836. aulos
Lexical Summary
aulos: Flute, pipe

Original Word: αὐλός
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: aulos
Pronunciation: ow-LOS
Phonetic Spelling: (ow-los')
KJV: pipe
NASB: flute
Word Origin: [from aemi "to breathe unconsciously", i.e. respire]

1. a flute (as blown)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
flute

From the same as aer; a flute (as blown) -- pipe.

see GREEK aer

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
probably a prim. word
Definition
a pipe, flute
NASB Translation
flute (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 836: αὐλός

αὐλός, αὐλοῦ, (ἄω, αὔω) (from Homer down), a pipe: 1 Corinthians 14:7. (Cf. Stainer, Music of the Bible, chapter v.)

Topical Lexicon
Overview

Strong’s Greek 836 designates the simple pipe or flute, a reed-driven wind instrument whose piercing yet melodious voice made it a fixture at both celebrations and funerals throughout the Mediterranean world. Scripture employs this familiar instrument to illustrate joy, lament, and, most pointedly, the need for clarity in the ministry of the church.

New Testament Usage

The word appears once in the Greek New Testament:

1 Corinthians 14:7 – “Even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or harp, when they do not produce a clear note, how will anyone know what is being played?”

Paul harnesses the everyday experience of distinct flute notes to urge intelligibility in public worship. If the Spirit’s gifts are exercised without comprehension, they become as useless as an indistinct tune.

Old Testament and Second-Temple Background

Hebrew Scripture frequently mentions the parallel instrument (ḥālîl). Pipes welcomed kings (1 Kings 1:40), accompanied prophetic processions (1 Samuel 10:5), sounded festal praise (Isaiah 30:29), and expressed grief (Jeremiah 48:36). In the Septuagint these occurrences are typically rendered by αὐλός, underscoring continuity between Testaments.

Second-Temple sources describe flute players leading Passover hallel singing and providing dirges at funerals—customs echoed in Matthew 9:23 and Matthew 11:17.

Greco-Roman Context

The aulós dominated civic life: weddings, dramas, military signals, and pagan cults. Normally constructed of cane or bone with double reeds, it produced sharp, emotive tones. Paul’s Corinthian readers, steeped in such a soundscape, instinctively grasped his analogy of clear versus muddled notes.

Theological Insights from 1 Corinthians 14

1. Edification: Distinct notes enable recognition; intelligible speech enables edification (1 Corinthians 14:12).
2. Order: Musical precision mirrors the divine order God expects in corporate gatherings (1 Corinthians 14:40).
3. Doctrine: As each hole on a flute has a defined pitch, sound doctrine must be definite, not ambiguous.

Symbolism of Breath and Spirit

The flute only voices music when breath traverses its hollow shaft. Likewise, believers—“earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7)—become instruments of praise when the Holy Spirit breathes through them. A blocked windway pictures quenching the Spirit; a well-tuned flute pictures surrender and harmony.

Ministry Applications

• Worship Leaders: Strive for musical and lyrical clarity that builds up the body rather than showcasing talents.
• Teachers and Preachers: Avoid obscurity; articulate truth plainly so hearers apprehend the gospel melody.
• Spiritual Gifts: Exercise each gift like a note in God’s composition, serving the larger symphony of the church.
• Pastoral Care: Employ appropriate “tones”—celebrative or mournful—“rejoicing with those who rejoice” and “weeping with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).

Historical Church Reception

Early church fathers sometimes hesitated to import the flute’s pagan associations into liturgy. Over time, however, the instrument found guarded acceptance, especially in rural processions and Easter vigils, symbolizing resurrection joy. The Reformers later appealed to 1 Corinthians 14:7 to advocate intelligible congregational singing.

Eschatological Glimpse

Babylon’s downfall silences flute music (Revelation 18:22), while Zion’s final redemption resounds with every kind of instrument (Psalm 150:4). The fleeting voice of the αὐλός in history therefore anticipates an everlasting harmony when all creation joins the Lamb’s song.

Related References

Genesis 4:21; 1 Samuel 10:5; 1 Kings 1:40; Isaiah 30:29; Jeremiah 48:36; Matthew 9:23; Matthew 11:17; Revelation 18:22.

Forms and Transliterations
αυλοί αυλοίς αυλος αυλός αὐλὸς αυλού αυλων αυλών αύλων αυλώνας αυλώνων αυλώσι aulos aulòs
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Corinthians 14:7 N-NMS
GRK: διδόντα εἴτε αὐλὸς εἴτε κιθάρα
NAS: either flute or
KJV: sound, whether pipe or harp,
INT: giving whether flute or harp

Strong's Greek 836
1 Occurrence


αὐλὸς — 1 Occ.

835
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