(19) Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.--The same words are found in Colossians 3:16, with a notable difference of application. There the idea is of teaching: "teaching and admonishing one another;" here, simply of a natural vent for emotion, especially of thanksgiving, although probably here also "to yourselves" means "to one another," and refers, perhaps, chiefly to public worship. The well-known passage in Pliny, "Carmen dicere inter se invicem," describes alternate, possibly antiphonal, singing of such sacred music. Of the various kinds of this music, the "psalms" and "hymns" are easily distinguished. The "psalm," as the word itself implies, is music with instrumental accompaniment, and can hardly fail to refer to the Old Testament psalms, familiar in Jewish worship, and as we know, used in the first instance we have of apostolic worship (Acts 4:24). On their frequent use see 1Corinthians 14:26; James 5:12. The "hymn" is purely vocal music, apparently of the whole company (see Matthew 26:30; Acts 16:25), more especially directed to praise of God, and probably designating the new utterances of the Christian Church itself. But the interpretation of the "spiritual song," or "ode," is more difficult. It is often considered as inclusive of the other two (as etymologically it might well be), but the genius of the passage appears to make it co-ordinate, and so distinct from them. From the use of the word "song," or "ode," as applied to lyric poetry, it may perhaps be conjectured that it describes more varied and elaborate music, sung by one person only--a spiritual utterance of one for the whole congregation. In a passage of Philo (2 p. 476)--quoted by Dr. Lightfoot on Colossians 3:16--on Jewish sacred music, we read, "He who stands up sings a hymn composed in praise of God, either having made a new one for himself, or using an ancient one of the poets of days gone by." The Christian counterpart of this migh1Corinthians 14:26, a passage dealing expressly with special spiritual gifts. "Each one of you has a psalm." Evidently it might be strictly a "hymn" or "psalm," though in common usage (as here) it would be distinguished from both. . . . Verse 19. - Speaking to one another. Literally, this would denote antiphonal singing, but this is rather an artificial idea for so simple times. It seems here to denote one person singing one hymn, then another another, and so on; and the meetings would seem to have been for social Christian enjoyment rather than for the public worship of God. In the Epistle to the Colossians it is, "Teaching and admonishing one another with psalms," and this has more of the idea of public worship; and if it be proper to express joyful feelings in the comparatively private social gatherings of Christians, it is proper to do the same in united public worship. In psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. The precise meaning of these terms is not easily seen; "psalms" we should naturally apply to the Old Testament psalms, but the want of the article makes the meaning more general, equivalent to "songs with the character of the psalms;" hymns, songs celebrating the praises of the Divine Being, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; "spiritual songs" or odes of a more general cast, meditative, historical, hortatory, or didactic. But these must be "spiritual," such as the Holy Spirit would lead us to use and would use with us for our good. The two clauses correspond: "be filled with the Spirit;" "speaking in spiritual songs." Receive the Spirit - pour out the Spirit; let your songs be effusions sent forth from your hearts with the aroma of the Holy Spirit. Singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; i.e. to the Lord Jesus. Some have argued that while ἄδοντες denotes singing, ψάλλοντες means striking the musical instrument. But ψάλλω is so frequently used in a more general sense, that it can hardly be restricted to this meaning here. The great thought is that this musical service must not be musical only, but a service of the heart, in rendering which the heart must be in a state of worship.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Speak
λαλοῦντες (lalountes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2980: A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.

to one another
ἑαυτοῖς (heautois)
Reflexive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself.

with
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

psalms,
ψαλμοῖς (psalmois)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5568: From psallo; a set piece of music, i.e. A sacred ode; collectively, the book of the Psalms.

hymns,
ὕμνοις (hymnois)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5215: A hymn, sacred song, song of praise to God. Apparently from a simpler form of hudeo; a 'hymn' or religious ode.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

spiritual
πνευματικαῖς (pneumatikais)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 4152: Spiritual. From pneuma; non-carnal, i.e. ethereal, or a spirit, or supernatural, regenerate, religious.

songs.
ᾠδαῖς (ōdais)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 5603: An ode, song, hymn. From aido; a chant or 'ode'.

Sing
ᾄδοντες (adontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 103: To sing.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

make music
ψάλλοντες (psallontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5567: Probably strengthened from psao; to twitch or twang, i.e. To play on a stringed instrument.

in
τῇ (tē)
Article - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

your
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

hearts
καρδίᾳ (kardia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2588: Prolonged from a primary kar; the heart, i.e. the thoughts or feelings; also the middle.

to the
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Lord,
Κυρίῳ (Kyriō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.


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NT Letters: Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to one another in Psalm hymns (Ephes. Eph. Ep)