(1) Aijeleth Shahar, Hind of the Morning, i. e. the sun, or the dawn. of day. This occurs only in Ps. xxii, where we may best take it to designate a song, perhaps commencing with these words, or bearing this name, to the melody of which the psalm was to be sung. So most of the ablest critics after Aben Ezra. Yet Tholuck and Hengstenberg, after Luther, suppose it to de note the subject of the psalm, meaning David himself, or typically the Messiah. The former is the more probable meaning.
(2) Alamoth (Ps. xlvi), probably signifies virgins, and hence denotes music for female voices, or the treble. So Gesenius, Tholuck, and Hengstenberg, after Gusset, who, in Comment. Ling. Nebr. explains it, vox clara et acuta, quasi virginum, "a clear voice and sharp as if of vir gins" (see below under Sheminith).
(3) AI-taschith, Destroy Thou Not, is found over Ps. lvii, lviii, lix, lxxv, and signifies, by general consent, some well-known ode beginning with the expression (comp. Is. lxv :8), to the tune of which these compositions were to be sung.
(4) Degrees appears over fifteen Psalms (cxx cxxxiv), called Songs of Degrees, and has been explained in various ways, of which the following are the chief. (a) The ancients understood by it stairs or steps, as appears from the Sept. ver sion of the title, (Xi rwv civagagAi3v, and the Vulgate, carmen graduum, song of the steps; and in accordance with this, Jewish writers relate (Mishna, Sucah, cap. v. 4), that these Psalms were sung on fifteen steps, leading from the court of Israel to the court of the women. This ex planation is now exploded, though Furst in his Concordance, sanctions it. (b) Luther, whom Tholuck is inclined to follow, renders the title a song in the higher choir, supposing the Psalms to have been sung from an elevated place or as cent, or with elevated voice. (c) Gesenius, De litzsch and De Wette think the name refers to a peculiar rhythm in these songs, by which the sense advances by degrees, and so ascends from clause to clause. (d) According to the most prevalent and probable opinion, the title signifies song of the ascents, or pilgrim song, meaning a song composed for, or sung during the journeying of the people up to Jerusalem, whether as they returned from Babylon, or as they statedly re paired to the national solemnities. So Herder (Geist der Ebr. Poesie, ii. 353-357), Ewald (Poet.
Bucher, i. 195), Perowne, (op. cit.) and Kirk patrick (op. cit.), W . R. Smith (Enc. Brit. s. v.). Journeys to Jerusalem are generally spoken of as ascents, on account of the elevated situation of the city and temple (see Ezra vii :9, and especially Ps. cxxii :4). This explanation of the name is fa vored by the brevity and the contents of these songs.
(5) Gittith appears over Ps. viii, lxxxi, lxxxiv, and is of very uncertain meaning, though not improbably it signifies an instrument or tune brought from the city of Gath. So Rosen miller, De Wette, Ewald, Hengstenberg, Tholuck, Perowne, Kirkpatrick, et al. In the opinion of not a few the word comes from wine press, and denotes either an instrument or a melody used in the vintage. So the Sept. renders it Ierip TCo N7p,C4. The new lexicons of Gesenius and Furst give other explanations. (See MUSICAL IN STRUMENTS).
(6) Higgaion is found over Ps. ix:36, and probably means either musical sound, according to the opinion of most, and the Sept. cZtah; or meditation according to Tholuck and Heng stenberg (see more below under Selah).
(7) Jeduthun is found over Ps. xxxix, lxii, lxxvii, and is generally taken for the name of choristers descended from Jeduthun, of whom we read in I Chron. xxv:t, 3, as one of David's three chief musicians or leaders of the Temple music. This use of the name Jeduthun for Jeduthun ites is perhaps like the well-known use of Israel for the Israelites. It is most probable that in Ps. xxxix Jeduthun himself is meant, and not his family. The Psalm may have been set to music by Jeduthun or set to a theme named for him.
(See JEDUTH UN.) (8) Jonath-elem-reehokim, the silent dove of them that are afar, or perhaps the dove of the distant terebinth, found only over Ps. lvi, may well denote the name or commencement of an ode to the air of which this psalm was sung.
(9) Leannoth in the title of Ps. lxxxviii is quite obscure. It is probably the name of a tune.
(10) Mahalath occurs in Ps. liii and lxxxviii, and denotes, according to some, a sort of flute, according to Gesenius in the last edition of his Thesaurus, a lute, but in the opinion of Furst a tune, named from the first word of some popular song. Upon Mahalath Lcannoth (Ps. lxxxviii), is perhaps a direction to chant it to the instru ment or tune called mahalath.