Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
The sound of the Cornet - There is not less difficulty in ascertaining the precise meaning of these musical instruments than there is in the offices in Daniel 3:2. karna , here translated cornet, is the common blowing horn, which makes a deep and hollow sound, as well as one shrill and piercing.
Flute - mashrokitha , from sharak , to whistle, shriek. A wind instrument which made a strong and shrill noise, such as the hautbois or clarionet.
Harp - kithros , cytharus; . Some kind of stringed instrument. It seems to be formed from the Greek word.
Sackbut - sabbecha . The Greek has it , from which our word sackbut, from sabach , to interweave; probably on account of the number of chords, for it seems to have been a species of harp.
Psaltery - pesanterin ; Greek, . A stringed instrument, struck with a plectrum; that called santeer in Egypt is probably the same. Dr. Russel says: "It is a large triangle, and has two bottoms two inches from each other, with about twenty catguts of different sizes." It was the ancient psalterium, and most probably the same as David' s harp.
Dulcimer - sumponeyah ; Greek, . Probably a kind of tamboor, tambourine, or tomtom drum. It does not mean the same as the Greek symphonia, which signifies a concert or harmony of many instruments, for here one kind of instrument only is intended.
All kinds of music - col zeney zemara , the whole stock, or band, of music; the preceding being the chief, the most common, and the most sonorous. My old MS. Bible has, Trumpe, and Pipe, and Harpe: Sambuke, Santrie, and Synfonye, and al kynde of musykes.
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