Psalms 81:1-11

1 To the overcomer, on the pressers, [the psalm] of Asaph. Make ye fully joy to God, our helper; sing ye heartily to God of Jacob. (To the overcomer, at the winepresses, the song of Asaph. Make ye full out joy to God, our helper; sing ye heartily to the God of Jacob.)

2 Take ye a psalm, and give ye a tympan; a merry psaltery with an harp. (Give ye a song, and take ye a drum, or a tambourine; and a merry lute, and a harp.)

3 Blow ye with a trump in the new moon; in the noble day of your solemnity. (Blow ye with a trumpet for the new moon; yea, on the noble day of our solemn feast.)

4 For why (this) commandment is in Israel; and doom is to God of Jacob. (For this is a law in Israel; and this ordinance is from the God of Jacob.)

5 He setted that witnessing in Joseph; when he went out of the land of Egypt, he heard a language, that he knew not. (He put that command on Joseph; when he went out of the land of Egypt. And I heard a language, that I knew not.)

6 He turned away his back from burdens; his hands served in a coffin. (And the Lord said, I took away the burdens from off his back; his hands were delivered from having to carry the baskets.)

7 In tribulation thou inwardly calledest me, and I delivered thee; I heard thee in the hid place of tempest, I proved thee at the water(s) of against-saying. (In trouble thou calledest to me, and I saved thee; I answered thee from my hidden place in the tempest, and I proved thee at the waters of Meribah.)

8 My people, hear thou me, and I shall be witness against thee; Israel, if thou hearest me, (My people, hear thou me, and I shall witness to thee; Israel, if thou wouldest but listen to me,)

9 a fresh God shall not be in thee; and thou shalt not worship an alien god. (there shall be no new god for thee; and thou shalt never worship any foreign, or strange, god.)

10 For I am thy Lord God, that led thee out of the land of Egypt; make large thy mouth, and I shall fill it. (For I am the Lord thy God, who led thee out of the land of Egypt; open thy mouth wide, and I shall fill it.)

11 And my people heard not my voice; and Israel gave not attention to me. (But my people would not listen to my voice; yea, Israel would not give their attention to me.)

Psalms 81:1-11 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."