ψάλλω; future 
ψαλῶ; (from 
ψάω, to rub, wipe; to handle, touch (but cf. 
Curtius, p. 730)); 
a. to pluck off, pull out: 
ἐθειραν, the hair, 
Aeschylus Pers. 1062. 
b. to cause to vibrate by touching, to twang: 
τόξων νευράς χειρί, 
Euripides, Bacch. 784; specifically, 
χορδήν, 
to touch or strike the chord, to twang the strings of a musical instrument so that they gently vibrate (
Aristotle, probl. 19, 23 (p. 919b, 2)); and absolutely, 
to play on a stringed instrument, to play the harp, etc.: 
Aristotle, 
Plutarch, 
Aratus (in 
Plato, 
Lysias, p. 209 b. with 
καί κρούειν τῷ πλήκτρω added (but not as explanatory of it; the Schol. at the passage says 
ψῆλαι, 
τό ἄνευ πληκτρου τῷ δακτύλῳ τάς χορδας ἐπάφασθαι); it is distinguished from 
κιθαρίζειν in 
Herodotus 1, 155); the 
Sept. for 
נִנֵן and much more often for 
זִמֵּר; 
to sing to the music of the harp; in the N. T. 
to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song, James 5:13 (
R. V. sing praise); 
τῷ κυρίῳ, 
τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ (often so in the 
Sept.), in honor of God, 
Ephesians 5:19 (here 
A. V. making melody); 
Romans 15:9; 
ψαλῶ τῷ πνεύματι, 
ψαλῶ δέ καί τῷ νοι, 'I will sing God's praises indeed with my whole soul stirred and borne away by the Holy Spirit, but I will also follow reason as my guide, so that what I sing may be understood alike by myself and by the listeners', 
1 Corinthians 14:15. 
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