Amos 6:5
5
You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.
Read Amos 6:5 Using Other Translations
That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,
You sing trivial songs to the sound of the harp and fancy yourselves to be great musicians like David.
What does Amos 6:5 mean?
John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
Amos 6:5
FOOTNOTES:
F24 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 F25; 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.
F24 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 19. sect. 3.
F25 (Myjrwph) "particularizantes", Montanus; "qui particularia habent cantica", Pagninus; "qui particulatim canunt", Vatablus, Mercerus; "variis modulationibus concinunt", Tigurine version.
That chant to the sound of the viol
Or psaltery; an instrument of twelve cords, and that gave twelve
sounds, as Josephus
F24 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 F25; 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.
F24 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 19. sect. 3.
F25 (Myjrwph) "particularizantes", Montanus; "qui particularia habent cantica", Pagninus; "qui particulatim canunt", Vatablus, Mercerus; "variis modulationibus concinunt", Tigurine version.
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