Mourners and Flutes in Jewish Funeral Practices
Jewish funeral practices in the Second Temple period and rabbinic era included professional mourners and flute-players as standard elements of public grief. When Jesus arrived at the ruler's house in Matthew 9:23, he encountered "minstrels"—a term the Revised Version renders more precisely as "flute-players" [2]. These were not casual musicians but hired professionals whose presence signaled the community's participation in mourning.
The Mishnah specifies minimum requirements: "Even the poorest in Israel should hire not less than two flutes and one wailing woman" [6]. This regulation reveals that flute music at funerals was not reserved for the wealthy but considered essential across economic strata. The flute (Hebrew chalil) was a perforated wind instrument made of reed, bronze, or copper [3], and its plaintive sound accompanied the public expression of sorrow that Jewish custom required.
The Role of Professional Mourners
Funeral processions involved both instrumental music and vocal lamentation. Professional mourners, often women, were employed to lead the community in wailing and dirges [4]. Jeremiah 9:17-20 and 2 Chronicles 35:25 reference this practice [4], and the "house of mourning" mentioned in Jeremiah 16:5 included a mourning-feast where such expressions of grief were formalized [8]. In Judaism, a large crowd of mourners and intense wailing signified great love for the deceased, and mourners were hired when necessary to ensure an appropriate display [7].
The association between flutes and mourning appears in Job 30:31: "Thus is attuned to mourning—my lyre, and my flute, to the noise of them who weep" [1]. This poetic pairing of instruments with the sounds of grief reflects the cultural expectation that music would accompany and amplify communal sorrow.
Contrast with Festive Use
The same instruments served opposite functions in different contexts. Isaiah 5:12 lists "the harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute" as features of feasts [5, 9], and pipes were "associated with the tabret as an instrument of a peaceful and social character" [3]. The flute's versatility—from wedding celebrations to funeral dirges—made it ubiquitous in ancient Jewish life, its meaning determined entirely by social setting rather than inherent character.
Sources
- Job “Job 30:31 (Rotherham) — Thus is attuned to mourning—my lyre, and my flute, to the noise of them who weep.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Minstrel — (Matt. 9:23), a flute-player. Such music was a usual accompaniment of funerals. In 2 Kings 3:15 it denotes a player on a stringed instrument.”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Pipe — (Heb. chalil). The Hebrew word so rendered is derived from a root signifying "to bore, perforate" and is represented with sufficient correctness by the English "pipe" or "flute," as in the margin of (1 Kings 1:40) The pipe was the type of perforated wind instruments, as the harp was of stringed instruments. It was made of reed, bronze or copper. It is one of the simplest, and therefore probably one of the oldest, of musical Instruments. It is associated with the tabret as an instrument of a peaceful and social character. The pipe and tabret were used at the ban”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Minstrel — The Hebrew word in (2 Kings 3:15) properly signifies a player upon a stringed instruments like the harp or kinnor [[874]Harp], whatever its precise character may have been, on which David played before Saul, (1 Samuel 16:16; 18:10; 19:9) and which the harlots of the great cities used to carry with them as they walked, to attract notice. (Isaiah 23:16) The "minstrels" in (Matthew 9:23) were the flute-players who were employed as professional mourners, to whom frequent allusion is made. (2 Chronicles 35:25; Ecclesiastes 12:5; Jeremiah 9:17-20)”
- Isaiah “The harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute, with wine, are at their feasts; but they don’t respect the work of Yahweh, neither have they considered the operation of his hands. -- Isaiah 5:12”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 9:23: 9:23 noisy crowd . . . funeral music: Sorrow over the death of a family member was publicly expressed, with musical accompaniment and dirges by professional mourners. “Even the poorest in Israel should hire not less than two flutes and one wailing woman” (Mishnah Ketubbot 4:4).”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 7:12: 7:12 A funeral procession: In Judaism, a large crowd of mourners and intense wailing signified great love for the deceased. Mourners were hired in some cases. • Widows were the most vulnerable members of society, and God had special concern for them (Exod 22:22; Deut 10:18; 27:19). This widow’s only son was her means of support and hope for the future; his death was a terrible loss (see Jer 6:26; Amos 8:10; Zech 12:10).”
- Jeremiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jeremiah 16:5: (Eze 24:17, Eze 24:22-23). house of mourning-- (Mar 5:38). Margin, "mourning-feast"; such feasts were usual at funerals. The Hebrew means, in Amo 6:7, the cry of joy at a banquet; here, and Lam 2:19, the cry of sorrow.”
- Isaiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Isaiah 5:12: Music was common at ancient feasts (Isa 24:8-9; Amo 6:5-6). viol--an instrument with twelve strings [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 8.10]. tabret--Hebrew, toph, from the use of which in drowning the cries of children sacrificed to Moloch, Tophet received its name. Arabic, duf. A kettle drum, or tambourine. pipe--flute or flageolet: from a Hebrew root "to bore through"; or else, "to dance" (compare Job 21:11-15). regard not . . . Lord--a frequent effect of feasting (Job 1:5; Psa 28:5). work . . . operation--in punishing the guilty (Isa 5:19; Isa 10:12”