Isaiah 5:12
in Isaiah 5At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the harp and the lute, the tabret and the pipe, and wine, are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of Jehovah, neither have they considered the operation of his hands.
KJV
And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.
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This verse in Isaiah 5
Commentary
9 notes on this verse(Verse 11, 12.) Woe to those who rise early in the morning to pursue drunkenness, and continue drinking until evening, so that they are inflamed with wine. They have the lyre, the harp, the tambourine, and the flute at their feasts, but they do not regard the work of the Lord or consider the operation of His hands. Regarding drunkenness, which Aquila and Symmachus have interpreted as the Hebrew word Siceram, the LXX have rendered it as any drink that can intoxicate and overthrow one's mental state.
This site's exposition
Woe to those who rise early
on Isaiah 5:11-14
The second woe turns to drinking, men who rise early for strong drink and linger until wine inflames them. The charge falls on the blindness drink produces, a people entertained past noticing their own coming exile. Sheol "opens wide its enormous jaws," and down go the nobles and revelers.
This site's exposition
They disregard the actions of the LORD
The feast has music for every hour and no thought for what God is doing. Wesley reads the work of His hands as the judgments already falling on Judah and those still threatened. Verse 13 names the result as exile for lack of understanding.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
177. As to "daintily," he says, the harp and wine, sought out daintily, with great eagerness because they prepare for themselves pleasure in food. As to "sumptuously," he says, in your feasts, in which there were great pomps and choice foods: you that eat the …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The harp - They give up themselves wholly to luxury. The work - What God hath lately done, and is yet doing, and about to do among them; his grievous judgments, partly inflicted, and partly threatened, which required another course of life.
As Christ pronounces a woe against those that are rich, so also against those that laugh now and are full ( Luke vi. 24, 25 ), and fare sumptuously, Luke xvi. Who the sinners are against whom this woe is denounced.
And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The prophet proceeds to state still further the extent of their crimes. This verse contains an account of their dissipated habits, and their consequent forgetfulness of God. That they commonly had musical instruments in their feasts, is evident from many passages of the Old Testament; see Amo 6:5-6. Their feasts, also, were attended with songs; Isa 24:8-9. The harp - - כנור kinnôr. This is a well-known stringed instrument, employed commonly in sacred music. It is often mentioned as having been used to express the pious feelings of David; Psa 32:2; Psa 43:4; Psa 49:
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Am 6:5, 6). viol--an instrument with twelve strings [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 8.10]. tabret--Hebrew, toph, from the use of which in drowning the cries of children sacrificed to Moloch, Tophet received its name. A kettle drum, or tambourine. pipe--flute or flageolet: from a Hebrew root "to bore through"; or else, "to dance" (compare Job 21:11-15). regard not . . .
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
because of lack of knowledge because their heart was without knowledge.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָ֨ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כִנּ֜וֹר | khinor | harp | H3658 → | 42 times |
| וָנֶ֗בֶל | vanevel | and lyre | H5035 → | 38 times |
| תֹּ֧ף | tof | tambourine | H8596 → | 17 times |
| וְחָלִ֛יל | vechalil | and flute | H2485 → | |
| וָיַ֖יִן | vayayin | and wine | H3196 → | 141 times |
| מִשְׁתֵּיהֶ֑ם | mishteihem | feast their | H4960 → | 46 times |
| וְאֵ֨ת | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פֹּ֤עַל | poal | [the] deed[s] of | H6467 → | 37 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַבִּ֔יטוּ | yabitu | they pay attention to | H5027 → | 69 times |
| וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה | umaaseh | and [the] work of | H4639 → | 236 times |
| יָדָ֖יו | yadav | hands his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| רָאֽוּ׃ | rau | they see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
וְהָיָ֨הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
כִנּ֜וֹרharp
khinorH3658 →42 times
וָנֶ֗בֶלand lyre
vanevelH5035 →38 times
תֹּ֧ףtambourine
tofH8596 →17 times
וְחָלִ֛ילand flute
vechalilH2485 →
וָיַ֖יִןand wine
vayayinH3196 →141 times
מִשְׁתֵּיהֶ֑םfeast their
mishteihemH4960 →46 times
וְאֵ֨תand <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
פֹּ֤עַל[the] deed[s] of
poalH6467 →37 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יַבִּ֔יטוּthey pay attention to
yabituH5027 →69 times
וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥הand [the] work of
umaasehH4639 →236 times
יָדָ֖יוhands his
yadavH3027 →1618 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
רָאֽוּ׃they see
rauH7200 →1300 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Daniel 5:23Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised…
it leads to
- Job 12:10
The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.
- Daniel 4:37
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in…
- Job 12:10
Through
Job 34:27because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for any of His ways.
it leads to
- Psalms 28:5
Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD or what His hands have done, He will tear them down and never rebuild them.
- 1 Samuel 15:11
“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all…
- Psalms 28:5
Through
Psalms 28:5Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD or what His hands have done, He will tear them down and never rebuild them.
it leads to
- Romans 1:28
Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
- Job 34:26–27
He strikes them for their wickedness in full view,
- John 12:37
Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him.
- Psalms 92:4–6
For You, O LORD, have made me glad by Your deeds; I sing for joy at the works of Your hands.
- Romans 1:28
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.