Flute

A musical wind instrument made of a tube with holes, played by blowing across an opening and covering the holes to change the notes.

A flute made of bone, around 2500 BCE (Musée de la musique, Paris)
A flute made of bone, around 2500 BCE (Musée de la musique, Paris) (Vassil, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons) Flute, pipe

About Flute

Translation of several Hebrew words designating various kinds of wind instruments played by blowing across or through a hole. See Musical Instruments (Halil).

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The object itself Article

Form, use in ancient daily life, and how translators render the term.

Key References

Genesis 4:21

And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.

1 Kings 1:40

All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth was split by the sound.

Daniel 3:5

As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

All Scripture References (18)

Genesis (1)
Genesis 4:21

And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.

1 Samuel (1)
1 Samuel 10:5

After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.

1 Kings (1)
1 Kings 1:40

All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth was split by the sound.

Job (1)
Job 21:12

singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute.

Psalms (2)
Psalm 5:1

Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning.

Psalm 150:4

Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute.

Isaiah (2)
Isaiah 5:12

At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.

Isaiah 30:29

You will sing as on the night of a holy festival, and your heart will rejoice like one who walks to the music of a flute, going up to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.

Jeremiah (1)
Jeremiah 48:36

Therefore My heart laments like a flute for Moab; it laments like a flute for the men of Kir-heres, because the wealth they acquired has perished.

Daniel (4)
Daniel 3:5

As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

Daniel 3:7

Therefore, as soon as all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and all kinds of music, the people of every nation and language would fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Daniel 3:10

You, O king, have issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the golden statue,

Daniel 3:15

Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the statue I have made, very good. But if you refuse to worship, you will be thrown at once into the blazing fiery furnace. Then what god will be able to deliver you from my hands?”

Matthew (2)
Matthew 9:23

When Jesus entered the house of the synagogue leader, He saw the flute players and the noisy crowd.

Matthew 11:17

We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

Luke (1)
Luke 7:32

They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

1 Corinthians (1)
1 Corinthians 14:7

Even in the case of lifeless instruments, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone recognize the tune they are playing unless the notes are distinct?

Revelation (1)
Revelation 18:22

And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again.