Teks -- Matthew 9:23 (NET)

9:23 When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the disorderly crowd,

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Robertson: Mat 9:23 - The flute-players

The flute-players ( tous aulētas ).

The girl was just dead, but already a crowd "making a tumult"(thoruboumenon ) with wild wailing and screaming had gathered in the outer court, "brought together by various motives, sympathy, money, desire to share in the meat and drink going at such a time"(Bruce). Besides the several flute-players (voluntary or hired) there were probably "some hired mourning women (Jer 9:17) praeficae , whose duty it was to sing naenia in praise of the dead"(Bruce). These when put out by Jesus, "laughed him to scorn"(kategelōn ), in a sort of loud and repeated (imperfect) guffaw of scorn. Jesus overcame all this repellent environment.

Vincent: Mat 9:23 - Minstrels

Minstrels ( αὐλητὰς )

More correctly, as Rev., flute - players, hired or volunteering as mourners.

Vincent: Mat 9:23 - Making a noise

Making a noise ( θορυβούμενον )

Rev., tumult. Representing the loud screaming and wailing by the women. It is the word used in Act 17:5 : " Set the city in an uproar. "

Wesley: Mat 9:23 - The minstrels

The musicians. The original word means flute players. Musical instruments were used by the Jews as well as the heathens, in their lamentations for the dead, to soothe the melancholy of surviving friends, by soft and solemn notes. And there were persons who made it their business to perform this, while others sung to their music. Flutes were used especially on the death of children; louder instruments on the death of grown persons.

Clarke: Mat 9:23 - Saw the minstrels and the people making a noise

Saw the minstrels and the people making a noise - Αυλητας, pipers; Anglo-Saxon the whistlers; Gothic, haurngans haurngandans , the horn-blowers blowing with their horns. Nearly the same as the pipublasara , pipe-blowers of the Islandic: for among all those nations funeral lamentations accompanied with such rude instruments, were made at the death of relatives. That pipes were in use among the Jews, in times of calamity or death, is evident from Jer 48:36. And among the Greeks, and Romans, as well as among the Jews, persons were hired on purpose to follow the funeral processions with lamentations. See Jer 9:17-21; Amo 5:16. Even the poorest among the Jews were required to have two pipers, and one mourning woman. At these funeral solemnities it was usual with them to drink considerably; even ten cups of wine each, where it could be got. See Lightfoot. This custom is observed among the native Irish to this day, in what is called their Caoinan. The body of the deceased, dressed in grave-clothes and ornamented with flowers, is placed in some eminent place; the relations and caoiners range themselves in two divisions, one at the head and the other at the feet of the corpse. Anciently, where the deceased was a great personage, the bards and croteries prepared the caoinan. The chief bard of the head chorus began by singing the first stanza in a low doleful tone; which was softly accompanied by the harp. At the conclusion, the foot semichorus began the lamentation, or Ullaloo, from the final note of the preceding stanza, in which they were answered by the head semichorus; then both united in one general chorus

The chorus of the first stanza being ended, the chief bard of the foot semichorus sung the second stanza, the strain of which was taken from the concluding note of the preceding chorus, which ended, the head semichorus began the Gol, or lamentation, in which they were answered by that of the foot, and then, as before, both united in the general full chorus. Thus alternately were the song and choruses performed during the night. I have seen a number of women, sometimes fourteen, twenty-four, or more, accompany the deceased from his late house to the grave-yard, divided into two parties on each side the corpse, singing the Ullaloo, alternately, all the way. That drinking, in what is called the wake, or watching with the body of the deceased, is practised, and often carried to a shameful excess, needs little proof. This kind of intemperance proceeded to such great lengths among the Jews that the Sanhedrin were obliged to make a decree, to restrain the drinking to ten cups each. I mention these things more particularly, because I have often observed that the customs of the aboriginal Irish bear, a very striking resemblance to those of the ancient Jews, and other Asiatic nations. The application of these observations I leave to others

It was a custom with the Greeks to make a great noise with brazen vessels; and the Romans made a general outcry, called conclamatio , hoping either to stop the soul which was now taking its flight, or to awaken the person, if only in a state of torpor. This they did for eight days together, calling the person incessantly by his name; at the expiration of which term the phrase, Conclamatum est - all is over - there is no hope - was used. See the words used in this sense by Terence, Eun. l. 347. In all probability this was the θορυβουμενον, the making a violent outcry, mentioned here by the evangelist. How often, on the death of relatives, do men incumber and perplex themselves with vain, worldly, and tumultuous ceremonies, instead of making profitable reflections on death!

TSK: Mat 9:23 - into // the minstrels

into : Mat 9:18, Mat 9:19; Mar 5:35-38; Luk 8:49-51

the minstrels : Mat 11:17; 2Ch 35:25; Jer 9:17-20; Mar 5:38-40; Luk 7:32; Act 9:39

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Poole: Mat 9:23

Neither Mark nor Luke speak any thing of the minstrels, but only of the people’ s wailing. Amongst the Jews we read not in any part of the Old Testament of musical instruments used at funerals, but amongst the pagans it was usual, as we read in their writers. Amongst the Jews, they had some songs sang, as some gather from Jer 9:17 Jer 22:18 34:5 Amo 5:16 . It is very like that the Jews having long lived amongst the heathens, had learned this usage from them. Before this Mark addeth, Mar 5:35-40 , that there came some from the ruler’ s house, which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? But Jesus, as soon as he had heard the word that was spoken, said to the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. Matthew saith nothing of what happened in the way, neither the messengers’ coming, and telling Jairus that his daughter was dead, nor our Saviour’ s comforting of him; but Luke mentions all, Luk 8:49,50 . Matthew goes on with an account of what Christ did in the house, seeing the minstrels, and the tumult caused by the mourners there.

Lightfoot: Mat 9:23 - Seeing the minstrels

And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,   

[Seeing the minstrels.] Dion Cassius concerning the funeral of Augustus: "Tiberius, and Drusus his son,...sacrificed frankincense themselves; but they used not a minstrel.   

Even the poorest among the Israelites [his wife being dead], will afford her not less than two pipes, and one woman to make lamentation.   

"He that hireth an ass-keeper, or a waggoner, to bring pipes, either for a bride, or for a dead person ": that is, either for a wedding, or a funeral.   

"The husband is bound to bury his dead wife, and to make lamentations and mournings for her, according to the custom of all countries. And also the very poorest among the Israelites will afford her not less than two pipes and one lamenting woman: but if he be rich, let all things be done according to his quality."   

"If an idolater bring pipes on the sabbath to the house where anyone is dead, an Israelite shall not lament at those pipes."   

This multitude was got together on a sudden: neighbours, for civility's sake; minstrels; perhaps for the sake of gain; both the more officious in this business, as we may guess, by how much the parents of the deceased maid were of more eminent quality. She died, when Christ, together with Jairus, was going forward to the house (Mar 5:35); and yet, behold what a solemn meeting and concourse there was to lament her. There were two things which, in such cases, afforded an occasion to much company to assemble themselves to the house of mourning:   

First, some, as it is very probable, resorted thither to eat and drink: for at such a time some banqueting was used. "A tradition. They drink ten cups in the house of mourning; two before meat, five while they are eating, and three after meat." And a little after: "When Rabban Simeon Ben Gamaliel died, they added three more. But when the Sanhedrim saw that hence they became drunk, they made a decree against this."   

Secondly, others came to perform their duty of charity and neighbourhood: for they accounted it the highest instance of respect to lament the dead, to prepare things for the burial, to take care of the funeral, to put themselves under the bier, and to contribute other things needful for that solemnity with all diligence. Hence they appropriated The rendering [or bestowing] of mercies to this duty, in a peculiar sense, above all other demonstrations of charity; " One of the disciples of the wise men died, and mercy was not yielded him ": that is, no care was taken of his funeral. "But a certain publican died, and the whole city left off work to yield him mercy."   

Mourning for the dead is distinguished by the Jewish schools into Aninuth; and Ebluth. Aninuth was on the day of the funeral only, or until the corpse was carried out; and then began Ebluth; and lasted for thirty days. Of these mournings take these few passages: "He that hath his dead laid out before him, and it is not in his power to bury him, useth not Aninuth [that kind of mourning]. For example: If any die in prison, and the magistrate [or governor of the place], permits not his burial, he that is near of kin to him is not bound to that mourning which is called Aninuth;" etc. And the reason is given a little after; namely, because he who hath his dead laid out before him, or upon whom the care of his burial lies, is forbidden to eat flesh, to drink wine, to eat with others, to eat in the same house (under which prohibition, thou, Jairus, now art), and he was free from reciting his phylacteries, and from prayer, and from all such-like precepts of the law. " But when the funeral is carried out of the door of the house, then presently begins the mourning called Ebluth." From thence he is free from the foregoing prohibitions, and now is subject to others. Hence,   

1. The bending down of the beds; of which the Talmudists speak very much: "From what time (say they) are the beds bended? From that time the dead body is carried out of the gate of the court of the house; or, as R. Josua, From such time, as the grave-stone is stopped up": for so it is commonly rendered; but the Gloss somewhere, the cover; or the uppermost board of the bier. What this bending of the beds should mean, you may observe from those things which are spoken in the tract Beracoth; "Whence is the bending of the beds? R. Crispa, in the name of R. Jochanan saith, From thence, because it is said, And they sat with him to the earth (Job 2:13). It is not said, ' upon the earth,' but ' to the earth': it denotes a thing not far from the earth. Hence it is that they sat upon beds bended down."   

2. " He that laments all the thirty days is forbidden to do his work; and so his sons, and his daughters, and servants, and maids, and cattle," etc.   

These things concerned him to whom the dead person did belong. His friends and neighbours did their parts also, both in mourning, and in care of the funeral, employing themselves in that affair by an officious diligence, both out of duty and friendship. " Whosoever sees a dead corpse (say they), and does not accommodate [or accompany] him to his burial, is guilty of that which is said, 'He that mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker,' etc. But now (say they) no man is so poor as the dead man," etc.

Haydock: Mat 9:23 - And when Jesus ... saw the minstrels

And when Jesus ... saw the minstrels. It was a custom among the Jews at funerals to hire persons to make some doleful music, and great lamentations. (Witham) ---

Ovid also mentions the lugubrious music attendant on funerals. ---

Cantabat mœstis tibia funeribus. (4. Fast.)

Gill: Mat 9:23 - And when Jesus came into the ruler's house // saw the minstrels // And the people making a noise

And when Jesus came into the ruler's house,.... Both Mark and Luke relate, how that before this, whilst they were in the way, and just as Christ had done speaking to the poor woman, that news was brought to the ruler, that his daughter was actually dead, and therefore need not give Jesus any further trouble; when Christ encouraged him not to be cast down at the tidings, but believe, and she should be restored again; and that he suffered none to follow him, but Peter, James, and John: and

saw the minstrels, or "pipers"; how many there were, is not known: it is certain there were more than one; and it was a rule with the ^z Jews that

"the poorest man in Israel (when his wife died) had not less משני חלילים, "than two pipes", and one mourning woman.''

And since this was a daughter of a ruler of the synagogue that was dead, there might be several of them. These instruments were made use of, not to remove the melancholy of surviving friends, or allay the grief of the afflicted family; but, on the contrary, to excite it: for the Jewish writers say ^a, these pipes were hollow instruments, with which they made a known sound, לעורר הבכיה והאבל, "to stir up lamentation and mourning": and for the same purpose, they had their mourning women, who answered to the pipe; and by their dishevelled hair, and doleful tones, moved upon the affections, and drew tears from others; and very likely are the persons, that Mark says, "wept and wailed greatly". Sometimes trumpets were made use of on these mournful occasions ^b; but whether these were used only for persons more advanced in years, and pipes for younger ones, as by the Heathens ^c, at least, at some times, is not certain.

And the people making a noise; the people of the house, the relations of the deceased, the neighbours, who came in on this occasion; and others, in a sort of tumult and uproar, hurrying and running about; some speaking in the praise of the dead, others lamenting her death, and others preparing things proper for the funeral; all which shew, that she was really dead: among these also, might be the mourners that made a noise for the dead;

"for since mourning was for the honour of the dead, therefore they obliged the heirs to hire mourning men, and mourning women, to mourn for the same ^d.''