Amos 6:5 You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.

◄ Amos 6:5 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.

English Standard Version
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,

New American Standard Bible
Who improvise to the sound of the harp, And like David have composed songs for themselves,

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

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They improvise songs to the sound of the harp and invent their own musical instruments like David.

International Standard Version
chanting to the sound of stringed instruments as if they were David, composing songs to themselves as if they were musicians,

American Standard Version
that sing idle songs to the sound of the viol; that invent for themselves instruments of music, like David;

Douay-Rheims Bible
You that sing to the sound of the psaltery: they have thought themselves to have instruments of music like David;

Darby Bible Translation
that chant to the sound of the lute, and invent them instruments of music, like David;

Young's Literal Translation
Who are taking part according to the psaltery, Like David they invented for themselves instruments of music;

Cross References

1 Chronicles 15:16
And David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers to be the singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

1 Chronicles 23:5
Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.

Isaiah 5:12
And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.

Ezekiel 26:13
And I will cause the noise of your songs to cease; and the sound of your harps shall be no more heard.

Amos 8:3
And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, said the Lord GOD: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.

Jump to Previous

Chant Composed Corded David Designing Devise Foolish Harp Harps Idle Instruments Invent Lute Making Music Musical Musick Psaltery Sing Songs Sound Strings Themselves Viol

Jump to Next

Chant Composed Corded David Designing Devise Foolish Harp Harps Idle Instruments Invent Lute Making Music Musical Musick Psaltery Sing Songs Sound Strings Themselves Viol

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's 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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

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.