Psalm 81

1Sing aloud to God, our strength! Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob! 2Raise a song, and bring here the tambourine, the pleasant lyre with the harp. 3Blow the trumpet at the New Moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. 4For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. 5He appointed it in Joseph for a covenant, when he went out over the land of Egypt, I heard a language that I didn’t know. 6“I removed his shoulder from the burden. His hands were freed from the basket. 7You called in trouble, and I delivered you. I answered you in the secret place of thunder. I tested you at the waters of Meribah.” Selah. 8“Hear, my people, and I will testify to you, Israel, if you would listen to me! 9There shall be no strange god in you, neither shall you worship any foreign god. 10I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11But my people didn’t listen to my voice. Israel desired none of me. 12So I let them go after the stubbornness of their hearts, that they might walk in their own counsels. 13Oh that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! 14I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their adversaries. 15The haters of Yahweh would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. 16But he would have also fed them with the finest of the wheat. I will satisfy you with honey out of the rock.”

This psalm was penned, as is supposed, not upon occasion of any particular providence, but for the solemnity of a particular ordinance, either that of the new-moon in general or that of the feast of trumpets on the new moon of the seventh month, Lev 23:24; Num 29:1. When David, by the Spirit, introduced the singing of psalms into the temple-service this psalm was intended for that day, to excite and assist the proper devotions of it. All the psalms are profitable; but, if one psalm be more suitable than another to the day and observances of it, we should choose that. The two great intentions of our religious assemblies, and which we ought to have in our eye in our attendance on them, are answered in this psalm, which are, to give glory to God and to receive instruction from God, to "behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his temple;" accordingly by this psalm we are assisted on our solemn feast days, I. In praising God for what he is to his people (Psa 81:1-3), and has done for them (Psa 81:4-7). II. In teaching and admonishing one another concerning the obligations we lie under to God (Psa 81:8-10), the danger of revolting from him (Psa 81:11, Psa 81:12), and the happiness we should have if we would but keep close to him (Psa 81:13-16). This, though spoken primarily of Israel of old, is written for our learning, and is therefore to be sung with application.

To the chief musician upon Gittith. A psalm of Asaph.

Cross-references: Lev 23:24 · Num 29:1 · Ps 81:1 · Ps 81:4 · Ps 81:8 · Ps 81:11 · Ps 81:12 · Ps 81:13

Introduction