John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. That chant to the sound of the viol , etc.] Or psaltery; an instrument of twelve cords, and that gave twelve sounds, as Josephus says, being stricken with the fingers; and to these sounds thesemen 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 f167 ; 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.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - Those are looked upon as doing well for themselves, who do well for their bodies; but we are here told what their ease is, and what their woe is. Here is a description of the pride, security, and sensuality for which God would reckon. Careless sinners are every where in danger but those at ease in Zion, who are stupid, vainly confident, an abusing their privileges, are in the greatest danger. Yet many fanc themselves the people of God, who are living in sin, and in conformit to the world. But the examples of others' ruin forbid us to be secure Those who are set upon their pleasures are commonly careless of the troubles of others, but this is great offence to God. Those who place their happiness in the pleasures of sense, and set their hearts upo them, shall be deprived of those pleasures. Those who try to put the evil day far from them, find it nearest to them.
Original Hebrew הפרטים6527 על5921 פי6310 הנבל5035 כדויד1732 חשׁבו2803 להם1992 כלי3627 שׁיר׃7892
