Albert Barnes Commentary Amos 6:5

"that sing idle songs to the sound of the viol; that invent for themselves instruments of music, like David;" — Amos 6:5 (ASV)

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 meaningless, 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 that would relax the soul—frittering the melody and displacing the power and majesty of divine harmony with tricks of art—and giddy, thoughtless, heartless, soulless versifying would be fitting 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 royal establishment of David and Solomon (2 Samuel 19:35; Ecclesiastes 2:8). Otherwise, 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 (Psalms 137:3–4), were the hymns of the temple, the Lord’s song.

And invent to themselves instruments of music - The same efforts that David employed on music to the honor of God, they employed on their light, enervating, meaningless 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. This is why these, in contrast with the trumpets, are called the instruments of David (2 Chronicles 29:26; compare to 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 David did so too?