Psalms 150:5 Meaning: Two Cymbals, One Song
Praise him with loud cymbals! Praise him with resounding cymbals!
Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
Praise him with loud cymbals: Praise him with high sounding cymbals.
Praise Him with cymbals of sounding, Praise Him with cymbals of shouting.
Praise him with loud cymbals; praise him with high sounding cymbals.
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 150:5 distinguishes loud cymbals from resounding cymbals. Discover what this contrast reveals about the fullness of praise God deserves.
Context
Psalm 150 is the grand finale of the book of Psalms, a call for everything that breathes to praise the Lord. The earlier verses name places (the sanctuary, the heavens), reasons (God’s mighty acts, His greatness), and a parade of instruments: trumpet, harp, lyre, tambourine, strings, flute. By the time we reach verse 5, the momentum is almost overwhelming. Two more instruments appear, but both are cymbals, described in two different ways. The poet is not repeating himself. He is stretching language to its limit, as if one word for praise is not enough. The whole psalm builds toward the final verse: let every living thing praise Yah. This verse stands at the peak of that crescendo.
Key Words
The Hebrew behind verse 5 gives us two distinct phrases. The first is tsiltslei shama, “cymbals of hearing.” The word shama means sound that is heard clearly, distinctly. These are the bright, ringing cymbals that cut through the noise of other instruments. The second is tsiltslei teruah, “cymbals of shouting.” Teruah appears elsewhere for the blast of a trumpet that signals a victory, a coronation, or a festival. It is a sound of joy that cannot be contained. So the verse calls for two kinds of praise: one clear and precise, the other wild and triumphant. Both belong in worship. You do not have to choose between careful, thoughtful praise and exuberant, loud praise. God welcomes both. The same mouth that whispers thanks can also shout for joy.
How Christians Read This Verse
Commentators across traditions notice the same distinction. Matthew Henry and the Geneva Bible see the two cymbals as representing different moods of praise, one sober and attentive, one exultant and celebratory. The Cambridge Bible for Schools suggests the first may have been a smaller, sharper instrument like castanets, and the second a larger, booming cymbal used for festal shouts. Keil and Delitzsch connect teruah to the joyful shouting that accompanied the reception of a conqueror. What unites these readings is a shared conviction: God is not a God of narrow praise. He does not require a single tone or volume. The one who made every sound is worthy of every sound we have to offer.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers take this verse as a command that every church must use loud musical instruments in worship. In fact, the psalm is not prescribing a worship style for all time. It is using the richest instruments the psalmist knew, the loudest, the most joyful, to say: hold nothing back. The principle is wholeheartedness, not hardware. Your “loud cymbal” today might be a bold word of thanks over a meal, or a quiet song of trust in a hard moment. God is not measuring decibels; He is listening for a heart that holds nothing back.
Living This Out
This week, consider what it would look like to praise God with both clarity and joy. Maybe you have a prayer request you can state clearly and boldly. Maybe you have a reason to celebrate, a small win, a moment of grace, and you can let yourself feel the joy of it, even if it feels awkward. You do not have to choose between thoughtful worship and heartfelt worship. Let this verse free you to bring both: your careful words and your unguarded laughter. Both are praise. Both belong to Him.
Main takeaway: God is worthy of praise that is both clear and full of joy, and He welcomes every genuine expression of our hearts.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Do you like to clap your hands or shout when you are happy? This verse says we can praise God with loud sounds and happy sounds. He loves to hear you.
For ages 9, 12
The psalm mentions two kinds of cymbals, one that makes a clear, ringing noise, and one that makes a joyful, shouting sound. It reminds us that God is happy when we praise Him in different ways. Sometimes you might feel quiet and thoughtful. Other times you might feel like laughing and singing out loud. Both are good. God made you with all those feelings, and He wants you to bring them all to Him.
Questions People Ask
What is the difference between loud cymbals and resounding cymbals in Psalm 150:5?
The Hebrew phrases are 'cymbals of hearing' (sharper, clearer sound) and 'cymbals of shouting' (louder, more joyful sound). Many commentators think the first refers to smaller cymbals or castanets, and the second to larger cymbals used for triumphant celebration. Together they represent the full range of praise, from clear and focused to exuberant and loud.
Why does Psalm 150 list so many musical instruments?
The psalm is building a grand picture of worship where every resource, every instrument, every voice, every breath, joins in praising God. The list is not a command to use these specific instruments today, but a way of saying 'leave nothing out.' It invites us to offer God our very best with wholehearted energy.
Does this psalm mean we must use instruments in worship?
Christians disagree on the role of instruments. Some traditions use them joyfully, others prefer a cappella singing. The psalm does not mandate instruments for all time; it uses the instruments of its day to model wholehearted praise. The key principle is that we praise God with everything we have, whether with instruments, voices, or silent hearts lifted to Him.
What does 'everything that has breath' mean in Psalm 150:6?
This is a universal call. It includes every human being, and many Christians also see it reaching to all living creatures. The point is that no one is left out. The breath God gave us is meant to be used in praise to Him. It is a joyful ending to the entire book of Psalms, reminding us that praise is the reason we exist.
Is Psalm 150 a command or an invitation?
The repeated 'praise him' sounds like a command, but it is offered in the spirit of a joyful summons. The psalm is less a rule to obey and more a picture of what life is meant to be: a continuous, exuberant response to God's greatness. It invites us to join the song that all creation is already singing.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study