cymbal

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(hollow of a vessel). Metallic plates, slightly concave, used as musical instruments, by striking them together (1 Chron. 13:8; 16:5⁸And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets. (1 Chronicles 13:8)
⁵Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals; (1 Chronicles 16:5); Psa. 150:5⁵Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. (Psalm 150:5); 1 Cor. 13:1¹Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. (1 Corinthians 13:1)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

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Ancient musical instruments, formed of metallic plates which were struck together; they produced no melodious sound in themselves (Compare 1 Cor. 13:1¹Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. (1 Corinthians 13:1)) and could only be used with other instruments (1 Chron. 15:16,19,28¹⁶And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy. (1 Chronicles 15:16)
¹⁹So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass; (1 Chronicles 15:19)
²⁸Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps. (1 Chronicles 15:28); Ezra 3:10¹⁰And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. (Ezra 3:10); Psa. 150:5⁵Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. (Psalm 150:5), and so forth). In Corinthians it is a similitude of one making a show in speaking without love in the heart.

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Strong’s Dictionary of Greek Words:

Number:

2950 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)

Greek:

κύμβαλον

Transliteration:

kumbalon

Phonic:

koom’-bal-on

Meaning:

from a derivative of the base of 2949; a "cymbal" (as hollow)

KJV Usage:

cymbal

From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Psalm 150:5⁵Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. (Psalm 150:5). Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

The ancient cymbals resembled those in use in our day, consisting of two circular concave plates of brass, or other metal, and producing a clanging sound by being struck against each other.

Two kinds are supposed to be mentioned in the text. The “loud cymbals” are thought to have corresponded to the castanets which are used by the Moors and Spaniards as an accompaniment to guitars and dances. Two of these small cymbals were held in each hand. The “high-sounding cymbals” are thought to have been the larger kind that we are accustomed to see in military bands. They were thus used in ancient times, and were also employed by the Hebrews in Divine worship as an accompaniment to the chorus of singers (1 Chron. 15:16; 25:6¹⁶And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy. (1 Chronicles 15:16)
⁶All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king's order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman. (1 Chronicles 25:6); 2 Chron. 5:13¹³It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; (2 Chronicles 5:13)). Paul refers to this instrument in 1 Corinthians 13:1¹Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. (1 Corinthians 13:1): “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”