Music

Music includes singing and the playing of instruments, used in worship, celebration and mourning.

Sing to the Lord

• Psalm 96:1-2
  ¹O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. ²Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.Sing to the LORD, bless His name; proclaim His salvation day after day.
  Show context · Read Psalm 96 →
• Psalm 95:1-2
  ¹O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout to the Rock of our salvation! ²Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him in song.
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• Psalm 100:1-2
  ¹Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth. ²Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.Serve the LORD with gladness; come into His presence with joyful songs.
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• Exodus 15:1
  Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.
  Show context · Read Exodus 15 →

Instruments in worship

• Psalm 150:3-6
  ³Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.Praise Him with the sound of the horn; praise Him with the harp and lyre. ⁴Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute. ⁵Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.Praise Him with clashing cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals. ⁶Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Hallelujah!
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• Psalm 33:2-3
  ²Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to Him with ten strings. ³Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy.
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• 1 Chronicles 15:16
  And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.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.
  Show context · Read 1 Chronicles 15 →
• 2 Chronicles 5:12-13
  ¹²Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)all the Levitical singers—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps, and lyres, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. ¹³It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord;The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud
  Show context · Read 2 Chronicles 5 →

Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs

• Ephesians 5:19
  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,
  Show context · Read Ephesians 5 →
• Colossians 3:16
  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
  Show context · Read Colossians 3 →
• James 5:13
  Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.
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• 1 Corinthians 14:15
  What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.What then shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
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• Acts 16:25
  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
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Music that soothes

• 1 Samuel 16:23
  And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play, and Saul would become well, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.
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God sings

• Zephaniah 3:17
  The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.”
  Show context · Read Zephaniah 3 →

Songs in heaven

• Revelation 5:9
  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
  Show context · Read Revelation 5 →
• Revelation 14:3
  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
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• Revelation 15:3
  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.and they sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: “Great and wonderful are Your works, O Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!
  Show context · Read Revelation 15 →

See also

• Worship
• Praise
• Joy

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.