What is a…
Gittith

Hebrew: הַגִּתִּ֗ית —transliteration: Gittith

This is a apparently a Gittite stringed musical instrument from the city of Gath.

In Scripture, this word is found only 3 times, and only in the titles of 3 Psalm (Psalm 8, 81, and 84)…

“…For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.”

The Targum (an ancient Jewish explanation of Scripture) paraphrases the above uses of the word, this way… “on the harp which David brought from Gath.”

This is the only stringed instrument named in the titles of the Psalms.

Confusingly, in the above Psalm titles, the Septuagint version (which is not always reliable) translates the word as “on the wine-fats.” The word Gittith is the feminine form of the word Gitti (Gittite)—the name for the inhabitants of the city of Gath (whose name means wine-presses).

ALSO SEE

Article Version: September 28, 2017