What does מְצֵלֶת (mĕṣēlet) mean in the Bible?
מְצֵלֶת (mĕṣēlet): Percussion instrument used exclusively in cultic worship; dual form emphasizes paired, resonant accompaniment to temple music
Hebrew · H4700
מְצֵלֶת
(Only dual) double tinklers , i.e. cymbals
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מְצֵלֶת H4700
Pronunciation mĕṣēlet
What does מְצֵלֶת (mĕṣēlet) mean in the Bible?
מְצֵלֶת (mĕṣēlet): Percussion instrument used exclusively in cultic worship; dual form emphasizes paired, resonant accompaniment to temple music
Full entry for מְצֵלֶת (H4700) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4700?
The BSB source-word alignment has 13 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and cymbals (3), cymbals (3), with cymbals (3), accompanied by cymbals (1), and playing cymbals (1).
Where does מְצֵלֶת (mĕṣēlet) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 1 Chronicles 13:8. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Chronicles (8), 2 Chronicles (3), Ezra (1), Nehemiah (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It and cymbals 3× 1 Chronicles 15:16, 1 Chronicles 16:42, 1 Chronicles 25:1
cymbals 3× 1 Chronicles 13:8, 1 Chronicles 15:19, 2 Chronicles 5:13
with cymbals 3× 1 Chronicles 25:6, 2 Chronicles 29:25, Ezra 3:10
accompanied by cymbals 1× Nehemiah 12:27
and playing cymbals 1× 2 Chronicles 5:12
and with cymbals 1× 1 Chronicles 15:28
the cymbals 1× 1 Chronicles 16:5
Show sample aligned rows
1 Chronicles 13:8 וּבִמְצִלְתַּ֖יִם to cymbals Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - cd 1 Chronicles 15:16 וּמְצִלְתָּ֑יִם to and cymbals Conjunctive waw | Noun - cd 1 Chronicles 15:19 בִּמְצִלְתַּ֥יִם to cymbals Preposition-b | Noun - cd 1 Chronicles 15:28 וּבִמְצִלְתָּ֑יִם to and with cymbals Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - cd 1 Chronicles 16:5 בַּֽמְצִלְתַּ֥יִם to the cymbals Preposition-b, Article | Noun - cd 1 Chronicles 16:42 וּמְצִלְתַּ֙יִם֙ to and cymbals Conjunctive waw | Noun - fd 1 Chronicles 25:1 וּבִמְצִלְתָּ֑יִם to and cymbals Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - cd 1 Chronicles 25:6 בִּמְצִלְתַּ֙יִם֙ to with cymbals Preposition-b | Noun - cd 2 Chronicles 5:12 בִּמְצִלְתַּ֙יִם֙ to and playing cymbals Preposition-b | Noun - cd 2 Chronicles 5:13 וּבִמְצִלְתַּ֜יִם to cymbals Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - cd
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row 1 Chronicles 13:8
Aligned rows 13
Books represented 4
1 Chronicles 8 2 Chronicles 3 Ezra 1 Nehemiah 1
Source forms
בִּמְצִלְתַּ֙יִם֙ 3x bim·ṣil·ta·yim 1 Chronicles 25:6, 2 Chronicles 5:12, 2 Chronicles 29:25
וּבִמְצִלְתָּ֑יִם 2x ū·ḇim·ṣil·tā·yim 1 Chronicles 15:28, 1 Chronicles 25:1
בִּמְצִלְתַּ֥יִם 1x bim·ṣil·ta·yim 1 Chronicles 15:19
בַּֽמְצִלְתַּ֥יִם 1x bam·ṣil·ta·yim 1 Chronicles 16:5
בַּֽמְצִלְתַּ֔יִם 1x bam·ṣil·ta·yim Ezra 3:10
וּבִמְצִלְתַּ֖יִם 1x ū·ḇim·ṣil·ta·yim 1 Chronicles 13:8
וּבִמְצִלְתַּ֜יִם 1x ū·ḇim·ṣil·ta·yim 2 Chronicles 5:13
וּמְצִלְתַּ֙יִם֙ 1x ū·mə·ṣil·ta·yim 1 Chronicles 16:42
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - cd 4x 1 Chronicles 13:8, 1 Chronicles 15:28, 1 Chronicles 25:1, 2 Chronicles 5:13
Preposition-b | Noun - cd 4x 1 Chronicles 15:19, 1 Chronicles 25:6, 2 Chronicles 5:12, 2 Chronicles 29:25
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - cd 2x 1 Chronicles 16:5, Ezra 3:10
Conjunctive waw | Noun - cd 1x 1 Chronicles 15:16
Conjunctive waw | Noun - fd 1x 1 Chronicles 16:42
Noun - cd 1x Nehemiah 12:27
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Percussion instrument used exclusively in cultic worship; dual form emphasizes paired, resonant accompaniment to temple music
Source Gloss
(only dual) double tinklers , i.e. cymbals
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Percussion instrument used exclusively in cultic worship; dual form emphasizes paired, resonant accompaniment to temple music
(only dual) double tinklers, i.e. cymbals BDB: cymbals Usage: cymbals.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
מְצֵלֶת is built from this root:
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain