Amos 6:5

6:5 They sing ¹  to the tune of ²  stringed instruments; ³ 

like David they invent ⁴  musical instruments.

Amos 6:1

The Party is over for the Rich

6:1 Woe ⁵  to those who live in ease in Zion, ⁶ 

to those who feel secure on Mount Samaria.

They think of themselves as ⁷  the elite class of the best nation.

The family ⁸  of Israel looks to them for leadership. ⁹ 

Amos 9:15

9:15 I will plant them on their land

and they will never again be uprooted from the ¹⁰  land I have given them,”

says the Lord your God.

[6:5]  ¹ tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb פָּרַט (parat), which occurs only here in the OT, is unclear. Some translate “strum,” “pluck,” or “improvise.”

[6:5]  ² tn Heb “upon the mouth of,” that is, “according to.”

[6:5]  ³ sn The stringed instruments mentioned here are probably harps (cf. NIV, NRSV) or lutes (cf. NEB).

[6:5]  ⁴ tn The meaning of the Hebrew phrase חָשְׁבוּ לָהֶם (khoshvu lahem) is uncertain. Various options include: (1) “they think their musical instruments are like David’s”; (2) “they consider themselves musicians like David”; (3) “they esteem musical instruments highly like David”; (4) “they improvise [new songs] for themselves [on] instruments like David”; (5) “they invent musical instruments like David.” However, the most commonly accepted interpretation is that given in the translation (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 206-7).

[6:1]  ⁵ tn On the Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy; “ah, woe”) as a term of mourning, see the notes in 5:16, 18.

[6:1]  ⁶ sn Zion is a reference to Jerusalem.

[6:1]  ⁷ tn The words “They think of themselves as” are supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the term נְקֻבֵי (nÿquvey; “distinguished ones, elite”) is in apposition to the substantival participles in the first line.

[6:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “house.”

[6:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “comes to them.”

[9:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “their.” The pronoun was replaced by the English definite article in the translation for stylistic reasons.