Amos 6:5

That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) Chant.—The original Hebrew only occurs in this passage, and is best rendered prattle, or jabber. The comparison with David is ironical He made these instruments to please the Lord, these princes to please themselves.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

6:1-7 Those are looked upon as doing well for themselves, who do well for their bodies; but we are here told what their ease is, and what their woe is. Here is a description of the pride, security, and sensuality, for which God would reckon. Careless sinners are every where in danger; but those at ease in Zion, who are stupid, vainly confident, and abusing their privileges, are in the greatest danger. Yet many fancy themselves the people of God, who are living in sin, and in conformity to the world. But the examples of others' ruin forbid us to be secure. Those who are set upon their pleasures are commonly careless of the troubles of others, but this is great offence to God. Those who placed their happiness in the pleasures of sense, and set their hearts upon them, shall be deprived of those pleasures. Those who try to put the evil day far from them, find it nearest to them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

That chant to the voice of the lyre - Accompanying "the voice of the lyre" with the human voice; giving vocal expression and utterance to what the instrumental music spoke without words. The word, which Amos alone uses in this one place, describes probably a hurried flow of unmeaning, unconsidered words, in which the rhythm of words and music was everything, the sense, nothing; much like most glees.

The English margin "quaver" has also some foundation in the root, but does not suit the idiom so well, which expresses that the act was something done "to the voice of the lyre," accompanying the music, not altering the music itself. In fact, they would go together. An artificial, effeminate music which should relax the soul, frittering the melody, and displacing the power and majesty of divine harmony by tricks of art, and giddy, thoughtless, heartless, soulless versifying would be meet company. Debased music is a mark of a nation's decay, and promotes it. The Hebrew music seems to have been very simple; and singing appears to have been reserved almost exclusively for solemn occasions, the temple-service, or the greeting of victory 1 Samuel 18:7. "Singing men and singing women" were part of the state of David and Solomon 2 Samuel 19:35; Ecclesiastes 2:8. Else the music at the feasts of the rich appears rather to be mentioned with blame Isaiah 5:12; Isaiah 24:9. Songs they had Proverbs 25:20; but the songs, for which the Hebrew exiles were celebrated, and which their Babylonian masters required them to sing, "the songs of Zion" Psalm 137:3-4, were the hymns of the temple, "the Lord's song."

And invent to themselves instruments of music - The same pains, which David employed on music to the honor of God, they employed on their light, enervating unmeaningful music, and, if they were in earnest enough, justified their inventions by the example of David. Much as people have justified our degraded, sensualizing, immodest dancing, by the religious dancing of Holy Scripture! The word can mean no other than devised. David then did "devise" and "invent" instruments of music for the service of God. He introduced into the temple-service the use of the stringed instruments, the "kinnor," (the "lyre") and the "nebel" (the "harp") in addition to the cymbals. Whence these, in contrast with the trumpets, are called "the instruments of David" (2 Chronicles 29:26, compare 2 Chronicles 29:25, and 1 Chronicles 15:16, 1 Chronicles 15:19-21, 1 Chronicles 15:24). Probably, in adapting them to the temple-service, he, in some way, improved the existing instrument; having been, in early youth, remarkable for his skill upon the harp 1 Samuel 16:16, 1 Samuel 16:18, 1 Samuel 16:23. As he elevated the character and powers of the, perhaps rude, instrument which he found, and suited it to the service of God, so these people refined it doubtless, as they thought, and suited it for the service of luxury and sensuality. But what harm, they thought, in amending the music of their day, since so did David?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

5. chant—literally, "mark distinct sounds and tones."

viol—the lyre, or lute.

invent … instruments … like David—They fancy they equal David in musical skill (1Ch 23:5; Ne 12:36). They defend their luxurious passion for music by his example: forgetting that he pursued this study when at peace and free from danger, and that for the praise of God; but they pursue for their own self-gratification, and that when God is angry and ruin is imminent.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Woe to them that, in a time of deepest morning, do entertain themselves with songs, and with greatest skill sing to their musical instruments, as if they had no greater thing to mind!

Viol; or lute, or gittern, one kind put for every one used in their feastings at this time of Amos.

Invent to themselves instruments of music; not content with known, old-fashioned music, they find out new instruments, new songs and tunes.

Like David; in imitation of David, as they profanely pretend, or else emulating his skill, and preferring their own feast songs and music before his temple music and songs. We may imagine what songs such ungodly, cruel, voluptuous men would sing, and what tunes they would set too, on such occasions, viz. loose, profane, and impure enough.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

That chant to the sound of the viol,.... Or psaltery; an instrument of twelve cords, and that gave twelve sounds, as Josephus (x) says, being stricken with the fingers; and to these sounds these men chanted or quivered, made like sounds with their voice, which they raised higher or lower, according to the sound of the instrument: they "particularized", as the word signifies (y); or observed the divisions and distinctions of notes and sounds, by the modulation of their voice:

and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David: not content with old ones, such as were used in former times, they invented new instruments and new tunes, and new songs to sing to them; as David made songs and invented several instruments of music to sing them upon and to, in religious worship, and for the praise and glory of God; so these men invented new ones to indulge their carnal mirth and jollity, in which they thought themselves to be justified by the example of David.

(x) Antiqu. l. 7. c. 19. sect. 3.((y) "particularizantes", Montanus; "qui particularia habent cantica", Pagninus; "qui particulatim canunt", Vatablus, Mercerus; "variis modulationibus concinunt", Tigurine version.

Geneva Study Bible

That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like {e} David;

(e) As he caused different types of instruments to be made to serve God's glory, so these did strive to invent as many to serve their unrestrained affections and lusts.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5. chant] improvise idly. The word (pâraṭ) occurs only here; and its meaning is uncertain: but (if the text be correct) this on the whole is the most probable rendering: see the Additional Note, p. 236. In illustration of the custom of having music at banquets, see Isaiah 5:12; Isaiah 24:9.

the viol] the harp (comp. Amos 5:23, and see p. 234 ff.).

devise for themselves instruments of musick, like David] or, perhaps, like David’s. The skill of David as a player on the kinnôr (p. 234) is of course, well known (1 Samuel 16:18; 1 Samuel 16:23, &c.): this passage speaks of him as famed further either for the musical instruments which he invented, or for those which he owned, and which will naturally have been performed upon either by himself or by others at his direction. The comparison rather suggests that the music for which David at this time was chiefly remembered was of a secular kind (cf., of Solomon, 1 Kings 10:12 where ‘singers’ is not the term used technically in later writings of the Temple-singers), but it is obviously not inconsistent with the tradition embodied in the Chronicles that he cultivated sacred music as well. Comp. W. R. Smith, O.T.J.C[176][177] p. 223 f.

[176] .T.J.C. … W. Robertson Smith, The Old Testament in the Jewish Church, ed. 2, 1892.

[177] … W. Robertson Smith, The Old Testament in the Jewish Church, ed. 2, 1892.

Additional Note on Chap. Amos 6:5 (pâraṭ)

The root in Arabic which corresponds to the Hebrew pâraṭ means properly to precede, anticipate, hence faraṭa minhu kalâm, “speech proceeded from him prematurely, without reflexion,” and faraṭa ‘alaihi (Qor. 20:47), “he hasted (acted hastily and unjustly) against him”; conj. ii. to send before, hence to send before so as to leave, to relinquish, to fail, be remiss, neglectful in anything (Qor. 6:31, 12:80, 39:57); conj. iii. takallama firâṭan, he spoke hastily, without premeditation; conj. iv. to send before (Qor. xvi. 64 “They shall be sent first into the fire of hell”), to hasten, and (very frequently) to exceed due bounds, act extravagantly in a thing, ’afraṭa fi ’lqauli, to be immoderate in talk. It is thus just possible that, as Abul-walid supposed, it might be used of those who extemporized poetry over-rapidly, without premeditation, in a hurried flow of unmeaning, unconsidered words: hence R.V. sing idle songs. The mediaeval Jewish authorities, Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and David Kimchi, connecting the word with pereṭ (Leviticus 19:10), the fallen or separated berries in a vineyard, supposed it to denote the way in which a singer divides his words into parts (מְחַתֵּךְ אֶת־הַדּבּוּר בִּפְרוּסְרוּם) to suit the notes of the accompaniment; hence, no doubt, A. V. chant (marg. quaver). (In Dr Pusey’s note, “measured out defilements” should be “divided the melody”: a word was inaccurately transcribed in the Thesaurus of Gesenius; see Roediger’s note in the Appendix, p. 107, or Neubauer’s ed. of Abul-walid’s Lexicon, col. 586.)

An ancient Egyptian lyre (from Sir J. Gardner Wilkinson’s Ancient Egyptians, 1878, ii. 476).

An ancient Egyptian guitar[229] (from Sir J. Gardner Wilkinson’s Ancient Egyptians, 1878, ii. 481).

[229] The lute differs substantially from the guitar only in having a shorter neck.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 5. - That chant. The word parat (ἅπαξ λεγόμενον) means rather "to prattle," "to sing idle songs," as the Revised Version translates it. The reading of the Septuagint varies between ἐπικρατοῦντες. "excelling," and ἐπικροτοῦντες, the latter of which words might mean "applauding." Viol (see note on Amos 5:23). Invent to themselves instruments of music, like David. As David devised stringed instruments and modes of singing to do honour to God and for the service of his sanctuary (see 1 Chronicles 15:16, etc.; 1 Chronicles 23:5; 2 Chronicles 29:26, 27; and the supernumerary psalm at the end of the Psalter in the Septuagint), so these debauchees invented new singing and playing to grace their luxurious feasts. The Septuagint rendering, which Jerome calls "sensus pulcherrimus," is not to be explained by the present Hebrew text, however true to fact it may be considered, Ὡς ἑστηκότα ἐλογίσαντο καὶ οὐχ ὡς φεύγοντα. "Regarded them as abiding and not as fleeting things." Amos 6:5

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

This forgetfulness of God shows itself more especially in the reckless licentiousness and debauchery of these men. Amos 6:4. "They who lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves out of the fattening stall. Amos 6:5. Who prattle to the tune of the harp; like David, they invent string instruments. Amos 6:6. Who drink wine out of sacrificial bowls, and anoint themselves with the best oils, and do not afflict themselves for the hurt of Joseph." They lie stretched, as it were poured out (סרחים), upon beds inlaid with ivory, to feast and fill their belly with the flesh of the best lambs and fattened calves, to the playing of harps and singing, in which they take such pleasure, that they invent new kinds of playing and singing. The ἁπ. λεγ. pârat, to strew around (cf. peret in Leviticus 19:10), in Arabic to throw many useless words about, to gossip, describes the singing at the banquets as frivolous nonsense. כּלי שׁיר, articles or instruments of singing, are not musical instruments generally, but, as we may see from 2 Chronicles 34:12, compared with 2 Chronicles 29:26-27, and 1 Chronicles 23:5, the stringed instruments that were either invented by David (e.g., the nebel), or arranged by him for the sacred song of the temple, together with the peculiar mode of playing them; in other words, "the playing upon stringed instruments introduced by David." Consequently the meaning of Amos 6:5 is the following: As David invented stringed instruments in honour of his God in heaven, so do these princes invent playing and singing for their god, the belly. The meaning to invent or devise, which Baur will not allow to חשׁב, is established beyond all doubt by Exodus 31:4. They drink thereby out of sacrificial bowls of wine, i.e., drink wine out of sacrificial bowls. שׁתה with ב, as in Genesis 44:5. Mizrâq, in the plural mizrâqı̄m and mizrâqōth, from zâraq, to sprinkle, was the name given both to the vessels used for the sprinkling of the blood, and also to the bowls made use of for pouring the libation of wine upon the table of shew-bread (2 Chronicles 4:8). This word is applied by Amos to the bowls out of which the gluttons drank their wine; with special reference to the offering of silver sacrificial bowls made by the tribe-princes at the consecration of the altar (Numbers 7), to show that whereas the tribe-princes of Israel in the time of Moses manifested their zeal for the service of Jehovah by presenting sacrificial bowls of silver, the princes of his own time showed just as much zeal in their care for their god, the belly. Mizrâqı̄m does not mean "rummers, or pitchers used for mixing wine." Lastly, Amos refers to their anointing themselves with the firstling of the oils, i.e., the best oils, as a sign of unbridled rejoicing, inasmuch as the custom of anointing was suspended in time of mourning (2 Samuel 14:2), for the purpose of appending the antithesis ולא גחלוּ, they do not afflict or grieve themselves for the ruin of Israel. Shēbher, breach, injury, destruction. Joseph signifies the people and kingdom of the ten tribes.