Job 21:12
New International Version
They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre; they make merry to the sound of the pipe.

New Living Translation
They sing with tambourine and harp. They celebrate to the sound of the flute.

English Standard Version
They sing to the tambourine and the lyre and rejoice to the sound of the pipe.

Berean Standard Bible
singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute.

King James Bible
They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

New King James Version
They sing to the tambourine and harp, And rejoice to the sound of the flute.

New American Standard Bible
“They sing with the tambourine and harp, And rejoice at the sound of the flute.

NASB 1995
“They sing to the timbrel and harp And rejoice at the sound of the flute.

NASB 1977
“They sing to the timbrel and harp And rejoice at the sound of the flute.

Legacy Standard Bible
They lift up the tambourine and harp And are glad at the sound of the pipe.

Amplified Bible
“They lift up their voices and sing to the tambourine and the lyre And rejoice to the sound of the flute.

Christian Standard Bible
singing to the tambourine and lyre and rejoicing at the sound of the flute.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
singing to the tambourine and lyre and rejoicing at the sound of the flute.

American Standard Version
They sing to the timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

Contemporary English Version
These people sing and celebrate to the sound of tambourines, small harps, and flutes,

English Revised Version
They sing to the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They sing with the tambourine and lyre, and they are happy with the music of the flute.

Good News Translation
and dance to the music of harps and flutes.

International Standard Version
singing with tambourines and lyres as they rejoice to the sound of flutes.

Majority Standard Bible
singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute.

NET Bible
They sing to the accompaniment of tambourine and harp, and make merry to the sound of the flute.

New Heart English Bible
They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

Webster's Bible Translation
They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

World English Bible
They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
They lift [themselves] up at timbrel and harp, "" And rejoice at the sound of a pipe.

Young's Literal Translation
They lift themselves up at timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of an organ.

Smith's Literal Translation
They will lift up with the drum and harp, and they will rejoice at the voice of the pipe.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
They take the timbrel, and the harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They take up the timbrel and the lyre, and they rejoice at the sound of the organ.

New American Bible
They sing along with drum and lyre, and make merry to the sound of the pipe.

New Revised Standard Version
They sing to the tambourine and the lyre, and rejoice to the sound of the pipe.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They take the timbrels and harps, and rejoice at the sound of singing.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
They picked up tambourines and harp and rejoiced to the voice of singing
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
They sing to the timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and they rejoice at the voice of a song.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job: God will Punish the Wicked
11They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about, 12singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute. 13They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace.…

Cross References
Psalm 144:9
I will sing to You a new song, O God; on a harp of ten strings I will make music to You—

Isaiah 5:12
At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.

Amos 6:5
You improvise songs on the harp like David and invent your own musical instruments.

Genesis 31:27
Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and harps.

1 Samuel 18:6-7
As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments. / And as the women danced, they sang out: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”

2 Samuel 19:35
I am now eighty years old. Can I discern what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of singing men and women? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?

Psalm 33:2-3
Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to Him with ten strings. / Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy.

Psalm 81:2
Lift up a song, strike the tambourine, play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre.

Psalm 149:3
Let them praise His name with dancing, and make music to Him with tambourine and harp.

Ecclesiastes 2:8
and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines.

Isaiah 24:8
The joyful tambourines have ceased; the noise of revelers has stopped; the joyful harp is silent.

Jeremiah 31:4
Again I will build you, and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out in joyful dancing.

Luke 15:25
Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

Matthew 11:17
‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

Luke 7:32
They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’


Treasury of Scripture

They take the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

Genesis 4:21
And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

Genesis 31:27
Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?

Isaiah 5:12
And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.

Jump to Previous
Flute Glad Harp Instruments Lyre Merry Music Organ Pipe Rejoice Shout Sing Songs Sound Tambour Tambourine Themselves Timbrel
Jump to Next
Flute Glad Harp Instruments Lyre Merry Music Organ Pipe Rejoice Shout Sing Songs Sound Tambour Tambourine Themselves Timbrel
Job 21
1. Job shows that even in the judgment of man he has reason to be grieved
7. Sometimes the wicked prosper, though they despise God
16. Sometimes their destruction is manifest
21. The happy and unhappy are alike in death
27. The judgment of the wicked is in another world














They sing
The act of singing in ancient times was often associated with joy, celebration, and worship. In the Hebrew context, singing was a common expression of the soul's emotions, whether in times of joy or sorrow. The Hebrew word for "sing" often conveys a sense of jubilation and communal participation. In this verse, the singing represents the carefree and seemingly blessed life of the wicked, which Job is lamenting. It highlights the paradox of their prosperity despite their disregard for God.

to the tambourine
The tambourine, or "toph" in Hebrew, was a percussion instrument commonly used in festive occasions and religious ceremonies. It was often played by women, as seen in the celebration led by Miriam after the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:20). The tambourine's presence in this verse underscores the celebratory and untroubled life of the wicked, contrasting with Job's suffering. It serves as a symbol of the joy and revelry that the unrighteous experience, which perplexes Job.

and lyre
The lyre, known as "kinnor" in Hebrew, was a stringed instrument similar to a small harp. It was used in both secular and sacred music, often accompanying psalms and hymns. The lyre's inclusion in this verse suggests a sophisticated and cultured aspect of the wicked's enjoyment. Historically, the lyre was associated with King David, who played it to soothe Saul (1 Samuel 16:23). Here, it emphasizes the richness and depth of the wicked's pleasures, which seem undeserved to Job.

and make merry
The phrase "make merry" conveys a sense of revelry and unrestrained joy. In the Hebrew context, merrymaking was often linked to feasting and celebration, sometimes to excess. This phrase highlights the carefree and indulgent lifestyle of the wicked, which stands in stark contrast to Job's own pious yet afflicted life. It raises the question of divine justice, as Job observes the prosperity of those who seem to live without regard for God.

to the sound of the flute
The flute, or "halil" in Hebrew, was a wind instrument used in both joyful and mournful occasions. Its sound was associated with both celebration and lamentation, depending on the context. In this verse, the flute represents the harmonious and pleasurable life of the wicked. The use of musical instruments in this description paints a vivid picture of their seemingly blessed existence, which challenges Job's understanding of God's justice. The flute's melodious sound serves as a metaphor for the ease and delight with which the wicked live, further deepening Job's struggle with the apparent prosperity of the unrighteous.

Verse 12. - They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ. The "timbrel" (תפ) is probably the tambourine, an instrument used from a remote antiquity by the Orientals. It consisted of a round hoop of wood, into which were sometimes inserted jingling rings of metal, and upon which was stretched at one end a sheet of parchment. It is represented on the monuments both of Egypt and Phoenicia ('Hist. of Egypt,' vol. 1. p. 522; 'Hist. of Phoenicia,' pp. 219, 223). The harp (כִנּור) was, in the early times, a very simple instrument, consisting of a framework of wood, across which were stretched from four to seven strings, which were of catgut and of different lengths, and were sounded either with the hand or with a plectrum. The "organ" (עוּנָב) was, of course, not an organ in the modern sense of the word. It was either a pan's pipe, which is a very primitive instrument, or more probably a double reed blown from the end, like a flageolet, examples of which are found in the remains both of Egypt and Phoenicia ('Hist. of Egypt,' vol. 1. p. 524; 'Hist. of Phoenicia,' l.s c.).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
singing
יִ֭שְׂאוּ (yiś·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

to the tambourine
כְּתֹ֣ף (kə·ṯōp̄)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8596: A timbrel, tambourine

and lyre
וְכִנּ֑וֹר (wə·ḵin·nō·wr)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3658: A harp

and making merry
וְ֝יִשְׂמְח֗וּ (wə·yiś·mə·ḥū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8055: To brighten up, be, blithe, gleesome

at the sound
לְק֣וֹל (lə·qō·wl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

of the flute.
עוּגָֽב׃ (‘ū·ḡāḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5748: (a reed musical instrument) perhaps a flute


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OT Poetry: Job 21:12 They sing to the tambourine and harp (Jb)
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