx) HTyjp-bx [or r.n~], al-tashchith [or- cheth] (q. v.) (thou mayest not destroy), the symbolical designation of some familiar measure : lvii-lix, lxxv, lxxxi, lxxxiv.
IV. With the preposition bx (el, towards) ; in imitation of (French a, la) some peculiar "quality" of tone (as we say, the stop of the organ) :
1. nib^PISIl, han-nechilbth (q.v.) (the contracted), the flute or continuous sound : v.
2. D^SWllJ, shoshannlm (q. v.) (lilies), the trumpet blast : lxxx.
V. The species of poetical composition:
1. ""PUS, shir (song), simply an ode or lyrical piece : xlvi, xlviii, lxv-lxviii, lxxv, lxxvi, lxxxiii, lxxxvii, Ixxxviii, cviii. In some of these instances it is joined with the term following. In a certain series it is coupled with the expression rnb>53ri, ham-maaloth (the steps, A.V. "de- grees," q. v.), i. e. climactic in construction of phrases : exx-exxxiv. In one case it is joined with the term ni"P*P, yedidvth (i. e. "loves"), i. e. an epiUtalamium : xlv.
2. "liaTB, mizmOr (playing on an instrument), simply a hymn, to be sung with musical accompaniment: iii-vi, viii, xii, xiii, xv, xix-xxiv, xxix-xxxi, xxxviii-xli, xlvii- li, lxii-lxviii, lxxiii, lxxv-lxxvii, lxxix, lxxx, lxxxii-lxxxv, lxxxvii, Ixxxviii, xcviii, e, ci, cviii-cx, cxxxix-cxli, cxliii.
3. DF13E), miktdm (written, "michtam," q. v.), perhaps i. q. a " set piece" or " mottet:" xvi, lvi-lx.