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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comFausset Bible Dictionary: Neginah
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NEGINAH Hebrew neginath (singular). Title of Psalm 61. The construct form; translated therefore "upon the instrumental music of David." As "to the chief singer on my stringed instruments"; also , "invent instruments of music like David." NEGINOTH (plural), the general name for all stringed instruments (; ; ; -18; ; ; ; ; ), played with the hand or a plectrum or quill; from nigeen, "performed music." Psalm 4's title: for "on" translated (...) "to be accompanied with stringed instruments" (Hengstenberg); chapters 6, 54, 55, 67, 76.
But Delitzsch: "Neginah denotes not a particular stringed instrument, but the music on such instruments (often a taunting song in Hebrew, ; ); Neginoth is the music formed by numerous notes running into one another, not various instruments." In the direction is the prophet's to the precentor or "chief singer," how the ode was to be performed in the temple liturgy. He had a stringed instrument of his own ("my") of a form adapted to accompany his subject; or rather (Hengstenberg) the "my" is Israel's sacred national temple music. As Shigionoth in the beginning marks the melody erratic and enthusiastically irregular as suited to the subject, so Neginoth at the close directs as to the instrument to be used (compare ).