Daniel 3:5

That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet,.... So called of the horn of which it was made; a sort of trumpet; so the Jews had trumpets of rams' horns:

flute; or pipe, or whistle, so called for its hissing noise; it is used of the shepherd's pipe or whistle; see Zechariah 10:8,

harp; an instrument of music used by David, and much in use among the Jews, and other nations;

sackbut; or "sambuca"; which, according to Athenaeus g, was a four stringed instrument, an invention of the Syrians; and Strabo h, a Greek writer, speaks of it as a barbarous name, as the eastern ones were reckoned by the Grecians:

psaltery; this seems to be a Greek word, as does the next that follows, rendered "dulcimer"; but in the original text is "symphonia"; which does not signify symphony, or a concert or consort of music, but a particular instrument of music. Maimonides i makes mention of it as a musical instrument, among others; Servius k calls it an oblique pipe; and Isidore l describes it a hollow piece of wood, with leather stretched upon it, and beat upon with rods or sticks, something like our drum: the king of Babylon might have Grecian musicians, or, however, Grecian instruments of music, in his court, as the Grecians had from the eastern nations:

and all kinds of music; that could be had or thought of; and this was done in honour to this idol, and to allure carnal sensual persons to the worship of it, according to the order given:

ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up; when they heard the music sound, immediately they were to repair to the plain where the image stood, and pay their adoration to it; or to fall down prostrate in their own houses in honour of it; and perhaps persons were appointed in all cities and towns throughout the empire to play this music; at hearing which, all people, nations, and tongues, were to bow down, in token of their religious regard unto it.

g Deipnosoph. I. 4. h Geograph. l. 10. p. 324. i Hilchot Celim, c. 10. sect. 14. k In Virgil. Aeneid. I. 11. l Originum, l. 3. c. 21.