Psalms 81:1-6

1 Sing aloud unto God our strength; make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

2 Take the song and play the timbrel, the harp of joy with the psaltery.

3 Blow the shofar in the new moon in the time appointed on our solemn feast day.

4 For this is a statute of Israel and an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt where I heard a language that I did not understand.

6 I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands were delivered from working with clay.

Psalms 81:1-6 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."