How many times is song in the Bible?

Answer 1

Answer # 1

Approximately 48 times

Answer # 2

The answer above appears to be a very reasonable estimate for the number of occurences in the Book of Psalms. However, whether one is looking at part of The Bible or the entire text, the count will depend on a) which translation is being read, and on b) whether one is counting the occurence of the word 'song' only in the text per se, or if one is including the occurence of the word 'song' that is found in the introductory text of each chapter, footnotes and commentaries of many Bibles.

The are many online concordances that produce frequency counts like this. For example, the Vatican website has an online concordance for the New American Bible that lists 180 occurences of the text string 'song'. A little arithmetic gives us the summarized results below:

NAB Old Testament

Exodus

body text: 1

footnotes: 1

Numbers

body text: 1

footnotes: 1

Deuteronomy

body text: 6

footnotes: 1

Judges

body text: 3

Ruth

footnotes: 1

1 Samuel

body text: 2

2 Samuel

footnotes: 2

2 Chronicles

body text : 3

Tobit

introductory text: 1

body text: 2

footnotes: 2

Judith

body text: 3

Introduction to Wisdom literature: 3

Job

body text: 1

Introduction to Psalms: 2

Psalms

body text: 50

footnotes: 17

Proverbs

footnote: 1

Ecclesiastes

body text: 2

footnotes: 1

Song of Songs

title: 1

introductory text: 12

footnotes: 27

Wisdom (Ecclesiasticus)

body text: 1

Sirach

body text: 2

footnotes: 2

Isaiah

body text: 13

footnotes: 1

Jeremiah

body text: 2

Lamentations

body text: 1

NAB Old Testament body text total: 93

NAB Old Testament non-body total: 76

NAB Old Testament grand Total: 169

NAB New Testament

Matthew

footnotes: 3

Luke

footnotes: 1

Acts

footnotes: 1

1 Corinthians

footnotes: 1

Revelation

body text: 2

footnotes: 3

NAB New Testament body text total: 2

NAB New Testament non-body text total: 9

NAB New Testament grand total: 11

NAB Bible body text total: 93 + 2 = 95.

It is worth noting that as a cross-reference, equivalent expressions in the deuterocanonical texts can also be located by Reformed scholars and theologians in the 1st printing of the original 1611 King James Bible below (alas, without the beautiful fonts and artwork!):

Tobit 12:6

Raphael called the two menaside privately and said to them: "Thank God! Give him thepraise and the glory. Before all theliving, acknowledge the manygood things he has done for you, byblessing and extolling his namein song. Before all men,honor and proclaim God'sdeeds, and do not be slack inpraising him. (NAB)

Then he tooke them both apart, and sayd unto them, Blesse God, praise him, and magnifie him, and praise him for the things which he hath done unto you in the sight of all that live. It is good to praise God and exalt him name, & honorably to shew forth the works of God, therefor be not slacke to praise him. (KJV)

Tobit 12:18

As for me, when I came to you it was not out of any favor on my part, but because it was God's will. So continue tothank him every day; praisehim with song. (NAB)

For not of any favour of mine, but by the will of our God I came, wherefore praise him forever. (KJV)

Judith 15:14

Judith led all Israel in thissong of thanksgiving, and thepeople swelled this hymn ofpraise... (NAB)

Then Iudeth began to sing this thanksgiving in all Israel, and all the people sang after her this song of praise. (KJV Iudeth 16:1)

Judith 16:1

Strike up the instruments, asong to my God withtimbrels, chant to the Lordwith cymbals; Sing to him anew song, exalt andacclaim his name. (NAB)

And Iudeth said, Begin unto my God with timbrels, sing unto my Lord with cymbals: tune unto him a new psalme: exalt him & cal upon his name. (KJV Iudeth 16:2)

Wisdom 17:18-19

And were it only the whistling wind, or the melodious song of birdsin the spreading branches, or thesteady sound of rushingwater, or the rude crash ofoverthrown rocks, or the unseengallop of bounding animals, or the roaring cry of the fiercestbeasts, or an echo resounding from the hollow of the hills, thesesounds, inspiring terror,paralyzed them. (NAB)

Whether it were a whistling winde, or a melodious noise of birdes among the spreading branches, or a pleasing fall of water running violently: or a terrible sound of stones cast downe, or a running that could not be seene of skipping beasts, or a roaring voice of most savage wilde beasts, or a rebounding echo from the hollow mountaines: these things made them to swoone for fear. (KJV)

Sirach 22:6

Like a song in time ofmourning is inopportune talk, but lashes and discipline are at all times wisdom. (NAB)

A tale out of season [is as] musick in mourning: but stripes and correction of wisedome are never out of time. (KJV)

Sirach 47:17

With song and story and riddle, and with your answers, you astounded the nations. (NAB)

The countreys marveiled at thee for thy songs, and proverbs, and parables, and interpretations. (KJV)

REFERENCES

Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. The New American Bible, (Iowa Falls: IA, World Bible Publishers, Inc. 1991).

The Bible Museum. The Bible: 1611 King James Version: 1st Edition, 1st Printing, (Goodyear, AZ: The Bible Museum, 2006).