Exclusive Psalmody Defended: A Response to Nathan Pitchford (3)
Psalms, Hymns and Songs in the Septuagint (LXX)
Since Mr Pitchford admits that the words psalms, hymns and songs are all found in the Greek Septuagint (the Old Testament translation quoted bt the New Testament writers) it would perhaps be useful to consider the usage of these terms in the LXX.
Psalms (Psalmos)
According to Michael Bushell this word ‘occurs some 87 times in the Septuagint, some 78 of which are in the Psalms themselves, and 67 times in the psalm titles. It also forms the title to the Greek version of the Psalter…by far the most frequent occurence of the term is in the Psalter itself’ (The Songs of Zion, p.85). Therefore, it is reasonable to suppose that whenever the Ephesians and Colossions heard Paul’s exhortation to sing psalms, they would have most naturally thought of the contents of the book in their Greek Bibles which bears the title ‘Psalmoi’.
Hymns (Humnos)
The word hymns occurs 17 times in the LXX, 13 references in the Psalms, with six of these being in the titles. For example, the title of Psalm 54 reads: ‘For the end among the Hymns of instruction by David’; and Psalm 72:20 reads: ‘The hymns of David the son of Jesse are ended’. Moreover, it would appear that the translators of the LXX regarded the terms ‘psalms’ and ‘hymns’ as synonomus, because the title to Psalm 6 reads ‘For the end, a Psalm of David among the Hymns of the eigth’.
Songs (Odees)
This word appears 80 times in the Septuagint, 45 of which are in the Psalms, 36 of these in the psalm titles. Again, ’songs’ must have been viewed by the LXX translators as being synonomus with ‘psalms’, because the title to Psalm 4 reads: ‘For the end, a Song of David among the Psalms.’
In fact if anyone is in any doubt as to whether or not the Septuagint translators regarded the terms ‘psalms’, ‘hymns’ and ’songs’ as synonomous, then let him read the title of Psalm 76: ‘For the end, among the Hymns, a Psalm for Asaph; a Song for the Assyrian.’ So if the Septuagint could use the terms psalms, hymns and songs to describe the inspired psalms, hymns and songs of the psalter, then why should we assume that this is not what Paul is referring to?
While the case for total psalmody does not stand or fall on the basis of Col. 3:16 or Eph. 5:19, it is clear that neither of those passages present any difficulty to the position. Mr Pitchford’s arguments concerning inspired songs, outside of the Psalter, shall be considered in later posts (D.V.)
December 8, 2006 at 12:19 am
A survey of the verbal cognates of those words (”hymneo,” etc.) might change the statistics a bit. But regardless, I am not trying to argue that those terms were not used for the psalter, or that the psalter might not have been the first thing to come to the mind of the first-century Christian when he heard the terms. But I am saying that the Christian well-versed in the OT would certainly have thought of more than just the psalter — he also would have thought of extra-psalter worship music sung by the Church (as, for instance, Isaiah 12, Exodus 15, Judges 5, etc.
Blessings from the Cross,
Nathan
December 8, 2006 at 12:33 pm
The issue of extra psalter material of praise lends no support to the introduction of hymns of solely human composition. If we are to interpret Scripture with Scripture and we find no example in the entire history of the Old Testament Church of the use of uninspired songs in worship, how can we then make the arbitraty leap and understand Paul to have meant uninspired material of praise in Eph 5:18, Col 3:16. The question of extra-psalter material of praise in the Old Testament is something to concern ourselves with after we have understood the requirment to sing songs given to us by the inspiration of the Spirit. Even if we were to concede that the extr-psalter material was and is to be sung in the church today, then what has this to do with Watts and Wesley?
December 8, 2006 at 12:49 pm
Exactly Gavin, there will be more on inspired songs outside the psalter in later posts.