Purposes of the trumpet in the Old Testament - summary
- To assemble a large group of people
- To give direction to a large group of people
- To alert people to coming danger or judgment
- Used along with other instruments and singers to celebrate holy days and sacred events
- As a battle signal
- To make an announcement or proclamation
- As a regular part of worship ceremonies
- To praise God
- As God's signal to humanity
Passages that talk about the trumpet - verse listing and summaries
- Exodus 19:13, 16, 19, 20:18 -- God sounds a trumpet as a signal to the nation of Israel, as He prepared to give them His commandments on Mt. Sinai (for a more detailed look at these verses, see my previous article here)
- Leviticus 23:24, Numbers 29:1 -- trumpets sounded to remind the Israelites of their holy day of convocation
- Leviticus 25:9 -- trumpets sounded to signify the year of jubile every 50 years
- Numbers 10:1-10 -- God instructs Moses to make silver trumpets to call for assemblies of the people, for journeying signals, and as battle signals
- Numbers 31:6 -- trumpets used as signals in a battle with the Midianites
- Joshua 6:4-9, 13, 16, 20 -- the priests blow trumpets during the battle of Jericho
- Judges 3:27 -- the judge Ehud assembles warriors with a trumpet signal
- Judges 6:34 -- Gideon assembles the people with a trumpet
- Judges 7:8, 16, 18-20, 22 -- Gideon and the Israelites carry out a clever battle strategy involving trumpets, lanterns, and pitchers
- I Samuel 13:3 -- Saul makes an announcement of Jonathan's victory by using trumpets
- II Samuel 2:28 -- Joab signals an end to the battle with Abner
- II Samuel 6:5,15 / I Chronicles 13:8, 15:24,28 -- David uses trumpets in the celebration surrounding the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem
- II Samuel 15:10 -- Absalom announces his intent to reign
- II Samuel 18:16 -- Joab stops the people from pursuing battle with Absalom
- II Samuel 20:1 -- Sheba assembles the people in a revolt against David
- II Samuel 20:22 -- After Sheba is dead, Joab signals that the battle is over
- I Kings 1:34,39,41 -- Solomon's reign announced
- II Kings 9:13 -- Jehu's reign announced
- II Kings 11:14 / II Chronicles 23:13 -- Joash's reign announced and celebrated
- I Chronicles 16:6,42 -- trumpets are to be a part of the regularly recurring service before the Ark of the Covenant
- I Chronicles 25:5 -- David organizes the Levite musicians (including trumpet players)
- II Chronicles 5:12-13, 7:6 -- Solomon brings the Ark into the new temple and dedicates the temple
- II Chronicles 13:12,14 -- during the reign of Abijah, the priests sound trumpets in battle and God delivers Judah from attack
- II Chronicles 15:14 -- Asa holds ceremonies after his reforms in Judah
- II Chronicles 20:28 -- Jehoshaphat rejoices after God's victory over the Ammonites and Moabites
- II Chronicles 29:26-28 -- sacrifices are made at the renewing of the temple under Hezekiah
- Ezra 3:10 -- music at the temple renewed after the return from exile
- Nehemiah 4:18,20 -- trumpets prepared as an alarm against imminent attack
- Nehemiah 12:35-36,41 -- the wall of Jerusalem dedicated
- Job 39:24-25 -- as God questions Job, there is a reference to trumpets used in battle
- Psalm 47:5 -- God goes out with the sound of the trumpet
- Psalm 81:3 -- the trumpet to be played on the solemn feast day at the appointed time
- Psalm 98:6, 150:3 -- the trumpet played in praise to the Lord
- Isaiah 18:3 -- trumpets make an announcement in God's denunciation of Ethiopia
- Isaiah 27:13 -- trumpet sounds mark the gathering of Israel in the Kingdom
- Isaiah 58:1 -- the trumpet used as a comparison; Isaiah is told to lift up his voice like a trumpet
- Jeremiah 4:5, 6:1 -- the trumpet used to assemble Israel in the face of impending attack
- Jeremiah 4:19,21 -- Jeremiah is distraught at the sound of the trumpet because it means coming judgment on his people
- Jeremiah 6:17, Ezekiel 33:3-6 -- the true prophet is pictured as a watchman with a trumpet of warning
- Jeremiah 42:14 -- the trumpet sound is equated with the war that Judah was trying to avoid
- Jeremiah 51:27 -- a trumpet call used to assemble nations to fight against Babylon
- Ezekiel 7:14 -- the unanswered trumpet call shows that Israel is not prepared for the coming judgment
- Daniel 3:5,7,10,15 -- the cornet and sackbut (in conjuction with other instruments) were used as a signal to worship Nebuchadnezzar's idol
- Hosea 5:8, 8:1 -- a trumpet signals God's coming judgment on Israel
- Joel 2:1 -- a trumpet gives the alarm of God's coming judgment
- Joel 2:15 -- admonition for Israel to assemble with a trumpet sound and repent of their sin
- Amos 2:2 -- trumpet signifies the war that would come to Moab
- Amos 3:6 -- the trumpet signal used as an example of something that requires response
- Zephaniah 1:16 -- trumpet signifies distress and alarm in the land
- Zechariah 9:14 -- God blows the trumpet, signifying His future victory with the nation of Israel over the Greek Maccabees in the second century B.C.
Wow -- if you made it through the reading of that whole list, you deserve some kind of award. If you also looked up and read each of the corresponding verses, you are a true scholar. This Bible study was very enlightening to me. The trumpet is a common theme in the Bible; and by studying these themes we can draw parallels and compare Scripture with Scripture. I hope you have benefited, as I have, from this look at the most frequently mentioned instrument in the Bible. Stay tuned for a (much shorter) summary of trumpet verses in the New Testament!
Have you seen the other posts in this series? Read them here:
Music in the Bible #1
Music in the Bible #2
Music in the Bible #3
Music in the Bible #4
If you'd like to add anything to this post, please feel free to leave your comments. Thanks!
