In biblical times, musical instruments played a significant role in both religious and social contexts. Among these instruments, pipes are mentioned in various passages, highlighting their importance in ancient Hebrew culture.

Hebrew Terminology and Usage

The Hebrew word often translated as "pipe" is "chalil" (חליל), which is derived from a root meaning "to bore" or "to pierce," indicating a wind instrument. The chalil was likely a simple flute or reed pipe, commonly used in celebrations and worship.

Biblical References

1. Genesis 4:21 · The earliest mention of musical instruments in the Bible is found in the genealogy of Cain, where Jubal is described as "the father of all who play the harp and flute." This passage suggests that the use of pipes dates back to the antediluvian period, indicating their long-standing presence in human culture.

2. 1 Samuel 10:5 · In this passage, the prophet Samuel instructs Saul to go to Gibeah, where he will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with "harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres being played before them." Here, the pipe is associated with prophetic activity and worship, underscoring its spiritual significance.

3. 1 Kings 1:40 · During the anointing of Solomon as king, the people "went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound." This event illustrates the use of pipes in royal ceremonies and public celebrations, emphasizing their role in expressing communal joy.

4. Isaiah 5:12 · The prophet Isaiah mentions pipes in a context of warning, where he describes the revelry of those who "have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine." This passage serves as a critique of indulgence and neglect of the Lord's deeds, showing that pipes were also part of secular festivities.

5. Jeremiah 48:36 · In a lament over Moab, Jeremiah writes, "Therefore My heart laments for Moab like a flute; it laments like a flute for the men of Kir Hareseth." Here, the pipe is metaphorically used to express deep sorrow, indicating its capacity to convey a wide range of emotions.

Cultural and Religious Significance

Pipes were integral to both religious ceremonies and everyday life in ancient Israel. They were used in temple worship, as seen in the Psalms, where various instruments, including pipes, are called to praise the Lord (Psalm 150:4). The versatility of the pipe allowed it to be used in both joyous and mournful contexts, reflecting the full spectrum of human experience.

Symbolism and Interpretation

In biblical symbolism, the pipe can represent joy, celebration, and the prophetic voice. Its use in worship and prophecy underscores the belief that music is a divine gift, capable of elevating the human spirit and facilitating communication with God. The pipe's presence in both sacred and secular settings highlights its role as a bridge between the divine and the mundane.

Conclusion

The pipe, as depicted in the Bible, is more than a mere musical instrument; it is a symbol of cultural expression, spiritual devotion, and emotional depth. Its varied use across different contexts reflects the richness of biblical music and its enduring impact on worship and community life.6804. tsanteroth -- pipes
... 6803, 6804. tsanteroth. 6805 . pipes. Transliteration: tsanteroth Phonetic
Spelling: (tsan-taw-raw') Short Definition: pipes. Word ...
/hebrew/6804.htm - 6k

The Source of Power
... And I said, I have looked, and behold, a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon
the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the source of power.htm

Cast Your Eye Round the Room in which You Sit...
... he will cut his pencil with a little screwing pencil-sharpener instead of a knife;
and he will even boldly offer to be warmed by hot water pipes instead of a ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 17 cast your eye.htm

But Let There Be, as You Wish, Honour in Wine and in Incense...
... the gods moved by garlands also, wreaths and flowers, by the jingling of brass also,
and the shaking of cymbals, by timbrels also, and also by symphonious pipes ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/32 but let there be.htm

How Holy Benevolence Produces the Praise of the Divine Well ...
... Cicalas, Theotimus, as though they were nature's organs, have their breasts set
with pipes; and to sing the better they live only on dew, which they take not ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter viii how holy benevolence.htm

Spiritual Farming. --No. 1 Draining.
... The land, once too cold and wet to allow anything valuable to grow, has been by
grips and drain pipes, made to produce food for man and beast. ...
/.../champness/broken bread/i spiritual farming no 1 draining.htm

The Soul Variously Divided by the Philosophers; this Division is ...
... organ, with its many limbs, parts, bands, passages for the notes, outlets for their
sounds, combinations for their harmony, and the array of its pipes; but yet ...
/.../tertullian/a treatise on the soul/chapter xiv the soul variously divided.htm

"Not by Might, nor by Power"
... And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon
the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 48 not by might.htm

Israel and the Nations.
... for every family separately; but when, as in modern city life, every house is supplied
from the city reservoir, by means of mains and water-pipes, there is no ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxvi israel and the nations.htm

Sweet Comfort for Feeble Saints
... Shall it be a pillar in my house? Can you bind it up into the pipes of Pan, and
make music come from a bruised reed? Ah! no; it is of no service. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/sweet comfort for feeble saints.htm

The Alarum
... How often do we hear half-awake singing. Sometimes a sort of musical box, consisting
of pipes, keys, and bellows, is set to do all the adoration. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the alarum.htm

Pipes (9 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Pipes (9 Occurrences). 1 Kings 1:40 All the people
came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and ...
/p/pipes.htm - 9k

Piping (3 Occurrences)
... 6. (n.) A small cord covered with cloth, -- used as trimming for women's dresses.
7. (n.) Pipes, collectively; as, the piping of a house. ...
/p/piping.htm - 8k

Flute (16 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A musical instrument, probably composed of a
number of pipes, mentioned Dan. 3:5, 7, 10, 15. In Matthew ...
/f/flute.htm - 13k

Flutes (8 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 1:40 All the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes,
and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth shook with the sound of them. ...
/f/flutes.htm - 8k

Pipe (13 Occurrences)
... The Hebrew word halil, so rendered, means "bored through," and is the name given
to various kinds of wind instruments, as the fife, flute, Pan-pipes, etc. ...
/p/pipe.htm - 13k

Produced (39 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 48:36 Therefore my heart sounds for Moab like pipes, and my heart sounds
like pipes for the men of Kir Heres: therefore the abundance that he has ...
/p/produced.htm - 18k

Kir-he'res (3 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 48:36 Therefore my heart for Moab as pipes doth sound, And my heart for
men of Kir-Heres As pipes doth sound, Therefore the abundance he made did ...
/k/kir-he'res.htm - 7k

Kir-heres (3 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 48:36 Therefore my heart soundeth for Moab like pipes, and my heart soundeth
like pipes for the men of Kir-heres: therefore the abundance that he hath ...
/k/kir-heres.htm - 8k

Kirheres (3 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 48:36 Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart
shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he ...
/k/kirheres.htm - 8k

Union (24 Occurrences)
... or the like, as the elastic pipe of a tender connecting it with the feed pipe of
a locomotive engine; especially, a pipe fitting for connecting pipes, or pipes...
/u/union.htm - 15k

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