What are the psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs mentioned in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16?

In the judgment of many the sense of this passage is better seen with a different punctuation. Thus: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another; in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Nor can we doubt, because of its harmony with the teaching of Scripture in other places, that this sets forth the correct interpretation. As to what were the psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, there is no means of knowing with certainty. But of this we may be sure - that they were different channels through which joy in the Lord ascended to Him in praise and adoration. They might have been - at least some of them - compositions, inspired for the occasion in the first energy of the Spirit, or they might have been, as now, the meditations of pious souls flowing out in psalms, hymns, or songs.

While it is clear that one may be filled with the Spirit in speaking for the Lord (Acts 13:9-11), yet it also may be true in the singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual song (v.19). The word indicates a sacred song accompanied by a stringed instrument. Hymns are songs of praise addressed to God, and the word is evidently used for many of the psalms also, though not all psalms are hymns and hymns are not necessarily psalms. Spiritual songs embraces a wider field than praise, for it includes songs of spiritual experience and celebration of scriptural events and of meditation on various truths of scripture. Singing is audible, but making melody in your heart is more vital. This is surely an encouragement to those who have difficulty in carrying a tune!

In the fifth chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, as also in the third chapter of the Epistle of the same apostle to the Colossians, we are enjoined to praise God even the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to make melody in our hearts to our Lord and Saviour and Head in glory, whilst speaking to one another with singing lips in happy communion. In Eph. 5 this is presented as the effect of being filled with the Spirit, but in Col. 3 as the result of being richly indwelt by the word of Christ in all wisdom, in keeping with the character of each epistle upon which we cannot enter here. But in both passages we find the three kinds of Christian songs of praise, namely: Psalms, i.e., Christian songs for thanksgiving and praise. Hymns for Christian worship. Spiritual songs, i.e., such as serve for domestic and social Christian edification.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God." v. 16. This is a remarkable contrast of the gospel with the law. The law decided this and that; and not this only, but the obedience of the law is definite; it does not leave room for a growing measure of spirituality. Now, in Christianity, there is an elasticity which leaves room for differences in spirituality. This does not suit the thoughts of human nature; it is too vague for it; but it is perfection in the mind and ways of God, who thus forms the affections and judgments. It is precisely what leaves room for the word of Christ. Here there is growth in every kind of wisdom, and also room left for the exercise of spiritual judgment. In the first chapter there is a similar principle, only there it is "being filled with the knowledge of his will, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." Here it is "That the word of Christ may dwell in you richly in all wisdom"; it is not a question of walk, but of enjoyment and worship. Hence, immediately after we have "teaching and admonishing one another," etc. By speaking of enjoyment and worship, its public exercise is not meant, but the spirit of it in intercourse with one another.

As to the difference between psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, I suppose a psalm was a more stately composition than a spiritual song, which admits more of Christian experience and expression of our feelings. This may be very good in its way and season, but it is not the best or highest thing. A psalm, then, is more solemn; a hymn is a direct address to God and consists of praise. By psalms, of course, I do not refer to the Psalms of David, but to Christian compositions.

Ephesians 5:19, literally rendered, reads "be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves (i.e., to one another) in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and psalming with your hearts to the Lord". This refers to the Christian life in general, and not particularly to assemblies. It seems to say that Christians are to be, in joy and sorrow, a singing people. It is naturally of great interest to examine the three words, psalms, hymns and songs. On this point, as on so many others, Trench's "Synonyms of the New Testament" is very illuminating. "When some expositors refuse even to attempt to distinguish between them, urging that St. Paul had certainly no intention of classifying the different forms of Christian poetry, this statement, no doubt, is true; but neither, on the other hand would he have used, where there is evidently no temptation to rhetorical amplification, three words, if one would have equally served his turn … each must have had a meaning which belonged to it more, and by a better right, than it belonged to either of the others; and this it may be possible to seize, even while it is quite impossible with perfect strictness to distribute under these three heads Christian poetry as it existed in the Apostolic age."

Psalms were, in the Old Testament, songs sung with the accompaniment of plucked instruments. Trench does not doubt that the psalms of Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 (and probably 1 Corinthians 14) were the inspired Psalms of the Old Testament Canon. This interpretation, however, we must decisively reject. Naturally all Catholic, Anglican and Reformed (Presbyterian) commentators interpret the word in this sense, and are now bound to do so since for centuries the Book of Psalms from the Old Testament has been sung in their assemblies. If this fact stood alone, it might be impressive, but it does not stand alone. It is one element in the settled system of carrying over the details of the Old Testament worship into Christianity. In its buildings, its priesthood, its sacrifices, its incense and its music, the historic Church is Judaism carried over; and the use of the Book of Psalms from the Old Testament as a vehicle of Christian worship is one further item in this picture. The Old Testament Psalms cannot be vehicles of the true worship because in them worship is directed to Jehovah and not to the Father and the Son; because a finished redemption was not known; and because the imprecatory Psalms are quite out of keeping with the spirit of the New Testament. For these reasons the psalms of Ephesians 5:19 cannot be the Psalms of the Old Testament. They must be psalms composed for the purposes of Christian worship.

On hymns, Trench says, "It was the essence of a Greek hymn that it should be addressed to, or otherwise in praise of, a god … when the word 'hymn' was assumed into the language of the Church, this essential distinction clung to it still. A 'psalm' might be … the story of man's deliverance or a commemoration of mercies received; and of a 'spiritual song' much the same could be said; but a 'hymn' must always be … a direct address of praise and glory to God."

It is certain that hymns were used by the saints in the apostles' days. This is clear from the New Testament itself, and will be evident from the following passages which show (1) that the saints were exhorted to make use of such compositions. "Speaking to yourselves, in psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Eph. 5:19). "Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Col. 3:16). "Is any merry? let him sing psalms" (James 5:13). Moreover we find (2) that we have actual examples of such use — at midnight in the prison at Philippi, "Paul and Silas in praying were singing praises to God, and the prisoners were listening to them" (Acts 16:25. W. K.); at Corinth it was the custom to sing when assembled together. "How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, let all things be done unto edifying" (1 Cor. 14:26). The apostle reproved them, not for the practice of singing (1 Cor. 14:15), but for the confusion arising from the exercise of self-will in the assembly. Surely nothing needs to be added to the citation of these passages to prove that the early saints were in the regular habit of singing praise to the Lord, since both precept and practice unite in a clear testimony to that effect.

The phrase, "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs," indicates that the compositions known and sung by the assembly at the beginning were varied in character, though of course of equal value in expressing the mind of the saints at different times. It is however difficult to exactly determine the definition of each term or even to point out its salient features. A psalm may have been an elevated address or invocation to God: a hymn welled up in praise and thanksgiving, while a song would be based on an intelligent apprehension of the mind of God, and possibly partook more of a didactic character, as well as introduced practical experience in the ways of God. However that may be, it is certain that the Spirit led the saints into the expression of the various emotions of their hearts Godward by psalm, hymn, or song, as was most suited.

One might be tempted to think that these terms imply but trivial distinctions, did the Apostle not make specific use of them in Eph. 5:19 and in Col. 3:16. We may thus be sure that in their use the Spirit of God has something special to unfold for our profit. A psalm is not necessarily a psalm of David. The thought of God's mercy was the prominent impulse which inspired the Psalmists to pen the psalms. So, too, it is the deep sense of the mercy of God in our souls which will lead us to burst forth in a psalm to gladden the heart of the Lord, e.g., "Our Shepherd is the Lord, Hymns have reference to the greatness and majesty of our blessed Lord calling forth our audible praise. This is not shutting out the fact that unless we are stirred in our souls we shall not be able to give expression rightly to a hymn. But that does not give essential character to the hymn. Everything sinks into insignificance in the presence of the greatness of the Lord, e.g., Jesus, Thou alone art worthy Spiritual songs on the other hand, refer more to the greatness of the work of the Spirit of God within leading us not only to make melody in our hearts to the Lord but to break forth into singing. The gladness in our hearts is called up in response to the joy of His heart. What stirring impulse can prompt such words as:— "Praise ye the Lord" again, again

Psalms speak of experience with God, hymns speak of songs of praise to God and spiritual songs speak of the embodiment in poetic form of the varied truths of God that are found in the word of the Christ. So I would say, dear brethren, that spiritual songs are the embodiment of what Peter says in 2 Peter 1:12, "the present truth".

A song means anything sung, and "by itself might mean any kind of song, as of battle, or of harvest." The addition of the description "spiritual" means that "they were composed by spiritual men and moved in the sphere of spiritual things."

Perhaps the matter will be best understood if, taking account of the explanations given, but from a slightly different point of view, we conclude that each of the three words, psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, covers the whole range of Christian expression. The first (psalms) draws attention to the fact that Christian feeling expressed itself in compositions which were musical; the second (hymns) that they were in praise of God; and the third (spiritual songs), that also they were sung with the voice.

Some have attempted to make out that since the verb "to psalm" (1 Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; James 5:13), is given in a certain popular concordance with the meaning "to sing praise with a musical instrument", it is necessarily implied that instrumental accompaniment is appropriate to singing in Christian worship. It has been so universally common to use instrumental accompaniment with singing in Christian worship that familiarity with it prevents our seeing what a far cry such a practice is from Scripture truth. The verb "to psalm" means "to pluck or twang a string with the finger." In its original use the string was a bowstring, but later a musical string. The only shred of Scripture evidence available to be called in support of using musical accompaniment in Christian worship, is the original meaning of this word, and the evidence is quite as strong for using bows and arrows as musical instruments. The word "lunatic" originally meant a person affected by the phases of the moon, but when we use the word in the twentieth century, we make no reference to the moon; the word is still used, but has entirely lost the original connection. Similarly, the use of the word "to psalm" in the New Testament of itself proves nothing at all about the use of musical instruments. In the Old Testament, instrumental music was explicitly authorised for the temple worship, and considerable detail given about the instruments used and the players: "an instrument of ten strings" (Psalm 92:3): "upon the harp will I praise Thee" (Psalm 43:4): "song in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, psalteries and harps, for the service of the house of God" (1 Chron. 25:6): and numerous other references. When we contrast this with the total absence of such details in the New Testament, it can only be concluded that instruments were not used in the New Testament churches. Indeed, they would hinder by diverting attention from the inward spiritual activity essential to the true worship. The recognition of these facts is not confined to one communion. They have always been recognised by some, notably certain monastic orders in the Middle Ages and by the early Presbyterians in modern times. "Be filled with the Spirit … singing and psalming with your hearts" means that in such songs, the player is the Holy Spirit, and His instrument the believer's heart.

"Hymns" were more especially festive praises to God. "Psalms" were chanted with instruments, but afterwards, though in divine service, of a general character. "Spiritual songs" were not necessarily divine service, though spiritual with every kind of development of thought. But the object is not to define but to speak of every sort which saints could sing together in liberty.