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The Historic Faith
Scripture Topic Guide

Bible Verses About Musical Instruments

Early Christian writings do not give one simple rule about musical instruments. Clement of Alexandria and some others use instruments as pictures for the human body, voice, or the harmony of worship, while Apostolic Constitutions and some Bible passages keep real instruments in temple and praise settings.

Justin Martyr, Apostolic Constitutions, and Hippolytus also cite passages that reject God being pleased by noise or sacrifice without obedience, so instruments are often treated as symbols rather than the heart of worship. The evidence is broad for symbolic and scriptural use, but thin for a single universal early Christian ban or command.

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Key Passages

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How to Study Musical Instruments

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Scripture Map

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29 references

Supporting Passages

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

New Testament singing text focused on heart and teaching

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.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

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:

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

clear biblical praise scene with many instruments

Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

praise with timbrel and stringed instruments

Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

David praises God with singing and instruments

Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.

Praise with harp and ten-stringed psaltery.

Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.

sacred song includes trumpets and cymbals

And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

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.

Levites appointed with instruments of music

And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.