זְמָר (ze.mar)
ze.mar
music
A:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N-M
Word Overview
The Aramaic noun zemar refers to music, specifically instrumental accompaniment. In the Hebrew Bible, it is rare, appearing only four times, all within the book of Daniel. Its presence there highlights the cultural context of the Babylonian court, where such music played a central role in public worship and royal ceremony.
As a derivative of the root zamar ("to sing"), zemar shifts the focus from the human voice to the accompanying instruments. This distinction is clear in Daniel 3:5, 7, and 15, where Nebuchadnezzar commands subjects to fall down before a golden image when they hear the sound of the "zemar." The text lists it alongside horns, flutes, and lyres, indicating that the word denotes the instrumental ensemble rather than vocal performance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word zemar points to the instruments that accompany singing, shifting focus from the human voice to the music itself. In Daniel, this term describes the powerful ensemble used by King Nebuchadnezzar to demand worship of a golden statue. The sound was not merely background noise; it was a tool of coercion designed to overwhelm the senses and force compliance.
For believers today, this distinction between voice and instrument offers a quiet reminder. True worship often begins in the heart before it reaches the ears. When external pressures try to dictate our allegiance, we are called to stand firm in our convictions, even when the surrounding culture plays a different tune.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <the>/ music4×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- זְמָרָ֑/א3×
- זְמָרָ֗/א1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 3:5
that whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.
This verse lists zemar alongside specific instruments like horns and flutes, defining it as part of the instrumental ensemble rather than vocal performance.
-
Daniel 3:15
Now if you are ready whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music to fall down and worship the image which I have made, good; but if you don’t worship, you shall be cast the same hour into the middle of a burning fiery furnace. Who is that god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
Nebuchadnezzar uses the threat of the furnace to demand obedience triggered by hearing this music, highlighting its role as a mechanism of political control.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does zemar mean in the Bible?
How is zemar different from zamar?
Why does this word only appear in Daniel?
Every Occurrence (4 verses across 1 books)
Daniel 4 verses
that whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, you fall down…
Daniel 3:7Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all…
Daniel 3:10You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and…
Daniel 3:15Now if you are ready whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music…