They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse lists various instruments and wine, highlighting a culture focused on celebration and pleasure. What's easily missed is that these are not just any instruments; they are the very instruments once used to praise God, now perverted to fuel revelry and forgetfulness of Him.
They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Isaiah's prophecy begins by describing God's care for His people, likening them to a vineyard. He then lists specific woes against the people of Judah for their sins, including greed, drunkenness, and injustice. This verse highlights how their luxurious feasting and revelry have led them to completely disregard God's actions and involvement in their lives.
The sounds of celebration often mask a deeper spiritual disconnect. Why did Isaiah list these specific instruments and wine?
Isaiah 5:12 paints a vivid picture of a society lost in revelry. The mention of the harp, viol, tambourine, and pipe, alongside wine, isn't just about good times; it highlights a deliberate turning away from God.
When life is good, it's easy to miss the bigger picture. What does Isaiah mean by 'do not regard' and 'neither consider'?
The core of Isaiah's critique in verse 12 is a profound spiritual blindness. The people weren't necessarily denying God's existence, but they were actively ignoring His presence and actions.
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Understand the original words
pōʿal · Hebrew Noun
The totality of God’s redemptive and judicial acts in history. It refers to what God is actively doing in the world, which the wicked fail to perceive because of their spiritual blindness.
This verse paints a picture of Judah's spiritual decline, set against the backdrop of looming and past national catastrophes. The people's indulgence in music and wine, while not inherently sinful, becomes a damning indictment when it signifies a willful blindness to God's mighty acts and impending judgment.
Late 8th century BC
Northern Kingdom of Israel Conquered
The Assyrian Empire under Tiglath-Pileser III and then Shalmaneser V conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants. This event serves as a stark warning to the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
The Assyrian king Sennacherib invades Judah, capturing many cities and besieging Jerusalem. Though Jerusalem is spared, the threat highlights Judah's precarious position and reliance on God's intervention.
c. 700 BC— this verse
Isaiah's Prophetic Ministry
Isaiah delivers this prophecy, likely during a period of relative peace but amidst growing societal corruption and a dangerous spiritual complacency within Judah.
586 BC
Babylonian Conquest of Jerusalem
The Neo-Babylonian Empire, after earlier deportations, destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population. This ultimate judgment fulfills prophecies of divine wrath for Judah's persistent unfaithfulness.
This passage describes a similar scene of luxurious feasting with music, but without regard for the suffering of the people or God's judgment, highlighting the theme of spiritual blindness amidst material comfort.
Psalm 28:5This psalm expresses a lament that the people do not regard God's works or consider His actions, directly paralleling the sentiment in Isaiah and emphasizing the consequence of such disregard.
Hosea 7:11-12This passage also contrasts Israel's reliance on their wealth and celebrations with their turning away from God, showing a pattern of misplaced trust and a failure to seek divine guidance.
Matthew 11:16-17Jesus uses the imagery of music and feasting in his critique of the generation that rejected him, showing how the enjoyment of worldly pleasures can blind people to spiritual realities, similar to Isaiah's message.
barnesIsaiah 5:12: "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."
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 Amos 6:5-6 . Their feasts,…
gillIsaiah 5:12: "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."
And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe,.... Instruments of music; some struck with a bow or quill, or touched with the fingers; and others blown with the mouth: and wine are in their feasts; so that they lived jovially and merrily, like sons of Bacchus, more than like the people of God: but they regard no…
The verse lists various instruments and wine, highlighting a culture focused on celebration and pleasure. What's easily missed is that these are not just any instruments; they are the very instruments once used to praise God, now perverted to fuel revelry and forgetfulness of Him.
Isaiah's prophecy begins by describing God's care for His people, likening them to a vineyard. He then lists specific woes against the people of Judah for their sins, including greed, drunkenness, and injustice. This verse highlights how their luxurious feasting and revelry have led them to completely disregard God's actions and involvement in their lives.
Isaiah's prophecy begins by describing God's care for His people, likening them to a vineyard. He then lists specific woes against the people of Judah for their sins, including greed, drunkenness, and injustice. This verse highlights how their luxurious feasting and revelry have led them to completely disregard God's actions and involvement in their lives.
"They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands." — The verse lists various instruments and wine, highlighting a culture focused on celebration and pleasure. What's easily missed is that these are not just any instruments; they are the very instrument…
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Last reviewed October 2026