Psalms 81:1

1 Sing joyfully to God, our strength. Shout happily to the God of Jacob.

Psalms 81:1 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 81:1

Sing aloud unto God our strength
The strength of Israel, who, by strength of hand, and a mighty arm, brought Israel out of Egypt, protected and upheld them in the wilderness, and brought them to, and settled and established them in the land of Canaan; and who is the strength of every true Israelite, from whom they have both their natural and spiritual strength; so that they can exercise grace, perform duty, bear afflictions, withstand temptations, fight with and conquer enemies, and hold on and out unto the end; and therefore have reason to sing the praises of God with great fervour, zeal, and affection:

make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob;
or Israel, being the God that had made a covenant with them, had chosen them for his peculiar people, and had redeemed them out of the house of bondage, and bestowed peculiar favours upon them; and therefore were under obligation to show forth his praise vocally and audibly, and with strong expressions of joy; and the spiritual Israel of God much more so, who have an interest in the covenant of grace, and share in electing, redeeming, and calling grace, by all which he appears to be their God and Father, in a special sense.

Psalms 81:1 In-Context

1 Sing joyfully to God, our strength. Shout happily to the God of Jacob.
2 Begin a psalm, and strike a tambourine. Play lyres and harps with their pleasant music.
3 Blow the ram's horn on the day of the new moon, on the day of the full moon, on our festival days.
4 This is a law for Israel, a legal decision from the God of Jacob.
5 These are the instructions God set in place for Joseph when Joseph rose to power over Egypt. I heard a message I did not understand:
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