Psalm 81:8-16

8 "Listen, dear ones - get this straight; O Israel, don't take this lightly.

9 Don't take up with strange gods, don't worship the latest in gods.

10 I'm God, your God, the very God who rescued you from doom in Egypt, Then fed you all you could eat, filled your hungry stomachs.

11 "But my people didn't listen, Israel paid no attention;

12 So I let go of the reins and told them, 'Run! Do it your own way!'

13 "Oh, dear people, will you listen to me now? Israel, will you follow my map?

14 I'll make short work of your enemies, give your foes the back of my hand.

15 I'll send the God-haters cringing like dogs, never to be heard from again.

16 You'll feast on my fresh-baked bread spread with butter and rock-pure honey."

Psalm 81:8-16 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."