zamar · sing praise, make music

What it means

zamar (זָמַר) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “sing praise, make music”.

Sing praise: sing or play a stringed instrument in praise. The word for "psalm" comes from it.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To make music, voice and strings, praising YHWH.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

To sing psalms: to sing with the accompaniment of stringed instruments. BDB explains that it is to make music in praise of God. From this verb comes מִזְמוֹר, ‘psalm’ (H4210).

• “I will sing psalms to YHWH” Judges 5:3Psalms 57:72 Samuel 22:50
• “Sing psalms”: the call to praise Psalms 47:6Psalms 30:4Isaiah 12:5
• With lyre and harp Psalms 33:2Psalms 98:5
• “{It is} good to sing psalms to our Elohim” Psalms 147:1

Historical and cultural background

Deborah opens her song with this verb: “I, I will sing to YHWH; I will sing psalms to YHWH, the Elohim of Israel” (Judges 5:3).

How we translate it

“Sing psalms” 44 times, so that its relation to “psalm” can be seen. In Psalm 47:6 the verb is repeated four times: “Sing psalms to Elohim, sing psalms; sing psalms to our King, sing psalms”.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• sing psalms ×44
• sing ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Judges×1
• 2 Samuel×1
• 1 Chronicles×1
• Psalms×41
• Isaiah×1

• Judges 5:3

  Hear, kings; give ear, dignitaries. I, I will sing to YHWH; I will sing psalms to YHWH, the Elohim of Israel.

• 2 Samuel 22:50

  Therefore I will give you thanks, YHWH, among the nations, and to your name I will sing psalms.

• 1 Chronicles 16:9

  Sing to him, sing psalms to him; speak of all his wonders.

• Psalms 7:17

  I will give thanks to YHWH according to his righteousness, and I will sing psalms to the name of YHWH Elyon.

• Psalms 9:2

  I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing psalms to your name, Elyon.

• Psalms 9:11

  Sing psalms to YHWH, who dwells in Zion; proclaim among the peoples his deeds.

• Psalms 18:49

  Therefore I will give you thanks among the nations, YHWH, and to your name I will sing psalms.

• Psalms 21:13

  Be exalted, YHWH, in your strength; we will sing and sing psalms to your might.

• Psalms 27:6

  And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will sacrifice in his tent sacrifices of acclamation; I will sing and sing psalms to YHWH.

• Psalms 30:4

  Sing psalms to YHWH, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to the remembrance of his holiness.

• Psalms 30:12

  so that my glory may sing psalms to you and not be silent. YHWH my Elohim, forever I will give you thanks.

• Psalms 33:2

  Give thanks to YHWH with the lyre; with a harp of ten strings sing psalms to him.

• Psalms 47:6

  Sing psalms to Elohim, sing psalms; sing psalms to our King, sing psalms.

• Psalms 47:7

  For the King of all the earth is Elohim; sing a maskil.

• Psalms 57:7

  Firm is my heart, Elohim, firm is my heart; I will sing and sing psalms.

• Psalms 57:9

  I will give you thanks among the peoples, Adonai; I will sing psalms to you among the nations.

• Psalms 59:17

  My strength, to you I will sing psalms; for Elohim is my high refuge, the Elohim of my loyal love.

• Psalms 61:8

  So I will sing psalms to your name forever, to fulfill my vows day after day.

• Psalms 66:2

  sing psalms to the glory of his name; make his praise glorious.

• Psalms 66:4

  All the earth will bow down to you and sing psalms to you; they will sing psalms to your name.” Selah.

• Psalms 68:4

  Sing to Elohim, sing psalms to his name; level the way for him who rides through the steppes; Yah is his name, and leap for joy before him.

• Psalms 68:32

  Kingdoms of the earth, sing to Elohim; sing psalms to Adonai. Selah.

• Psalms 71:22

  I also will give you thanks with the instrument of the harp, for your truth, my Elohim; I will sing psalms to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.

• Psalms 71:23

  My lips will shout for joy when I sing psalms to you, and my soul, which you have ransomed.

• Psalms 75:9

  But I will declare it forever; I will sing psalms to the Elohim of Jacob.

• Psalms 92:1

  A psalm. A song for the day of the Sabbath. It is good to give thanks to YHWH, and to sing psalms to your name, Elyon,

• Psalms 98:4

  Raise a shout to YHWH, all the earth; break forth and shout for joy and sing psalms.

• Psalms 98:5

  Sing psalms to YHWH with the lyre, with the lyre and the voice of song.

• Psalms 101:1

  Of David. A psalm. Loyal love and justice I will sing; to you, YHWH, I will sing psalms.

• Psalms 104:33

  I will sing to YHWH as long as I live; I will sing psalms to my Elohim while I still exist.

• Psalms 105:2

  Sing to him, sing psalms to him; speak of all his wonders.

• Psalms 108:1

  A song. A psalm of David. Firm is my heart, Elohim; I will sing and sing psalms, even my glory.

• Psalms 108:3

  I will give you thanks among the peoples, YHWH; I will sing psalms to you among the nations.

• Psalms 135:3

  Praise Yah, for YHWH is good; sing psalms to his name, for it is pleasant.

• Psalms 138:1

  Of David. I will give you thanks with all my heart; before the gods I will sing psalms to you.

• Psalms 144:9

  Elohim, a new song I will sing to you; on a harp of ten strings I will sing psalms to you,

• Psalms 146:2

  I will praise YHWH as long as I live; I will sing psalms to my Elohim while I still exist.

• Psalms 147:1

  Praise Yah, for it is good to sing psalms to our Elohim, for it is pleasant; praise is fitting.

• Psalms 147:7

  Sing to YHWH with thanksgiving; sing psalms to our Elohim with the lyre,

• Psalms 149:3

  Let them praise his name with dancing; with tambourine and lyre let them sing psalms to him.

And 5 more times.