That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;
It pictures the wealthy in Israel in a time of prosperity living in stone houses adorned with ivory, feasting on choice lambs and calves, drinking wine freely amid perfumes and ointments, while chanting idle songs to the viol and devising instruments for their own entertainment after the pattern of David. That luxury was kept up by violence and robbery, oppressing the poor and needy, perverting judgment with false weights and measures, while uprightness was hated. The wrong condemned is not instrumental music itself, which is proper in worship when rightly used, but revelry and self-indulgence in place of repentance, for music and even elaborate worship are distasteful and insulting when heart and life are corrupt and unreformed. Those at ease who put far away the evil day and disregard coming judgment were under woe, and their drunken revelry and excess brought downfall and captivity, with their banquet of ease removed. The same warning rests on professed churches and teachers now who join pride and vain show and boasted strength with pleasure-seeking, rejoicing in nothingness while they are not grieved for the affliction of God's people and hasten toward the day of the Lord.
Setting and Plain Meaning
Amos's words belong to an indignant address to the northern kingdom at Bethel and Samaria, spoken in the last half century before the Assyrian captivity during the prosperity that followed the great successes of Jeroboam II. They picture the rich living in houses built of hewn stone and paneled with ivory, lying on beds of ivory and stretching themselves on couches. Their life was eating lambs out of the flock and calves out of the stall, drinking wine in bowls, feasting to excess amid delicate perfumes and chief ointments, with riotous feasting and drunkenness, licentiousness and debauchery.
That luxury was gained and kept through oppression and gross injustice, by violence and robbery, by selling the poor and needy as slaves, by false weights and measures and corrupt judgment, and by causing the seat of violence to come near. In such a time to be upright was to be hated and unpopular. It showed idolatry and depravity, failure of justice between man and man as a divine foundation of society, failure to join privilege with responsibility, and failure to live up to granted light and knowledge, which would surely bring punishment.
The musical phrase means chanting idle or dissolute songs to the sound of the viol, in soft strains of varied music, and devising instruments of music patterned after David for their own enjoyment and entertainment. It is a rebuke of the idle, frivolous, luxurious and self-indulgent. Their conduct stood against concern for the poor and oppressed, and against what might have been their standing as spiritual leaders among the nations, for they set aside the statutes of God and fell helpless prey to evil passions.
Warning and Present Application
The condemnation falls not on instrumental music itself, which is proper in worship when used appropriately, but on its wrong use and timing in a setting of revelry and self-indulgence. The fault was singing and playing instruments while ignoring prophecies warning of apostasy and coming punishment, when repentance and mourning over threatened downfall were required. Making music like David is wrong when heart and life are corrupt, for music without the right spirit and grace is distasteful. Even elaborate worship becomes an insult when will and conduct do not conform to divine requirements.
Those described are absorbed in music and invention while neglecting duty. That absorption belongs with shallow religious life and a refined epicureanism that puts worldly pleasures above humble faith and obedience. They stand under woe as those at ease in Zion who put far away the evil day and disregard the coming day of judgment. Excessive luxury and wine-drinking revelry and drunkenness were causes of Israel's downfall. Therefore those who lived in this ease would go captive with the first who go captive, and their banquet of stretched-out ease would be removed.
The same condition applies in the present time to professed churches and teachers whose actions deny the truth. Chanting to the sound of the viol and inventing instruments of music like David appears as part of pride, vain show, aristocracy, and boasted progress and strength. It is joined with rejoicing in a thing of naught and boasting in spires as horns, with drinking wine in bowls and anointing with chief ointments while not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Such a course shows lack of trust in God and hastens toward the day of the Lord when proud high towers perish under vengeance.
It pictures the wealthy in Israel in a time of prosperity living in stone houses adorned with ivory, feasting on choice lambs and calves, drinking wine freely amid perfumes and ointments, while chanting idle songs to the viol and devising instruments for their own entertainment after the pattern of David. That luxury was kept up by violence and robbery, oppressing the poor and needy, perverting judgment with false weights and measures, while uprightness was hated. The wrong condemned is not instrumental music itself, which is proper in worship when rightly used, but revelry and self-indulgence in place of repentance, for music and even elaborate worship are distasteful and insulting when heart and life are corrupt and unreformed. Those at ease who put far away the evil day and disregard coming judgment were under woe, and their drunken revelry and excess brought downfall and captivity, with their banquet of ease removed. The same warning rests on professed churches and teachers now who join pride and vain show and boasted strength with pleasure-seeking, rejoicing in nothingness while they are not grieved for the affliction of God's people and hasten toward the day of the Lord.
Setting and Plain Meaning
Amos's words belong to an indignant address to the northern kingdom at Bethel and Samaria, spoken in the last half century before the Assyrian captivity during the prosperity that followed the great successes of Jeroboam II. They picture the rich living in houses built of hewn stone and paneled with ivory, lying on beds of ivory and stretching themselves on couches. Their life was eating lambs out of the flock and calves out of the stall, drinking wine in bowls, feasting to excess amid delicate perfumes and chief ointments, with riotous feasting and drunkenness, licentiousness and debauchery.
That luxury was gained and kept through oppression and gross injustice, by violence and robbery, by selling the poor and needy as slaves, by false weights and measures and corrupt judgment, and by causing the seat of violence to come near. In such a time to be upright was to be hated and unpopular. It showed idolatry and depravity, failure of justice between man and man as a divine foundation of society, failure to join privilege with responsibility, and failure to live up to granted light and knowledge, which would surely bring punishment.
The musical phrase means chanting idle or dissolute songs to the sound of the viol, in soft strains of varied music, and devising instruments of music patterned after David for their own enjoyment and entertainment. It is a rebuke of the idle, frivolous, luxurious and self-indulgent. Their conduct stood against concern for the poor and oppressed, and against what might have been their standing as spiritual leaders among the nations, for they set aside the statutes of God and fell helpless prey to evil passions.
Warning and Present Application
The condemnation falls not on instrumental music itself, which is proper in worship when used appropriately, but on its wrong use and timing in a setting of revelry and self-indulgence. The fault was singing and playing instruments while ignoring prophecies warning of apostasy and coming punishment, when repentance and mourning over threatened downfall were required. Making music like David is wrong when heart and life are corrupt, for music without the right spirit and grace is distasteful. Even elaborate worship becomes an insult when will and conduct do not conform to divine requirements.
Those described are absorbed in music and invention while neglecting duty. That absorption belongs with shallow religious life and a refined epicureanism that puts worldly pleasures above humble faith and obedience. They stand under woe as those at ease in Zion who put far away the evil day and disregard the coming day of judgment. Excessive luxury and wine-drinking revelry and drunkenness were causes of Israel's downfall. Therefore those who lived in this ease would go captive with the first who go captive, and their banquet of stretched-out ease would be removed.
The same condition applies in the present time to professed churches and teachers whose actions deny the truth. Chanting to the sound of the viol and inventing instruments of music like David appears as part of pride, vain show, aristocracy, and boasted progress and strength. It is joined with rejoicing in a thing of naught and boasting in spires as horns, with drinking wine in bowls and anointing with chief ointments while not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Such a course shows lack of trust in God and hastens toward the day of the Lord when proud high towers perish under vengeance.