Scripture speaks of “a new song” in 9 verses:
Ps. 33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
Ps. 40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
Ps. 96:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
Ps. 98:1 <A Psalm.> O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
Ps. 144:9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
Ps. 149:1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
Isa. 42:10 Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
Rev. 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev. 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
A careful examination of these verses reveals the following points, which may be truths from the passages that many believers have not understood:
1. In all 9 passages, “song” is a noun modified by the adjective “new.” That adjective is not modifying anything else other than song in any of the passages.
2. Moreover, in 8 of the 9 passages, “song” is the direct object of forms of the verb “sing.”
3, “Song” is never the object of a verb signifying the playing of an instrument, and “new” in the 2 passages where instruments are explicitly mentioned is never an adverb modifying another word that has to do with the playing of an instrument.
4. Yes, 2 of the passages mention the use of musical instruments, but holding that the adjective “new” in those passages extends to the playing of those instruments as well as the song is not what the passages say.
5. None of the 9 passages says anything directly about the use of new kinds of instrumental music, the use of new instruments, etc. None of those passages requires us to hold that there must be a continual newness to our playing of musical instruments.
Conclusion
When the Bible speaks of “a new song,” the adjective “new” does not itself directly speak about anything to do with the use of musical instruments or instrumental music in ways that are continually new.
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