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Silver Trumpets to Bach's Trumpets

While we are on the topic of the Silver Trumpets, I want to go back to my original question for which I have now found the answer: In the Book of Numbers, Chapter 10, 8-10 we first see the use of the Silver Trumpets by the Israelites in the desert for prayer for success in battle and in religious services where the trumpets are played by the priests. Subsequently, the Bible in Chronicles I and II describes their use, as well as other musical instruments, in the religious services in the Temple in Jerusalem (these are the ones depicted in the Roman mural).

The question is: to what extent did the Silver Trumpets used by the Israelites in prayer anticipate the Christian European composers 3000 years later like Bach who wrote Passions, Masses and Cantatas as instruments of prayer to God that included non-vocal elements like the trumpet.

The answer was given by Bach himself in his commentary on Chronicles I and II that he wrote in his copy of the Calov Bible. He wrote: The music in the services in the Temple in Jerusalem was the true foundation of all godly church music for the reason that the devotional music there was able to invoke the presence of God with His grace.

Bach is giving full credit to the devotional music in the Jerusalem Temple to be the foundation and basis for subsequent devotional music in the church, including his own, in that it achieved the ultimate goal of invoking Gods presence.

Following are the verses in Chronicles I and II concerning music in the Temple on which Bach commented. For each verse I bring Rashi's commentary (instead of Calov) and Bach's comment in German with English translation. Below that I displayed the images of the material from the translations of Calov Bible on Internet Archive.


Chronicles 1 Chapter 25 1 Facsimile 110 Translation 418

1. David and the captains of the army selected for the musical service in the Temple the sons of the Levites Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, who could prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals.

Rashi explains that not all the Levites were chosen but only those who were musicians and able to play these instruments. And their playing was on such a high spiritual level that it invoked God's presence so that they could prophesy and inspire others to do so.

Bach comments in his Calov Bible:

Dieses capitel ist das wahre fundament aller gottgefalliger kirchen music, usw

Translation:

This chapter is the true foundation of all godly church music, etc

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Chronicles 1 Chapter 28 21 Facsimile 111 Translation 418

21. [David says to Shlomo] And behold the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the House of God, and with you in all the work for every volunteer with wisdom for every service, and the leaders and all the people for all your words.

Rashi:

- I (David) arranged and set everything up, and I prepared for you (Shlomo) the divisions and the laborers, and you have not to delay it but to build the House immediately.

- the leaders: who are appointed over the laborers and their officers.

- all the people for all your words: to perform your command.

Bach comments in his Calov Bible:

Ein herrlicher Beweiss, dass neben anderen Anstalten des Gottesdienstes, besonders auch die musica vom Gottes Geist durch David mit angeordnet worden

Translation:

A wonderful proof that, in addition to other institutions of worship, especially the music were ordered by the Spirit of God through David

Joel: Here we see that for Bach a quote from scripture is "proof" of its truth - even from the Old Testament since according to Luther it is equivalent to the New Testament in authority.


Chronicles 2 chapter 5 12, 13 Translation 419

12. All the Levites who were musicians?Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives?stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.

13. The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud (God's presence)

Rashi explains "in unison" that everyone sang and played exactly together.

Bach comments in his Calov Bible:

Bey einer andachtigen Musig ist allezeit gott mit seiner Gnaden-Gegenwart

Translation:

With devotional music, God is always present with His grace

Joel: Bach chose to comment on v. 13 (and not 12) which speaks mainly about trumpets to emphasize that it is the trumpets played by the priests that are able to invoke God's presence with His grace.

Joel Harband

Notes:

Thanks to sneffels for showing how to access the Bach commentary in the Calov Bible through the Internet Archive.

See the article by Prof Michael Marissen which discusses the same Bach commentary

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Here are the images from the Calov Bible translation







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