Psalms 81

Psalms 81:1-16 . for the passover (compare Matthew 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--( Psalms 38:7 ).

2. unites the most joyful kinds of music, vocal and instrumental.

3. the new moon--or the month.
the time appointed--(Compare Proverbs 7:20 ).

5. a testimony--The feasts, especially the passover, attested God's relation to His people.
Joseph--for Israel ( Psalms 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" ( Psalms 14:1 ). An aggravation or element of their distress that their oppressors were foreigners ( Deuteronomy 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 ( Exodus 14:24 ).
proved thee--( Psalms 7:10 , 17:3 )--tested their faith by the miracle.

8. (Compare Psalms 50:7 ). The reproof follows to Psalms 81:12 .
if thou wilt hearken--He then propounds the terms of His covenant: they should worship Him alone, who ( Psalms 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 ( Deuteronomy 29:18 , Proverbs 1:30 , Romans 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.