Strong's Lexicon
psalló: To sing, to make melody, to play a stringed instrument.
Original Word:ψάλλω
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:psalló
Pronunciation:psal'-lo
Phonetic Spelling:(psal'-lo)
Definition:To sing, to make melody, to play a stringed instrument.
Meaning:I sing, sing psalms; earlier: I play on a stringed instrument.
Word Origin:From the root ψάω (psaō), meaning "to rub" or "to touch lightly."
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: -H2167 זָמַר (zamar): To sing, to make music, often used in the context of worship and praise in the Psalms.
Usage:In the New Testament, "psalló" primarily refers to singing praises or making music, often with the accompaniment of a stringed instrument. It conveys the idea of making melody in one's heart to the Lord, emphasizing both vocal and instrumental expressions of worship.
Cultural and Historical Background:In ancient Greek culture, "psalló" originally referred to the plucking of strings on a musical instrument, such as a harp or lyre. Over time, its meaning expanded to include singing with musical accompaniment. In the context of early Christian worship, "psalló" reflects the practice of singing hymns and spiritual songs as a form of praise and worship, a tradition rooted in Jewish synagogue practices and the Psalms of the Old Testament.
HELPS Word-studies
5567psállō – properly, pluck a musical instrument (like a harp); used of "singing along with instruments"; "tomake music," or simplysing.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom psaó (to rub)
Definitionto pull, twitch, twang, play, sing
NASB Translationmaking melody (1), sing (3), sing praises (1).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 5567: ψάλλωψάλλω; future
ψαλῶ; (from
ψάω, to rub, wipe; to handle, touch (but cf.
Curtius, p. 730));
a.to pluck off, pull out:ἐθειραν, the hair,Aeschylus Pers. 1062.
b.to cause to vibrate by touching, to twang:τόξωννευράςχειρί,Euripides, Bacch. 784; specifically,χορδήν,to touch or strike the chord, to twang the strings of a musical instrument so that they gently vibrate (Aristotle, probl. 19, 23 (p. 919b, 2)); and absolutely,to play on a stringed instrument, to play the harp, etc.:Aristotle,Plutarch,Aratus (inPlato,Lysias, p. 209 b. withκαίκρούειντῷπλήκτρω added (but not as explanatory of it; the Schol. at the passage saysψῆλαι,τόἄνευπληκτρουτῷδακτύλῳτάςχορδαςἐπάφασθαι); it is distinguished fromκιθαρίζειν inHerodotus 1, 155); theSept. forנִנֵן and much more often forזִמֵּר;to sing to the music of the harp; in the N. T.to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song,James 5:13 (R. V.sing praise);τῷκυρίῳ,τῷὀνόματιαὐτοῦ (often so in theSept.), in honor of God,Ephesians 5:19 (hereA. V.making melody);Romans 15:9;ψαλῶτῷπνεύματι,ψαλῶδέκαίτῷνοι<, 'I will sing God's praises indeed with my whole soul stirred and borne away by the Holy Spirit, but I will also follow reason as my guide, so that what I sing may be understood alike by myself and by the listeners',1 Corinthians 14:15.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
sing, make melodyProbably strengthened from psao (to rub or touch the surface; comparepsocho); to twitch or twang, i.e. To play on a stringed instrument (celebrate the divine worship with music and accompanying odes) -- make melody, sing (psalms).
see GREEKpsocho
Forms and Transliterations
έψαλλεν έψαλλον ψάλατε ψαλάτωσαν ψαλάτωσάν ψαλή ψάλη ψάλλειν ψαλλετω ψαλλέτω ψάλλοντα ψαλλοντες ψάλλοντες ψαλλόντων ψάλλων ψαλούμεν ψαλω ψαλώ ψαλῶ ψάλω psalleto psalletō psalléto psallétō psallontes psállontes psalo psalô psalō psalō̂Links
Interlinear Greek •Interlinear Hebrew •Strong's Numbers •Englishman's Greek Concordance •Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •Parallel Texts
