Bible Lexicons

ψάλλω, fut. ψᾰλῶ LXX Judges 5:3; : aor. ἔψηλα Pl. Ly. 209b, etc., and in LXX ἔψᾱλα Psalms 9:12, al.: — pluck, pull, twitch, ψ. ἔθειραν pluck the hair, A. Pers. 1062: esp. of the bow-string, τόξων χερὶ ψάλλουσι νευράς twang them, E. Ba. 784; κενὸν κρότον Lyc. 1453; ἐκ κέραος ψ. βέλος send a shaft twanging from the bow, APl. 4.211 (Stat. Flacc.); so μιλτοχαρὴς σχοῖνος ψαλλομένη a carpenter's red line, which is twitched and then suddenly let go, so as to leave a mark, AP 6.103 (Phil.): metaph., γυναῖκας ἐξ ἀνδρῶν ψόγος ψάλλει, κενὸν τόξευμα E. Fr. 499.

II mostly of the strings of musical instruments, play a stringed instrument with the fingers, and not with the plectron, ψῆλαι καὶ κρούειν τῷ πλήκτρῳ Pl. l. c., et ibi Sch.; ἐάν τις ψήλας τὴν νήτην ἐπιλάβῃ Arist. Pr. 919b15; μουσικώτατος ὢν χατὰ χεῖρα δίχα πλήκτρου ἔψαλλε Ath. 4.183d; opp. κιθαρίζω, Hdt. 1.155, SIG 578.18 (Teos, ii B. C.); πρὶν μέν σ' ἑπτάτονον ψάλλον (sc. τὴν λύραν) Ion Eleg.3.3: abs., Hdt. l. c., Ar. Eq. 522, Hippias (?) in PHib. 1.13.24; κόραις Men. Epit. 260; ψάλλειν [οὐκ ἔνι] ἄνευ λύρας Luc. Par. 17: — Prov., ῥᾷον ἤ τις ἂν χορδὴν ψήλειε 'as easy as falling off a log', Aristid. Or. 26(14).31.

2. later, sing to a harp, LXX Ps. 7.18, LXX Psalms 9:12, al.; τῇ καρδίᾳ Ephesians 5:19; τῷ πνεύματι 1 Cor. l. c.

3. Pass., of the instrument, to be struck or played, ψαλλομένη χορδή Arist. Pr. 919b2; also of persons, to be played to on the harp, Macho ap. Ath. 8.348f.