Lexicons Can Be Wrong - III
by Hugo McCord

1957

    The first edition in 1957 of A Greek-English Lexicon of The New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, edited by W. F. Arndt and F. W. Gingrich, defined psallo to mean: "sing (to the accompaniment of a harp" (p. 899).


1962

    After the death of Dr. Arndt, Dr. Frederick William Danker became Dr. Gingrich's partner in preparing a second edition of the Arndt-Gingrich lexicon. Under date of October 2, 1962, Dr. Danker wrote that the phrase "to the accompaniment of a harp" is a "mistake" in defining psallo, and "we will be sure to correct it in the revision. I doubt whether the archaeologists can establish the use of the harp in early Christian services."

    He also wrote that Professors Arndt and Gingrich had "incorporated the obvious Old Testament meaning into the metaphorical usage of the New Testament." Thus Dr. Danker was showing that "the obvious Old Testament meaning" of psallo (literal harp playing, Psalm 33:3 [LXX, 32:3]; 71:22 [LXX, 70:22]) is not literal in the New Testament, but is a "metaphorical usage."


1979

    The second edition (1979) of the Gingrich-Danker lexicon defined psallo to mean: "`sing' exclusively; . . . with no reference to instrumental accompaniment. Although the NT does not voice opposition to instrumental music, . . . it is likely that some such sense as make melody is best here. Those who favor 'play' . . . may be relying too much on the earliest meaning of psallo" (p. 891).

    Since "the earliest meaning of psallo" was literal harp playing, Dr. Danker said in 1979 that psallo in the New Testament means " 'sing' exclusively," causing him to say the metaphorical meaning "make melody is best here." His phrase "make melody," as a translation of psallo had been used by the King James Version and the American Standard Version in Ephesians 5:19, "making melody."

    In reference to the statement that "the NT does not voice opposition to instrumental music," it is also true that the NT does not voice opposition to holy water, images, vestments, rosaries, prayer candles, dancing in the worship, incense, the papacy, and ham in the Lord's Supper.


2000

    In the third edition (2000, p. 1096) it is shocking to read that Dr. Danker now says that psallo in the New Testament means "to sing songs of praise, with or without instrumental accompaniment." Truly, lexicons can be wrong! [1-12-2001]