Psalms 87:7 — Word Study
WLCוְשָׁרִ֥ים כְּחֹלְלִ֑ים כָּֽל־ מַעְיָנַ֥י בָּֽךְ׃
BSASingersshîyr [and dancers, those who sing as well as those who dance] Allkôl [everything, every source] my springs [of joy]maʻyân [fountains, sources of satisfaction, blessings, happiness]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְשָׁרִ֥ים | and singers | Conjunction, verb qal participle (active) masculine plural |
| כְּחֹלְלִ֑ים | like pipers | Preposition, verb piel participle (active) masculine plural |
| כָּֽל־ | all | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| מַעְיָנַ֥י | springs my | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| בָּֽךְ׃ | [are] in you | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Singers and pipers will proclaim, “All my springs of joy are in You.” |
| KJV | As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee. |
| ASV | They that sing as well as they that dance shall say, All my fountains are in thee. |
| YLT | Singers also as players on instruments, All my fountains [are] in Thee! |
| WEB | Those who sing as well as those who dance say, “All my springs are in you.” |
| BBE | The players on instruments will be there, and the dancers will say, All my springs are in you. |
The translations agree on the essence of the verse, emphasizing the joy found in God.
The main clause is supported by a subject and an object, with a prepositional phrase indicating the location of joy.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 87:7
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Joy of Ziongenerated
Psalms 87:7 concludes a passage celebrating the identity of Zion and its inhabitants. The preceding verses highlight how God acknowledges those born in Zion, emphasizing its importance among nations. This proclamation by singers and pipers reflects the joy and fulfillment found in God's presence, drawing attention to the blessings that flow from Him.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 68:24–25 | They have seen Your procession, O God— the march of my God and King into the sanctuary. |
| 2 | 1 Chronicles 15:16–29 | David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals. |
| 3 | 1 Chronicles 23:5 | 4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise.” |
| 4 | 1 Chronicles 25:1–6 | Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list of the men who performed this service: |
| 5 | Revelation 14:1–3 | Then I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מַעְיָנַ֥י, ma'.ya.Naigenerated
The word מַעְיָן (ma`yan) refers to a spring or fountain, symbolizing a source of water and, figuratively, a source of joy or satisfaction. It is a common noun in the masculine plural form, indicating multiple springs or sources of happiness.
This term is often used in the Bible to denote both physical springs and metaphorical sources of joy, as seen in contexts like Psalm 114:8. The parsing as a noun with a construct form indicates possession, suggesting that the springs belong to the speaker, enhancing the personal aspect of joy found in God.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses springs to translate מַעְיָנַ֥י, aligning with the idea of sources of joy.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse is structured around two main verbs: שָׁרִ֥ים (they sing) and חֹלְלִ֑ים (like pipers), which govern the subjects of singers and pipers. The phrase כָּֽל־ מַעְיָנַ֥י serves as the object, indicating what is being proclaimed.
The word order places emphasis on the subjects (singers and pipers) and their joyful declaration, culminating in the personal acknowledgment of the springs of joy being in God.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates כְּחֹלְלִ֑ים as εὐφραινομένων, which conveys a sense of joyfulness or delight, aligning with the celebratory tone of the Hebrew text.
This choice reflects a broader interpretation of the act of playing music, emphasizing the joy associated with it, rather than a direct translation of the Hebrew root meaning.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 87:7 expresses a joyful proclamation by singers and pipers, declaring that all their sources of joy are found in God. This highlights the deep connection between joy and the divine presence.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The springs of joy symbolize the sources of happiness and satisfaction that come from a relationship with God.
Singers and pipers represent different forms of joyful expression, highlighting the celebration of joy in God's presence through both song and music.
This verse emphasizes the joy found in Zion, indicating that its significance comes from the blessings and presence of God among its people.
Proclaiming joy serves as an act of worship and recognition of God's blessings, encouraging others to acknowledge the sources of joy in their lives.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some sources of joy in my life that I can attribute to my relationship with God?
- In what ways can I express my joy in God through music or singing?
- How can I encourage others to find joy in their relationship with God?
- What does it mean for me to declare that my springs of joy are in God?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo comments on this verse, noting how it encapsulates the essence of joy found in God.
So thus, after drawing together and mingling every source of joyous exultation, how does he conclude? "The dwelling as of all that shall be made joyous is in You" [Psalms 87:7].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 87 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 87:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAs well the singers as the players on the instruments shall be there,.... In Zion, in the church; signifying that there should be great spiritual joy there when the above things should be
Read John Gill on Psalms 87 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAs well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 87 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThere shall be great rejoicing and praising God, both with vocal and instrumental music, for this glorious and stupendous work of the conversion of the Gentiles. He describes evangelical worship by legal phrases and customs, as the prophets frequently do. In thee, i.e. in Zion, or the church. These words may be here added as the burden or matter of the song, which these singers are supposed to have sung; and that either, 1. In their own names, and in the name of all the Zionites or people of God. So the sense is, All our desires and delights are in thee, all the springs of mercy, grace, and glory flow to us only in and through thee; for springs or fountains are oft put for all precious or…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 87 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 87:7 As well the singers as the players on instruments [shall be there]: all my springs [are] in thee.Ver. 7. As well the singers as the players, &c.] There shall be an exuberancy of joy in the Holy Ghost, the only comfortable soul ravishing music, far beyond that of the material temple. All my springs are in thee] i.e. All my thoughts run upon thee, with greatest delight. My eyes are wholly fixed upon thee, so some read it; others, My bowels are in thee, making these to be the words of the psalmist (Calvin; R. Solomon); but methinks they do better that make them to be the words of God, promising plenty of grace and comfort to his people, as from everflowing, overflowing fountains.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 87 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(7) The literal sense of this most obscure verse is— “And singers as trumpeters All my springs in Thee, which we may paraphrase, keeping in the same line with the rest of the psalm, For such an one (celebrating his birthday, Genesis 40:20, Matthew 14:6) the singers and musicians will sing (to Zion), “All my offspring is in Thee.” Not only is it a boast to have been born in Zion, but in the genuine Hebrew spirit the boast is continued into the future generations, and the Hebrew of the Hebrews exults in addressing the sacred city as the cradle of his family. For this figurative application of the word “springs” to posterity, comp. Psalms 68:26; Isaiah 48:1; Proverbs 5:16.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 87 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 7. As well the singers, c.] Perhaps, this may mean no more than, The burden of the songs of all the singers and choristers shall be, "All my fountains (ancestors and posterity) are in thee" and consequently, entitled to all thy privileges and immunities. Instead of שרים sharim, "singers," many MSS. and early printed editions have, sarim, "princes." Some for מעיני mayenai, "my fountains," would read with several of the Versions, מעוני meoney, "habitations;" but no MS. yet discovered supports this reading. It would be a very natural cause of exultation, when considering the great privileges of this royal city, to know that all his friends, family, and children, were citizens of this…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 87 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges7. Conclusion. The Psalm ends as abruptly as it began, with a verse which is enigmatic in its brevity. It is best explained as an outline picture of the universal rejoicing with which the citizens of Zion greet their mother. And singing as well as dancing (shall they chant,) ‘All my fountains are in thee.’ The rendering dancing is preferable to playing on the flute (cp. A.V., R.V. marg.). For dancing as an expression of religious rejoicing see Psalms 30:11; Psalms 149:3; Psalms 150:4; Exodus 15:20; 2 Samuel 6:16. The second line is their anthem. It may even be a fragment of some well-known hymn. My fountains is to be understood metaphorically, as ‘fountains of salvation’ in Isaiah 12:3. Cp.…
Read Cambridge on Psalms 87 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAs well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there - literally, “The singers as the players on instruments.” The image is that of a musical procession, where the singers go before,
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 87 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Singers and pipers will proclaim, “All my springs of joy are in You.”
Those who sing as well as those who dance say, “All my springs are in you.”
Singers and pipers will proclaim, “All my springs of joy are in You.”
As for the singers, as well as the pipers – all of them sing within your walls.
Tyndale line
As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.
They that sing as well as they that dance shall say, All my fountains are in thee.
They that sing as well as they that dance shall say, All my fountains are in thee.
As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there : all my springs are in thee.
Aswell the singers as the players on instruments shall prayse thee: all my springs are in thee.
Strictly literal
As well the singers as the dancers [shall say], All my springs are in thee.
Singers also as players on instruments, All my fountains [are] in Thee!
Also singers as players on instruments, || All my fountains [are] in You!
And the singers as well as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs [of joy] are in thee.
So also the singers and the dancers say together, “All my fountains are in you.”
From the Latin
They have laid me in the lower pit: in the dark places, and in the shadow of death.
Simplified
Singers and dancers alike say, “Living here I am at home.”
The players on instruments will be there, and the dancers will say, All my springs are in you.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of the verse, with all five words matched in the Hebrew text. This indicates a consistent understanding of the verse across these ancient witnesses.
וְשָׁרִ֥ים כְּחֹלְלִ֑ים כָּֽל־ מַעְיָנַ֥י בָּֽךְ׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 87:7
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שִׁיר (shiyr) means 'to sing' and is a denominative verb derived from a primitive root. It covers various forms of singing, including participles for singers and songstresses. The entries indicate its use in different verbal stems, such as Qal and Polel, and note its appearance in contexts like 1 Samuel 18:6.
[שִׁיר] 86 vb. sing (denom.)
Qal 49 sing
Pō‛l. 36 sing
Hoph. be sung
base
H7891 שִׁיר sing (denom.)
7891 shiyr sheer
or (the original form) shuwr (1 Sam. 18:6) {shoor}; a
primitive root (identical with 7788 through the idea of
strolling minstrelsy); to sing:--behold (by mistake for
7789), sing(-er, -ing man, - ing woman).
see HEBREW for 07788
see HEBREW for 07789
שִׁיר (shir) — to sing.
1) to sing
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to sing
1a2) singer, songstresses (participle)
1b) (Polel)
1b1) to sing
1b2) singer, songstress (participle)
1c) (Hophal) to be sung
Conj | V-Qal — Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine pluralHC/Vqrmpa
→ See MUSIC
The Hebrew word חָלַל (*chalal*) is built from a primitive root meaning to bore or pierce, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to wound, to play the flute, and to profane or defile. It can refer to both physical actions, like piercing, and moral or ritual violations, such as polluting oneself or breaking a covenant. The lexicons note various grammatical forms and uses, but do not indicate significant disagreement.
חָלַל vb. bore, pierce
Qal my heart is pierced (wounded) within me
Pi. in the hand of the ones wounding thee
Pu. pierced by the sword
Po‛el his hand pierced the fleeing serpent
Po‛al pierced, wounded because of our transgressions
base
[חלל] vb. denom. play the pipe, pipe
Qal as well the singers as the pipe-players
Polel dancers
Pi. and the people piped with pipes
base
[חָלַל] vb. pollute, defile, profane
Niph.
reflex. pollute, defile oneself
Pass., be polluted, defiled
Pi.
defile, pollute
violate the honour of, dishonour
violate a covenant
treat a vineyard as common
Pu. my great name which is profaned among the nations
Hiph.
I will not let my holy name be profaned any more.
he shall not violate his word
begin
Hoph. then it was begun (= men began) to call on the name of י׳
base
H2490a חָלַל bore, pierce H2490b חלל vb. denom. play the pipe, pipe H2490c חָלַל pollute, defile, profane
2490 chalal khaw-lal'
a primitive root (compare 2470); properly, to bore, i.e. (by
implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane
(a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin
(as if by an "opening wedge"); denom. (from 2485) to play (the
flute):--begin (X men began), defile, X break, defile, X eat
(as common things), X first, X gather the grape thereof, X
take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast
as) profane (self), prostitute, slay (slain), sorrow, stain,
wound.
see HEBREW for 02470
see HEBREW for 02485
חָלַל (cha.lal) — to bore.
1) to wound (fatally), bore through, pierce, bore
1a) (Qal) to pierce
1b) (Pual) to be slain
1c) (Poel) to wound, pierce
1d) (Poal) to be wounded
חָלַל (cha.lal) — to play flute.
(Piel) to play the flute or pipe
חָלַל (cha.lal) — to profane/begin: begin.
: begin
1) to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to profane oneself, defile oneself, pollute oneself
1a1a) ritually
1a1b) sexually
1a2) to be polluted, be defiled
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to profane, make common, defile, pollute
1b2) to violate the honour of, dishonour
1b3) to violate (a covenant)
1b4) to treat as common
1c) (Pual) to be profaned (of name of God)
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to let be profaned
1d2) to begin
1e) (Hophal) to be begun
חָלַל (cha.lal) — to profane/begin: profane.
: profane
1) to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin
1a) (Niphal)
HR/Vprmpa — Preposition · verb piel participle (active) masculine pluralHR/Vprmpa
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
מַעְיָן (ma`yan) means 'spring' and refers to a source of water, such as a fountain or well. It can also be used figuratively to denote a source of satisfaction. The word is derived from a root meaning to spring forth, and it appears in contexts like Psalm 114:8.
מַעְיָן n.m. spring
base
H4599 מַעְיָן spring
4599 ma`yan mah-yawn'
or ma ynow (Psa. 114:8) {mah-yen-o'}; or (feminine) ma yanah
{mah-yaw-naw'}; from 5869 (as a denominative in the sense of a
spring); a fountain (also collectively), figuratively, a
source (of satisfaction):--fountain, spring, well.
see HEBREW for 05869
מַעְיָן (ma.yan) — spring.
spring
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp1bs
ךְ (kh) — you.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person feminine singular
HR/Sp2fs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp2fs