Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 98:6

Albert Barnes Commentary

Psalms 98:6

1798–1870
Presbyterian
Albert Barnes
Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes Commentary

Psalms 98:6

1798–1870
Presbyterian
SCRIPTURE

"With trumpets and sound of cornet Make a joyful noise before the King, Jehovah." — Psalms 98:6 (ASV)

With trumpets - The word used here is uniformly rendered “trumpets” in the Scriptures. (Numbers 10:2, Numbers 10:8–10; Numbers 31:6; and elsewhere.) The trumpet was mainly employed for convening a public assembly for worship, or for assembling the hosts for battle. The original word - חצצרה chătsôtserâh - is supposed to have been designed to imitate “the broken pulse-like sound of the trumpet, like the Latin “taratantara.” So the German “trarara,” and the Arabic hadadera. The word used here was given to the long, straight trumpet.

And sound of cornet ... - The word here translated “cornet” is also usually rendered “trumpet” (Exodus 19:16, Exodus 19:19; Exodus 20:18; Leviticus 25:9; Joshua 6:4–6, Joshua 6:8–9, Joshua 6:13, Joshua 6:16, Joshua 6:20; and often). It is rendered “cornet” in (1 Chronicles 15:28; 2 Chronicles 15:14; Hosea 5:8). In the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate it is here rendered “horn” - the meaning of “cornet.” The name - שׁפר shôphār - is supposed to have been given to this instrument from its clear and shrill sound, like the English name “clarion.” It was either made of horn, or similar to a horn - an instrument curved like a horn. The instrument was in frequent use among the Hebrews.