Lute

A wooden musical instrument with strings stretched over a sound box, often used to play music for singing.

Drawing of a lyre
Drawing of a lyre (© Public domain - Wikimedia Commons) Lute

About Lute

Guitarlike musical instrument with strings stretched along a neck and over a sounding box, usually plucked or strummed. See Musical Instruments (Asor).

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The object itself Article

Form, use in ancient daily life, and how translators render the term.

Key References

Genesis 4:21

And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.

1 Samuel 16:23

And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play. Then Saul would find relief and feel better, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.

Revelation 14:2

And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of many waters and the loud rumbling of thunder. And the sound I heard was like harpists strumming their harps.

All Scripture References (45)

Genesis (2)
Genesis 4:21

And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.

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 (3)
1 Samuel 10:5

After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.

1 Samuel 16:16

Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the spirit of distress from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you will be well.”

1 Samuel 16:23

And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play. Then Saul would find relief and feel better, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.

2 Samuel (1)
2 Samuel 6:5

David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of wood instruments, harps, stringed instruments, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

1 Kings (1)
1 Kings 10:12

The king made the almug wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood been brought in, nor has such been seen again to this day.)

1 Chronicles (8)
1 Chronicles 13:8

David and all the Israelites were celebrating before God with all their might, with songs and on harps and lyres, with tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

1 Chronicles 15:16

David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.

1 Chronicles 15:21

And Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to Sheminith.

1 Chronicles 15:28

So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and with cymbals and the music of harps and lyres.

1 Chronicles 16:5

Asaph was the chief, Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They were to play the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals

1 Chronicles 25:1

Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list of the men who performed this service:

1 Chronicles 25:3

From the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah—six in all—under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the harp, giving thanks and praise to the LORD.

1 Chronicles 25:6

All these were under the direction of their fathers for the music of the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the direction of the king.

2 Chronicles (4)
2 Chronicles 5:12

all the Levitical singers—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps, and lyres, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.

2 Chronicles 9:11

The king made the algum wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah.)

2 Chronicles 20:28

So they entered Jerusalem and went into the house of the LORD with harps, lyres, and trumpets.

2 Chronicles 29:25

Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet. For the command had come from the LORD through His prophets.

Nehemiah (1)
Nehemiah 12:27

At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from all their homes and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.

Job (2)
Job 21:12

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

Job 30:31

My harp is tuned to mourning and my flute to the sound of weeping.

Psalms (13)
Psalm 33:2

Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to Him with ten strings.

Psalm 43:4

Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise You with the harp, O God, my God.

Psalm 49:5

Why should I fear in times of trouble, when wicked usurpers surround me?

Psalm 57:9

I will praise You, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing Your praises among the peoples.

Psalm 71:22

So I will praise You with the harp for Your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to You with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

Psalm 81:3

Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.

Psalm 92:4

For You, O LORD, have made me glad by Your deeds; I sing for joy at the works of Your hands.

Psalm 98:5

Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, in melodious song with the harp.

Psalm 108:3

I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing Your praises among the peoples.

Psalm 137:2

There on the willows we hung our harps,

Psalm 147:7

Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music on the harp to our God,

Psalm 149:3

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

Psalm 150:3

Praise Him with the sound of the horn; praise Him with the harp and lyre.

Isaiah (5)
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.

Isaiah 16:11

Therefore my heart laments for Moab like a harp, my inmost being for Kir-heres.

Isaiah 23:16

“Take up your harp, stroll through the city, O forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody, sing many a song, so you will be remembered.”

Isaiah 24:8

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

Isaiah 30:32

And with every stroke of the rod of punishment that the LORD brings down on them, the tambourines and lyres will sound as He battles with weapons brandished.

Ezekiel (1)
Ezekiel 26:13

So I will silence the sound of your songs, and the music of your lyres will no longer be heard.

Daniel (4)
Daniel 3:5

As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

Daniel 3:7

Therefore, as soon as all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and all kinds of music, the people of every nation and language would fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Daniel 3:10

You, O king, have issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the golden statue,

Daniel 3:15

Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the statue I have made, very good. But if you refuse to worship, you will be thrown at once into the blazing fiery furnace. Then what god will be able to deliver you from my hands?”