← H5480 H5482 →

סוּמְפּוֹנְיָה

𐤎𐤅𐤌𐤐𐤅𐤍𐤉𐤄

çûwmᵉpôwnᵉyâh

H5481 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain to sound together, to play multiple notes or pipes (as in symphony, in Greek usage)

Definition

A musical instrument, most likely a type of bagpipe or double-reeded pipe, referenced only in Aramaic passages of Daniel (Daniel 3:5, 3:10, 3:15). Its precise construction is uncertain, but it is typically associated with ceremonial music, possibly involving a wind instrument with bag and reeds or a type of double pipe played for public or state occasions.

Semantic Range

bagpipe, double pipe, musical instrument used in ceremonial contexts, (misleadingly) dulcimer in later translations

Root / Etymology

The term is a loanword from Greek; the underlying Greek is likely συμφωνία (symphōnia), which originally denoted a concord or ‘sounding together’ of instruments, but came in post-classical Greek to mean various musical instruments, especially ones with more than one sound; in the context of Daniel, it refers to a specific instrument, probably a type of bagpipe or double pipe. The Aramaic forms (סוּמְפּוֹנְיָה, סוּמְפֹּנְיָה, or סִיפֹנְיָא) show adaptation into the Semitic script and language. The term is unattested in Hebrew outside its Aramaic occurrences in Daniel, and not derived from a native Semitic root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The word occurs only in the Aramaic sections of the Book of Daniel during the Babylonian period, referring to a musical instrument among a list of others during public idol worship ceremonies. Its exact identity is debated; while the KJV renders it 'dulcimer,' this is based on later European terminology and does not reflect the ancient instrument's nature. Lexicographic consensus now favors identifying it as a bagpipe or double pipe, based on parallel usages in ancient Greek and near eastern sources. The term reflects the cultural and linguistic influence of Greek musical terminology in the late Babylonian and Persian periods. Subsequent English tradition, especially from the 16th century onward, adopted 'dulcimer' under misapprehension. The Aramaic use marks both the linguistic cosmopolitanism of the Neo-Babylonian court and Greek influence on Near Eastern ceremonial culture.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) or סוּמְפֹּנְיָה; (Aramaic), or סִיפֹנְיָא; (Daniel 3:10) (Aramaic), of Greek origin; a bagpipe (with a double pipe); dulcimer.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

uncertain (loanword from Greek συμφωνία) (symphōnía (loanword)) — sounding together, concord of sounds, multi-piped instrument

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5481-02 וְ/סוּמְפֹּ֨נְיָ֜ה vesumeponeyah AC/Ncfsa and bagpipe ceremonial bagpipe 1
H5481-04 ו/סיפניה vsyfnyh AC/Ncfsa and bagpipe sounding-together pipe 1
H5481-03 וְ/סוּפֹּ֣נְיָ֔ה vesuponeyah AC/Ncfsa and bagpipes ceremonial double-pipe 1
H5481-01 סוּמְפֹּ֣נְיָ֔ה sumeponeyah ANcfsa bagpipe sounding-together pipe 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5481-01 Daniel 3:5 סוּמְפֹּ֣נְיָ֔ה sumeponeyah ANcfsa bagpipe sounding-together pipe
H5481-04 Daniel 3:10 ו/סיפניה vsyfnyh AC/Ncfsa and bagpipe sounding-together pipe
H5481-03 Daniel 3:10 וְ/סוּפֹּ֣נְיָ֔ה vesuponeyah AC/Ncfsa and bagpipes ceremonial double-pipe
H5481-02 Daniel 3:15 וְ/סוּמְפֹּ֨נְיָ֜ה vesumeponeyah AC/Ncfsa and bagpipe ceremonial bagpipe
← H5480 Hebrew Lexicon H5482 →