John Calvin 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)

The word פרט, pereth, means to divide. So some explain it and derive it from the clusters that remain after the vintage, because there are not then thick grapes, but a cluster here and there, and a great distance between them. From this, they think that the participle הפורטים, epurethim, is to be taken here metaphorically as meaning to divide by marks, as music has its various notes; for unless there is a distinct variety in singing, the sound would be confused and would produce no pleasing effect. Who sing then with the harps and have invented for themselves, after the example of David, musical instruments.

The Prophet still continues his discourse and shows that these men lived sumptuously. As if they did not belong to the common class, they delighted themselves, against God’s will, not only in the ordinary way of life but even sought new pleasures, as if they were continually at marriage feasts or celebrating birthdays. Since they had no season for mourning, they pursued their own indulgences; and this is what the Prophet now rebukes.

If anyone thinks that music is condemned in these words, he is greatly mistaken, as is clear from the context.

Indeed, the Prophet never dealt so rigidly with those people; rather, he always emphasized this: they were extremely sluggish, even lacking common sense, not perceiving that God showed Himself angry with them. God’s intention in this was so that they might flee immediately to the standard of repentance and humbly plead for Him to avert His wrath with mourning, as they should have done. It was therefore fitting always to set God's wrath before them, which should have humbled the Jews and the Israelites, since they always obstinately set up their own indifference against God.

In saying that after the example of David they invented for themselves musical instruments, he undoubtedly greatly aggravated their sin by this comparison. For it is not likely that they had misused this pretext, as hypocrites do, who are accustomed to boast of the examples of the saints when they try to conceal their own vices— “What!” some will say, “Did not David use musical instruments?” Others will say, “Had not Solomon very splendid palaces?” And some will add, “Had not Abraham a company of servants in his house?” So everyone seizes on what may serve as an excuse, and so the examples of the saints are absurdly invoked by many.

But it does not seem probable that this was done by those whom Amos is now addressing. On the contrary, he appears to sharply rebuke them for provoking God’s wrath by self-indulgence and for manifesting their perverseness, while David used musical instruments in religious exercises to lift his mind to God.

Undoubtedly, David, when in a peaceful state after being delivered from all dangers, could also amuse himself; but he used musical instruments for another purpose—to proclaim the praises of God in the temple, so that by them he and other godly persons might together lift their thoughts to religious devotion.

So, while David, even in a state of peace and prosperity, did not allow his mind to become engrossed in vain self-indulgences, these men—when God appeared angry, when He spread terror by so many signs of His vengeance—yet dared stubbornly to follow their own ways, so that they abandoned none of their usual pomp and their accustomed pleasures.

We now see the purpose of the comparison that the Prophet makes. He aggravates, I have no doubt, their sin, because they did not regard the example of David. Instead, they used musical instruments for the purpose of gross and beastly indulgences. And they did this when God was opposed to them, when He had begun to terrify them by His vengeance. Let us proceed.