Yonath-ekin-rechokinz, wprn the rur, the mute dove among strangers, found only over Ps. lvi., may well denote the subject of the song—viz., David himself, ' when the Philistines took him in Gath ;' or it is the name or commencement of an ode to the air of which this psalm was sung, as Dr. Davidson thinks, who translates it dove of the dis tant ferebiuths. , Leannoth, in the title of Ps. lxxxviii.
means to sing or respond, denoting that it was to be recited in the way described.
Afahalath, thiln, occurs in Ps. /iii. and Lxxxviii., and denotes, according to some, a sort of flute, according to Gesenius in his Thesaurus, a iaip, but in the opinion of Furst, a tune, named from the first word of some popular song. Upon Make lath Leannoth, Ps. lxxxviii., is accordingly a direc tion to chant it to the instrument or tune called mahalath.
.111aschil, is found in the title of thirteen psalms. According to De Wette, Delitzsch, and others, it means a poem, so called either for its skilful composition or for its wise and pious strain. The common interpretation, which Gesenius, Tho luck, and Hengstenberg favour, makes it a didactic poem, from to teach or make wise. There seems very little to choose between the two opinions.
all 7D, is prefixed to Ps. xvi., lvi.-lx., and is subject to many conjectures. Many, after Aben-Ezra, derive it from ?10, gold, and under stand a golden psalm, so called either on account of its excellence, or because written in golden letters. Hengstenberg understands mystery, and supposes that these psalms, more than others, have a deep or occult sense. Others, after the Sept., which gives vrnXoypacbia, fancy that tke word means a poem engraved on a pillar or monument. But the true explanation is most likely that offered by Gesenius, De Wette, Rosenmiiller, and Delitzsch, who hold ?mto to be only another form of 311.=, by the familiar interchange of the kindred letters ? and n, and to signify a writing or poem. It is actually found in this form over Hezekiah's song in Is. xxxviii. 9.
11.futh-labben (Ps. ix.) presents a perfect riddle, owing to the various readings of MSS., and the contradictory conjectures of the learned. Besides the common reading p$ upon death to the son (or, death makes white : so Delitzsch), we have 3-11*It and 111*93), the same word that is used in Ps. xlvi. (see above, Alamoth). Some explain it as the subject or occasion of the song, but most refer it to the music. Gesenius, in his last edition, renders
it with virgins' voice for the boys—i.e., to be sung by a choir of boys in the soprano or treble. Dr.
Davidson holds that 16 must be taken for to Ben, one of the singers named in i Chron. xv. IS.
Neginoth, fI n, Ps. iv. and four others ; over Ps. lxi. neginah in the singular, though some MSS. give neginoth here also. This name, from (n, to strike a chord, like clearly denotes stringed instruments in general.
Nehiloth, (Ps. v.), comes most likely from from to perforate, and denotes pipes or flutes.
Hengstenberg, however, fancies it means lots or heritages, from Sri), to possess, and points out the subject of the psalm.
Selah,;190, is found seventy-three times in the Psalms, generally at the end of a sentence or para graph ; but in Ps. Iv. 19 and lvii. 3 it stands in the middle of the verse. While most authors have agreed in considering this word as somehow relat ing to the music, their conjectures about its precise meaning have varied greatly. But at present these two opinions chiefly obtain. Some, including Herder, De Wette, Ewald (Poet. Bricker, i. 179), and Delitzsch, derive it from r6c, or $$D, to raise, and understand an elevation of the voice or music ; others, after Gesenius, in Thesaurus, derive it from to be still or silent, and understand a pause in the singing. So Rosenmiiller, Hengstenberg, and Tholuck. Probably selah was used to direct the singer to be silent, or to pause a little, while the instruments played an interlude (so Sept. SuilbaNy.a) or symphony. In Ps. ix. 16 it occurs in the expres sion higgaion selah, which Gesenius, with much pro bability, renders instrumental music, pause—i.e., let the instruments strike up a symphony, and let the singer pause. By Tholuck and Hengstenberg, how ever, the two words are rendered meditation, pause —i.e., let the singer meditate while the music stops.
Sheminith, rovx) (Ps. vi. and xii.), means pro perly eighth, and denotes either, as some think, an instrument with eight chords, or, more likely, music in the lower notes, octave, or bass. So Gesenius, De Wette, Delitzsch, and Hengstenberg. This is strongly favoured by I Chron. xv. 20, 21, where the terms alamotlz and sheminith clearly denote different parts of music ; the former answering to our treble, and the latter to the bass, an octave below.