832. auleó

Lexical Summary

auleó: To play the flute

Original Word: αὐλέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: auleó
Pronunciation: ow-leh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (ow-leh'-o)
KJV: pipe
NASB: played the flute, played on the flute
Word Origin: [from G836 (αὐλός - flute)]

1. to play the flute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

play the flute

From aulos; to play the flute -- pipe.

see GREEK aulos

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from aulos
Definition
to play on a flute
NASB Translation
played on the flute (1), played the flute (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 832: αὐλέω

αὐλέω, ἀύλω: 1 aorist ηὔλησα; (present passive participle τό αὐλούμενον); (αὐλός); to play on the flute, to pipe: Matthew 11:17; Luke 7:32; 1 Corinthians 14:7. (From (Alcman, Herodotus) Xenophon, and Plato down.)

Topical Lexicon

Lexical Scope and Cultural Background

The verb conveys the action of making music on the aulos, a reed-pipe widely used at both joyous celebrations and funeral laments. Because flutes could be heard over the noise of a crowd, they often led processions and supplied the listening cue that summoned participants to join the appropriate response—dancing at a wedding or mourning at a funeral. First-century hearers therefore associated the sound of the aulos with a public call that demanded an answer.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Matthew 11:17 and Luke 7:32 record the same saying of Jesus: “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn”.
2. 1 Corinthians 14:7 employs the image of a flute to illustrate the necessity of intelligible speech in corporate worship: “Even lifeless instruments such as the flute or harp, if they do not give a clear sound, how will anyone know what is being played?”.

Illustrative Function in Jesus’ Teaching

In the Synoptic comparison, children imitate public ceremonies and become frustrated when their companions refuse to react. Jesus applies the picture to His contemporaries, who rejected both John the Baptist’s austere call to repentance and the Messiah’s proclamation of the kingdom marked by table-fellowship and healing. The flute, normally a summons to festive movement, receives no response; the generation’s indifference is exposed. The verb, therefore, embodies the gracious initiative of God inviting participation, while the lack of dance reveals hardened hearts.

Paul’s Use to Address Worship Clarity

Paul seizes the same cultural familiarity in 1 Corinthians 14:7. A flute must produce distinguishable notes or the melody is lost amid the indistinct noise. In the same way, unintelligible tongues may impress yet fail to edify. The example presses the Corinthian congregation toward orderly, understandable proclamation so “the church may be built up” (compare 1 Corinthians 14:12). The verb focuses attention on the act of producing a sound meant to communicate and unite listeners in a shared, intelligible experience of worship.

Ministry Implications

1. Proclamation invites response. Whether announcing judgment or grace, the gospel functions like the flute: it sounds forth, calling hearers to align heart and action with the revealed truth.
2. Clarity matters. Musical tones blurred together lose their persuasive power; likewise, muddled preaching or sensational speech devoid of meaning fails to build up the body.
3. The church must discern its audience. Jesus adapted familiar street games to expose unbelief, and Paul referenced common instruments to correct worship practices. Effective ministry likewise incorporates recognizable touchpoints that press home biblical truth.

Historical Reflection

Early Christian writers saw Matthew 11:17 as an indictment of Israel’s leaders for rejecting the ministries of both the Forerunner and the Messiah. Patristic commentaries highlighted the flute as a figure of the apostles who filled the world with the song of the gospel. Medieval homilies extended the image to the liturgy, warning clergy against monotone or mumbling that rendered Scripture inaudible. Across history the verb continues to remind preachers and musicians alike that sound must be purposeful and intelligible.

Practical Application

• Examine personal receptivity—are we quick to dance when the kingdom’s joy is proclaimed and quick to mourn when confronted with sin?
• Strive for clarity in every form of Christian communication: preaching, teaching, counseling, music.
• Employ cultural parallels wisely, as Jesus and Paul did, to bridge everyday experience with enduring truth.

Theological Reflection

The recurring scriptural use of the verb underscores God’s revelatory initiative: He “plays the flute”—He speaks first. Human beings are accountable for their response, which either harmonizes with or resists the divine melody. In both judgement and grace, the same loving intention resounds: that all would hear, understand, and join the dance of redeemed obedience.

Forms and Transliterations

αυλουμενον αυλούμενον αὐλούμενον Ηυλησαμεν ηυλήσαμεν Ηὐλήσαμεν auloumenon auloúmenon eulesamen Ēulēsamen eylḗsamen Ēylḗsamen

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 11:17 V-AIA-1P
GRK: λέγουσιν Ηὐλήσαμεν ὑμῖν καὶ
NAS: and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
KJV: saying, We have piped unto you,
INT: saying We piped for you and

Luke 7:32 V-AIA-1P
GRK: ἃ λέγει Ηὐλήσαμεν ὑμῖν καὶ
NAS: and they say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
KJV: saying, We have piped unto you,
INT: one saying We piped to you and

1 Corinthians 14:7 V-PPM/P-NNS
GRK: γνωσθήσεται τὸ αὐλούμενον ἢ τὸ
NAS: will it be known what is played on the flute or
KJV: shall it be known what is piped or
INT: will be known what [is] being piped or

Strong's Greek 832
3 Occurrences

αὐλούμενον — 1 Occ.
Ηὐλήσαμεν — 2 Occ.