Labben, Muth-labben
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
- the superscription of Psalm 9: 'To the chief Musician upon Muth-labben, A Psalm of David.' If Labben is taken as a proper name, it may denote a leader of one of the Levitical choirs in David's reign who died during that period (1 Chr 15:18-20). Others take it as a common expression meaning 'the death of the son,' referring either to Absalom or to another person whose death occasioned the psalm. The Russian Synodal translation adopted the latter understanding. The source regards it as closer to the Hebrew text, though the precise person or musical reference cannot be identified.