Psalms 81:1-7

For the director of music. According to gittith. Of Asaph.

1 ^[a][b]Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!

2 Begin the music, strike the timbrel, play the melodious harp and lyre.

3 Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;

4 this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

5 When God went out against Egypt, he established it as a statute for Joseph. I heard an unknown voice say:

6 “I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket.

7 In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah.^[c]

Psalms 81:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A [Psalm] of Asaph. Of "gittith," See Gill on "Ps 8:1." The Targum renders it, "upon the harp which came from Gath;" and so Jarchi says it was a musical instrument that came from Gath. The Septuagint, and the versions which follow that, render it, "for the winepresses." This psalm, according to Kimchi, is said concerning the going out of the children of Israel from Egypt; and was composed in order to be sung at their new moons and solemn feasts, which were typical of Gospel things in Gospel times; see Colossians 2:16 and so the Syriac version, "a psalm of Asaph, when David by him prepared himself for the solemnities."

Cross References

• 1. S Psalms 66:1
• 2. S Exodus 15:20
• 3. Psalms 92:3
• 4. S Job 21:12
• 5. S Exodus 19:13
• 6. S Nehemiah 10:33
• 7. ver 1
• 8. S Exodus 11:4
• 9. Psalms 114:1
• 10. S Exodus 1:14
• 11. Isaiah 9:4; Isaiah 52:2
• 12. S Exodus 2:23; Psalms 50:15
• 13. Exodus 19:19
• 14. S Exodus 17:7; S Deuteronomy 33:8

Footnotes

• [a]. In Hebrew texts 81:1-16 is numbered 81:2-17.
• [b]. Title: Probably a musical term
• [c]. The Hebrew has "Selah" (a word of uncertain meaning) here.