King James Bible Dictionary

A lute; lyre.

1. The daughter of Ishmael, and third wife of Esau (Genesis 28:9); called also Bashemath (Genesis 36:3).

2. The daughter of Jerimoth, who was one of David's sons. She was one of Rehoboam's wives (2 Chronicles 11:18).

1. Called Bashemath, daughter of Ishmael
Genesis 28:9; Genesis 36:3

2. A granddaughter of David
2 Chronicles 11:18

3. See Music
Music

1. (stringed instrument), the daughter of Ishm'l, and one of the wives of Esau. (Genesis 28:9)
2. (stringed instrument) one of the eighteen wives of King Rehoboam, apparently his first. (2 Chronicles 11:18) only. She was her husband's cousin, being the daughter of King David's son Jerimoth.
3. the title of p, 53, and Mahalath-leannoth, the title of Ps. 88. The meaning of these words is uncertain. The conjecture is that mahalath is a guitar, and that leannoth has reference to the character of the psalm, and might be rendered "to humble or afflict," in which sense the root occurs in ver. 7.
4. a city "in the district near the wilderness" to which our Lord retired with his disciples when threatened with violence by the priests. (John 11:54)

This word leannoth seems to point to some kind of instrument unknown (Psalms 88, title). The whole phrase has by others been rendered, "On the sickness of affliction: a lesson;" or, "Concerning afflictive sickness: a didactic psalm."

In the title of Psalms 53, denoting that this was a didactic psalm, to be sung to the accompaniment of the lute or guitar. Others regard this word "mahalath" as the name simply of an old air to which the psalm was to be sung. Others, again, take the word as meaning "sickness," and regard it as alluding to the contents of the psalm.