What the Bible says about singing during worship service?

​

The great question is: “Is it ok to sing with or without musical accompaniment during worship service? The answer comes to the three words that the Bible uses when singing is concerned. The three words are the followings: ψαλμός (psalmos) – ὑμνος (hymnos) – ωδη (ōdê). What is the difference between them?

Let us see:

1 – ψαλμός (psalmos) a noun which means “Song of praise, psalm.” And the corresponding verb is ψάλλω (psallō) which means “to sing psalm (s).”

To be more precise ψαλμός (psalmos) refers either to the “sound” of an instrument or to the actual playing (“plucking, twanging” of strings) of an instrument (cf. Liddell-Scott). And the related verb ψάλλω (psallō) denotes the act of playing a (normally) stringed instrument.

2 – ὑμνος (hymnos) refers to song of praise to God where the idea of musical accompaniment is absent.

​

3 – ωδη (ōdê) is the general word for a song, whether accompanied or unaccompanied, whether of praise or on any other subject. But to qualify it Paul added to the noun, the adjective πνευματικός (pneumatikos) = spiritual.

In sum, the word ωδη (ōdê) is the generic term for singing while ψαλμός (psalmos) and ὑμνος (hymnos) are specific.

​

References Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.

​

Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words.

​

Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary.

​