עמוס, פרק ה׳, פסוק כ״ג

Religious rituals hold no value when paired with moral decay. God firmly rejects worship that masks corruption, showing a complete disgust for holy music played in the Temple while justice is twisted outside its walls. The primary approach among commentators points directly to the Levites, who stood on the Temple platform to sing during sacrifices and festivals. God demands that these songs be taken away. He has no desire for this music because the people are busy robbing others and destroying justice. Attempting to serve God while simultaneously rebelling against Him through cruelty renders the worship entirely useless [רש״י, רד״ק].

The sheer volume of this worship is understood in two complementary ways. On one hand, it refers to the massive gathering of Levites and the vast number of songs they perform [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. On the other hand, it represents a loud, roaring commotion, much like the crashing waves of the sea [אבן עזרא, מצודות]. Because of the people's actions, this massive sound becomes a mark of disgrace. The music is stripped of its holiness. Rather than being recognized as sacred songs directed to God, they devolve into nothing more than a loud, meaningless noise in His ears [מלבי״ם].

The music itself is divided into two distinct forms: the vocal singing of the choir and the instrumental playing of harps, which were designed to accompany and elevate the voices [מלבי״ם, רד״ק]. Yet, God declares He will not listen to either form. No matter how beautiful the melodies might be, the music is neither pleasant nor acceptable to Him as long as the people's daily actions remain corrupt [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].