Shiggaion

Shiggaion (from the Hebrew root shagah, meaning to reel about or to err) is a musical term appearing in the heading of Psalm 7 (Shiggaion of David) and in Habakkuk 3:1, where the prophet's prayer-psalm is described as set to Shigionoth (the plural form). The precise musical significance of the term is uncertain, having been lost in the transmission of ancient musical tradition.

Proposed interpretations include: a dithyrambic or free-flowing musical style characterized by irregular rhythm or passionate movement (resembling the Greek dithyramb); a type of song of lamentation; or a composition of irregular, wandering meter suited to the agitated emotional content of the Psalm. The Septuagint renders it with a word suggesting a psalm sung with understanding. The emotional intensity of Psalm 7 — a cry for deliverance from enemies — and of Habakkuk 3 — a vision of God's terrifying march in judgment — would fit a musical form suited to passionate, spontaneous expression rather than regular strophic structure.