LEARNING THE LYRE PART 3

Part of my desire is to be able to play the lyre during my personal time of prayer and worship. It just so happens that I am reading the English Standard Version of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, I am amazed at the number of times lyre is mentioned in the Old Covenant.

In the King James Version of the Bible harp is used, KJV is my Bible of choice; I decide to research why. Reviewing Strong’s Concordance I noted two different words that were translated harp in the KJV, but sometimes lyre and sometimes harp in other translations. These two words are: kinnor and qatros, this may indicate the size of the instrument itself.

PSALM 92:3 (KJV)
Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.
ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION
to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.

DANIEL 3:5 (KJV)
That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION
that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

In Psalm harp is Strong’s reference number 3658
In Daniel harp is Strong’s reference number 7030

I find it interesting that the ESV used the term “lyre” despite the different Strong’s number. Google credits the lyre to the Greeks with no mention of being used in Bible times, I am not surprised.

The bottom line is that, this information does not improve my playing, but it does give me an appreciation for the instrument. I suspect most of the harps mentioned in the Old Covenant were lyres and or smaller size harps. Lyres are in the harp family and are referred to as lyre-harps; therefore.
Beyond classical music I discovered harps have been included in Jazz musical arrangements. Dorothy Ashby (Dorothy Jeanne Thompson August 6, 1932 – April 13, 1986)is a jazz artist who as instrument of choice was the harp.

I do enjoy both classical music and jazz, thus I will be researching, but not sharing music featuring Dorothy Ashby.

Here is a channel I subscribe to with beautiful harps of all sizes!

Written by Marsha L Floyd