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Songbook -

While the Bible is not a songbook, it does have a surprisingly high number of songs in it. In total, there are at least 185 songs in the Holy Book.

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How many songs? -

It should be noted that this total only includes the ones explicitly mentioned as songs. There are many prayers and poems that may have been sung, as well as verses mentioning that songs were sung, but without giving further details. As such, one can argue there are more songs in the Bible.

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Psalms -

The vast majority of songs can be found in Psalms. In fact, Psalms is one long songbook with a total of 150 hymns.

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The longest and shortest songs -

The longest song in the Bible has a whopping 1,732 words. We're talking about Psalm 119! As for the shortest song in the Bible, there are two; both of which have seven words. These can be found in 2 Chronicles 5:13 and 2 Chronicles 20:21, respectively.

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Non-Psalms songs -

As mentioned previously, Psalms is essentially a songbook, so we won’t be going through all its 150 songs. Instead, let’s take a look at some of the most famous songs in the Bible that are not in Psalms.

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The song of Moses and Miriam -

The first song in the Bible can be found in Exodus 15:1–18, 21. Moses and Miriam praise God with this song after the parting of the Red Sea that allowed the children of Israel to escape the Pharaoh’s army.

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The song of the well in the wilderness -

The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for a long time and reached a place called Beer, where they found a well to quench their thirst. The occasion is celebrated in Numbers 21:17–18. The song goes: “Spring up, O well! Sing to it! / The well, which the leaders sank, Which the nobles of the people dug, With the scepter and with their staffs.”

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Song of Moses and Joshua -

Moses appoints Joshua as the new leader of the promised land, and sings about their covenant with God in Deuteronomy 31:19–22, 30, 32:1–43: “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just / A God of faithfulness and without injustice / Righteous and upright is He.”

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The Song of Deborah and Barak -

Prophetess and judge Deborah together with ruler Barak lead a small Israelite army and defeat the Canaanites and their wicked commander, Sisera. The victory is celebrated in one of the oldest texts in the Bible, known as the ‘Song of Deborah,’ which can be found in Judges 5.

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Song of David’s victory -

Women in the cities sing about the triumph of David over Goliath and the return of king Saul in 1 Samuel 18:7: “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.” Saul did get a bit jealous of David because of it and things went sour between the two afterwards.

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The song of the bow -

The first song of lament in the Bible can be found in 2 Samuel 1:17–27. It’s a sad song written by David after Saul (the king of Israel) and Jonathan (David’s best friend) died in battle. The opening lines are “Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen!”

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David’s lament for Abner -

A seven-year civil war between Judah (where David is anointed king) and the rest of Israel took place following Saul’s death. The rest of Israel served Saul’s son, Ish-bosheth, who had a military leader called Abner. Abner is not fond of his leader and strikes a deal with David, but because Abner killed one of David’s men in battle, the deceased soldier’s brother takes revenge and kills Abner. David sings about the death of Abner in 2 Samuel 3:33–34: “Should Abner die as a fool dies? Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters; As one falls before the wicked, you have fallen.”

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Song of David’s deliverance -

As mentioned before, the animosity between Saul and David grew after the song, so Saul hunted David down. Luckily, God saved David from Saul, and this song is about that. The first lines go, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence.” It can be found in both 2 Samuel 22 and Psalms 18.

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Asaph’s psalm of praise -

David assigned Asaph and his relatives to be the family of worship leaders in the temple. Asaph and his family did so for many years and wrote 12 songs in the book of Psalms in the process. When the temple was commissioned, they sang this song: “Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.” (1 Chronicles 16:7, Psalms 105)

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Asaph’s song for the temple’s completion -

And then, when the temple was completed and the ark of the covenant was brought in, Asaph’s sons sang about God’s glory: “He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (2 Chronicles 5:13).

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Jehoshaphat’s battle song -

King Jehoshaphat finds himself outnumbered in battle and asks for divine intervention. After receiving a message from God, Jehoshaphat puts men singing on the front line the following day and God gives them victory. They sang: “Give thanks to the Lord, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (2 Chronicles 20:21).

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The Song of Songs -

Solomon is one of the most prolific songwriters in the Bible. In fact, 1 Kings 4:32 tells us he wrote 1,005 songs. This includes the long (and rather erotic) love song, ‘Song of Songs.’ It essentially celebrates the union between a woman and a man.

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The five Lamentations -

Lamentations 1-5 is considered by some the Bible’s third songbook of its own (after Psalms and the Song of Songs). It was described as a book of dirges when the Bible was translated into Greek. The message is one of mourning, after Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians.

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Isaiah’s vineyard song -

In Isaiah 5:1–2, prophet Isaiah sang this song to the people of Israel to preach to them judgment and comfort: “My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug it all around, removed its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it. And also hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones.”

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Song of the harlot -

Isaiah prophesies that the land of Tyre will be forgotten and desolate for 70 years. “Take your harp, walk about the city, O forgotten harlot; Pluck the strings skillfully, sing many songs, That you may be remembered.” (Isaiah 23:15-16).

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Song of Judah’s protection -

Isiah sang a song to ask God to protect Judah from its enemies. “We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for security” are the opening lines in Isaiah 26:1–6.

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Lament for the princes of Israel -

Ezekiel laments the princes of Israel in this song found in Ezekiel 19:1–14. Verses include: “They put him in a cage with hooks. And brought him to the king of Babylon; They brought him in hunting nets. So that his voice would be heard no more On the mountains of Israel."

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The international lament for Tyre -

Ezekiel predicts that the princes of the world will mourn the fall of the city of Tyre to the Babylonians. “How you have perished, O inhabited one, From the seas, O renowned city, Which was mighty on the sea, She and her inhabitants, Who imposed her terror On all her inhabitants! Now the coastlands will tremble On the day of your fall; Yes, the coastlands which are by the sea Will be terrified at your passing.” (Ezekiel 26:17–18).

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Ezekiel’s lament over Tyre -

There is yet another lament over Tyre by Ezekiel. It can be found in Ezekiel 27. It goes: “Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, Your sailors and your pilots, Your repairers of seams, your dealers in merchandise And all your men of war who are in you, With all your company that is in your midst, Will fall into the heart of the seas On the day of your overthrow.”

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More laments for Tyre -

There are two more songs about Tyre. One is a lament by sailors (Ezekiel 27:32–36) and the other one is Ezequiel’s lamentation over the king of Tyre (Ezekiel 28:12–19). Fun fact: Tyre (in modern-day Lebanon) is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world.

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Ezekiel’s lament for the Pharaoh -

Ezekiel liked his lament songs, and also wrote one for the Pharaoh after God brought his judgment to Egypt. “You compared yourself to a young lion of the nations, Yet you are like the monster in the seas; And you burst forth in your rivers, And muddied the waters with your feet, And fouled their rivers.” (Ezekiel 32:2).

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Amos’ dirge for the house of Israel -

God sends a shepherd named Amos to the Northern Kingdom of Israel to deliver a message about how bad they have treated the poor, and how they’ll be punished for it. The dirige goes “She has fallen, she will not rise again—The virgin Israel. She lies neglected on her land; There is none to raise her up.” (Amos 5:2).

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Habakkuk’s song -

Prophet Habakkuk writes the last song of the Old Testament: "Lord, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy." (Habakkuk 3:2).

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Worthy is the Lamb! -

John sings about the time the Lamb (Jesus) is able to open a book secured with seven seals in God’s throne room. “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals;
For You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; And they will reign upon the earth.” (Revelation 5:9–10).

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The last song of Moses and the Lamb -

The Book of Revelation contains a song similar to the first one about Moses crossing the Red Sea. Though the words differ, the meaning is similar. Revelation 15:3 reads: “And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: 'Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!'”

Sources: (Overview Bible) (Biblia) (Bible Gateway)

See also: Biblical miracles and events explained by science

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