1 [[To the chief Musician H5329 upon Gittith, H1665 A Psalm of Asaph.]] H623 Sing aloud H7442 unto God H430 our strength: H5797 make a joyful noise H7321 unto the God H430 of Jacob. H3290
2 Take H5375 a psalm, H2172 and bring H5414 hither the timbrel, H8596 the pleasant H5273 harp H3658 with the psaltery. H5035
3 Blow up H8628 the trumpet H7782 in the new moon, H2320 in the time appointed, H3677 on our solemn feast H2282 day. H3117
4 For this was a statute H2706 for Israel, H3478 and a law H4941 of the God H430 of Jacob. H3290
5 This he ordained H7760 in Joseph H3084 for a testimony, H5715 when he went out H3318 through the land H776 of Egypt: H4714 where I heard H8085 a language H8193 that I understood H3045 not.
6 I removed H5493 his shoulder H7926 from the burden: H5447 his hands H3709 were delivered H5674 from the pots. H1731
7 Thou calledst H7121 in trouble, H6869 and I delivered H2502 thee; I answered H6030 thee in the secret place H5643 of thunder: H7482 I proved H974 thee at the waters H4325 of Meribah. H4809 Selah. H5542
8 Hear, H8085 O my people, H5971 and I will testify H5749 unto thee: O Israel, H3478 if thou wilt hearken H8085 unto me;
9 There shall no strange H2114 god H410 be in thee; neither shalt thou worship H7812 any strange H5236 god. H410
10 I am the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 which brought H5927 thee out of the land H776 of Egypt: H4714 open thy mouth H6310 wide, H7337 and I will fill H4390 it.
11 But my people H5971 would not hearken H8085 to my voice; H6963 and Israel H3478 would H14 none of me.
12 So I gave them up H7971 unto their own hearts' H3820 lust: H8307 and they walked H3212 in their own counsels. H4156
13 Oh H3863 that my people H5971 had hearkened H8085 unto me, and Israel H3478 had walked H1980 in my ways! H1870
14 I should soon H4592 have subdued H3665 their enemies, H341 and turned H7725 my hand H3027 against their adversaries. H6862
15 The haters H8130 of the LORD H3068 should have submitted H3584 themselves unto him: but their time H6256 should have endured for ever. H5769
16 He should have fed H398 them also with the finest H2459 of the wheat: H2406 and with honey H1706 out of the rock H6697 should I have satisfied H7646 thee.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 81
Commentary on Psalms 81 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 81
Ps 81:1-16. Gittith—(See on Ps 8:1, title). A festal Psalm, probably for the passover (compare Mt 26:30), in which, after an exhortation to praise God, He is introduced, reminding Israel of their obligations, chiding their neglect, and depicting the happy results of obedience.
1. our strength—(Ps 38:7).
2. unites the most joyful kinds of music, vocal and instrumental.
3. the new moon—or the month.
the time appointed—(Compare Pr 7:20).
5. a testimony—The feasts, especially the passover, attested God's relation to His people.
Joseph—for Israel (Ps 80:1).
went out through—or, "over," that is, Israel in the exodus.
I heard—change of person. The writer speaks for the nation.
language—literally, "lip" (Ps 14:1). An aggravation or element of their distress that their oppressors were foreigners (De 28:49).
6. God's language alludes to the burdensome slavery of the Israelites.
7. secret place—the cloud from which He troubled the Egyptians (Ex 14:24).
proved thee—(Ps 7:10; 17:3)—tested their faith by the miracle.
8. (Compare Ps 50:7). The reproof follows to Ps 81:12.
if thou wilt hearken—He then propounds the terms of His covenant: they should worship Him alone, who (Ps 81:10) had delivered them, and would still confer all needed blessings.
11, 12. They failed, and He gave them up to their own desires and hardness of heart (De 29:18; Pr 1:30; Ro 11:25).
13-16. Obedience would have secured all promised blessings and the subjection of foes. In this passage, "should have," "would have," &c., are better, "should" and "would" expressing God's intention at the time, that is, when they left Egypt.