Nevin on Synagogue Worship
James Dodson
NO MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN THE SYNAGOGUE WORSHIP.
With great confidence the Professor tells us, “That it,” (namely, “vocal and instrumental music”) “was to be practised both in schools and synagogues, it seems impossible to doubt,” and that “we have evidence, as strong as the case admits of, that instrumental music was employed in the synagogue worship from the earliest period of their history”—p. 18. Notwithstanding these “strong” statements, and the alleged ‘impossibility,’ we take leave to say that we not only doubt, but positively do not believe, that instruments were ever used in the synagogue worship before Christ. As to subsequent use, even if proved, and that is not the case, we should hold it worthless in the argument. We cannot believe without evidence, and we cannot take Professor Wallace’s merely conjectural reasonings as any proper evidence of an alleged historical fact. We do not think it in the least necessary to follow these conjectural reasonings in which he indulges so largely and so ingeniously. If the thing were fact, it is surely capable of some kind of historic proof. This has not been furnished, and we believe cannot be. It is true, we are referred to Vitringa as stating that “from ancient times,” not only psalms but uninspired hymns were sung in the synagogues.
“In two of those hymns found in Vitringa, the term ‘Selah,’ so often met with in the Psalms, occurs. This is usually regarded as a musical sign, and referring not to the singing, but to the musical accompaniment. But this is not all. In one of those hymns ‘Selah’ occurs in the middle of it; and at the end, the worshippers are made to express themselves as singing ‘with a holy unaccompanied voice.’ And at the beginning of another, they are called upon to bless God ‘with the voice unaccompanied.’ If accompaniment were not the rule, this would seem to be altogether out of place and unmeaning.”
The criticism on Selah here, minute as it is, is groundless. It was probably equivalent to the “pause” or “rest” in modern musical notation. This, as every one knows, is employed in notes for the voice equally as in notes for an instrument. It probably served the purpose also of calling the attention of the worshippers to the importance of the sentiment expressed immediately before—it was
[Page 14]
a call to reflect upon that. This purpose could be referred only to the words of the song.
But there is what is more remarkable here, in reference to the music of the synagogue. Vitringa’s book De Synagoga Vetere is now very scarce. Having through the kindness of a friend obtained a copy of it for a little while, we had the curiosity to inspect it somewhat carefully, never having entertained any other idea for a moment than that Professor Wallace would satisfy himself of the correctness of his reference in every particular, before making it. What was our astonishment to find that the statement is not positively untrue in every particular! In the first place, the phrases quoted do not occur in two separate compositions, one at the end of one, and the other at the beginning of another, but in the middle of a single composition. Secondly, that composition is not a hymn—there is no such thing in Vitringa!—but a portion of a liturgical service. Thirdly, and most curious of all, the phrases quoted are not used in application to the synagogue worshippers, but in the plainest application to holy angels! The Professor makes his reference to two chapters, the 14th and 15th of Book III., Part II., comprising about 30 pages, when a reference to one page would have sufficed. Chapter 14 is taken up with an account of the Schemon Esre, a liturgy of nineteen prayers, composed, as might be expected, very much in phraseology borrowed from Old Testament Scripture. In chapter 15 we have an account of two liturgical forms, one for the morning and the other for the evening, denominated Recitatio or Lectio Schemah. The form for the morning consisted of three very brief portions of Scripture, which were read, preceded by two prayers and followed by one. In the evening the same three portions of Scripture were read, preceded by two prayers and followed by two. There was this rather curious distinction between the Schemon Esre and the Lectio Schemah, that all Israelites, men, women, and children, were expected to join in reciting the former, whereas the use of the latter was restricted to males of full age and free; women, minors, and those held in servitude being forbidden the use of it. For this reason the Rabbis said that, strictly, the Schemon Esre contained prayers, but the Lectio Schemah did not, and they described the reciting of the latter as an Act of Religion—recite is the word, not sing. Vitringa, however, does not scruple to apply the word prayer in both cases, though in a broader sense in the latter as he explains, varying it by blessing (eulogia or benedictio). See p. 1032. The phrases referred to by Professor Wallace, occur in the first benedictio or prayer of the Lectio Schemah for the morning. That the reader may judge for himself respecting the correctness of our statements, we subjoin a literal translation of the sentences in which the phrases appear.
[Page 15]
These sentences immediately follow the Sela to which the Professor has also referred.
Be thou blessed, our Rock, our King, and our Redeemer, creating Holy Ones (Angels). [The parenthesis is Vitringa’s]. Let thy name be celebrated to everlasting, O our King. Who formest Ministers, and all whose Ministers stand together in the highest of the universe [kosmos, not the synagogue certainly], and thence with reverence by voice make the words of the living God and King of the world to be heard. They are all dearly beloved [or, chosen, dilecti], all pure, all mighty, they are all doing with dread and fear the will of their God. And they all open their mouth in holiness, and in purity, and in songs and odes; and they bless, praise, celebrate, exhibit reverence, sanctity, and constitute King the name of the mighty God, that great King, potent, and to be feared, who is Holy. And they all take upon themselves the Yoke of the Kingdom of the heavens one after another [or, one from another, unus ab altero, whatever either phrase may be taken to signify]; and they help each other in sanctifying their Creator with tranquil mind, pure lip, and holy unaccompanied voice. They all as one answer and say in fear; Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory. And the Wheels, and the Holy Living Creatures with a great noise lift up themselves over against the Seraphim; and over against them praise and say; Let the glory of the Lord be blessed from His [or, its] place. Let them sing together to the Blessed God with unaccompanied voice! &c., &c., p. 1055.
If any one ask what can be the meaning of angels singing with unaccompanied voice, we can answer only by a conjecture. We strongly suspect that the word assa is a misprint for alta—alta voce, with loud voice. This would be a Scriptural phrase, whereas the other is not. Vitringa’s book was printed in 1696, and is of course in a somewhat antique style of typography. In these two instances the ss are printed in a contracted form, though this is by no means uniformly followed in the book. One correcting for the Press would very readily overlook such an error. Vitringa excuses himself from giving the Hebrew of the prayer as he has done in other instances, on account of its length, and contents himself with exhibiting his own translation of it into Latin. Had he given the Hebrew, a comparison with it would most likely have turned our conjecture into certainty. What confidence can we repose in the loose references of other writers, when one like Professor Wallace is found erring so egregiously in a matter so simple? We would not be understood for a moment as insinuating that he has wilfully distorted the facts of the case to suit his purpose. We believe him incapable of such conduct. But what, then, are we to make of it? It is not for us, it is for himself to explain, and we think an explanation is certainly due, not only to his own reputation, but to truth, and to those readers of his pamphlet who may have been misled by it, many of whom a correction of the misstatement will never reach.
We feel now on sure ground to make two assertions—disprove them who can—1. That there was no such thing as an uninspired hymn ever sung; and 2. That there was no such thing as an instru-
[Page 16]
mental accompaniment to singing ever employed in the ancient synagogue. Vitringa specifies some portions of the Old Testament that were not included in the stated readings in the synagogue, and among these the book of Psalms. They were not included in the stated lessons to be read, because they were sung (or chanted, cantillati) in the services of the synagogue, and because the forms of prayers and doxologies were chiefly compiled from them.—Vit. p. 988. Again, he has a whole chapter on The Utensils of the Synagogue. Among these were two, the buccina or veritable ram’s horn, and the tuba or straight metallic trumpet. He specifies four uses that were made of these. 1. They were sounded at the excommunication of a member. 2. In proclaiming the approach of the new year. This includes the proclamation of the Jubilee. 3. To announce the commencement of the weekly Sabbaths and other Festivals commanded in the Law of Moses. 4. A peculiar use, they were blown during the observance of Fasts kept occasionally on account of calamities, as a method of expressing lamentation. See Vit. p. 203—210. There is not one syllable, however, about harp or psaltery. Had there been either uninspired hymn, or instrumental accompaniment to singing, used in the ancient synagogue, it is utterly incredible that an investigator so learned, painstaking, and competent as Vitringa, could have overlooked it, whereas there is not one word respecting either in his book from beginning to end. No one can be legitimately called upon to prove a negative, though Professor Wallace seems inclined to demand this in more than one instance. Let any one who thinks he can do so, produce some tangible proof of the presence of hymn or instrument used with singing in the ancient synagogue. But we must have no more such proofs as this from Vitringa, and we believe it is literally impossible to adduce any better.
Perhaps we should not be surprised, after what we have seen, that for lack, we may suppose, of better evidence, the worship of the golden calf has been laid under contribution. Professor Wallace says in a foot-note to page 8 of his pamphlet, “There was music in the idolatrous worship of the golden calf—an evidence that music was habitually employed in the worship of God.” Music! but the question is about the use of instruments. That, however, is of course implied. Well, where is the “evidence” that any instrument was employed in the worship of the golden calf? We read, Exod. xxxii. 6, that “the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.” But surely the least instructed reader of his Bible knows that to play here does not mean to play on musical instruments. The original word so rendered (tsachak) signifies to laugh, to make sport. The people rose up to amuse themselves, as we would say. Of the manner in which they did so we learn from verses 17—19. There was shouting, singing, and dancing, but
[Page 17]
there is not a word to indicate the use of a musical instrument. The people, no doubt, on that occasion imitated the ox-worship, as they had witnessed it many a time in Egypt, and if music of instruments formed part of the one, we may suppose it formed part of the other also. But what a quarter is this to go to for evidence of any practice to be construed as commendable or worthy of imitation! The fact of its having been adduced, however, is suggestive in various ways. When a congregation of professing Christians rise up to the sound of an organ, is it to amuse themselves? Is it from no higher motive, so far as the use of the instrument is concerned, than to gratify their own ears and musical taste, and that under the name of worshipping God?
There are two places of Scripture which, so far as we are aware, have not been alluded to in this controversy, on the part of the advocates of instruments, yet they are even more in point than some that have been adduced, although as far from being conclusive. Isaiah, predicting a future period of joy to the church, says ch. xxx. 29, “Ye shall have a song, as in the night, when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One (Heb.—Rock) of Israel.” The allusion in the first clause of this verse is manifestly to the passover, which was observed by households after night had fairly set in, and when the great Hallel was sung, consisting of Psalms cxiii—cxviii, that is, in the later periods of the people’s history. But no instrument was used in these household celebrations of the passover. The latter part of the verse seems to refer to the going up to Jerusalem on the occasion of the three great feasts, when all the males were commanded to appear before the Lord. Many, on these occasions, would have to march long distances on foot. They would naturally form themselves into companies, composed respectively of friends, acquaintances, or neighbours. What more natural too, than to suppose these companies to seek to enliven the tedium of their march by the use of instruments, just as military regiments and processions are preceded by bands in modern times? But that would not be worship.
The 137th Psalm, again, which seems clearly enough to have been written after the Captivity, speaks of the captives as hanging their harps on the willows that grew on the margin of the Babylonish streams; of their oppressors asking them to sing one of the songs of Zion; and of their excusing themselves. There were among the captives many of the Levite singers and players, who had been engaged professionally in the temple. In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah we find repeated references to the singers as a distinct class. There were hundreds of such among the returned captives.—See Ez. ii. 41; Neh. vii. 67. These, we may suppose, would continue to cultivate music, both vocal and instru-
[Page 18]
mental, during the exile, although the language of the Psalm might rather seem to indicate that, through grief, they had discontinued the practice. But if they did begin it again after a time, when their first grief had subsided, it was in a private way, not in assemblies for worship, until the return from the Captivity enabled them to resume their place and function in the second temple as in the first. There is no evidence that they used instruments in any stated assemblies for worship in Chaldea, if indeed such assemblies were permitted to be held.