Psalm 81

Psalm 81 is the 81st psalm in the biblical Book of Psalms. Its themes relate to celebration and repentance. In the New King James Version its sub-title is "An Appeal for Israel's Repentance".[1] In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and in its Latin translation, the Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 80.

This article uses Hebrew (Masoretic) psalm numbering. Psalm 81 in Greek (Septuagint or Vulgate) numbering corresponds to Psalm 82 in Hebrew numbering.
Psalm 81
"Sing Aloud to God, Our Strength!"
Psalm 81 (Psalm 80 in Vulgate) from Psalter of Eleanor of Aquitaine (ca. 1185) - KB 76 F 13, folium 103v
Other name
Exultate deo adiutori nostro, iubilate deo Jacob
TextA Psalm of Asaph
LanguageHebrew (original)

Text

Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 81:[2]

Verse Hebrew
1 לַֽמְנַצֵּ֬חַ | עַל־הַגִּתִּ֬ית לְאָסָֽף
2 הַרְנִינוּ לֵֽאלֹהִ֣ים עוּזֵּ֑נוּ הָ֜רִ֗יעוּ לֵֽאלֹהֵ֥י יַֽעֲקֹֽב
3 שְֽׂאוּ־זִ֖מְרָה וּתְנוּ־תֹ֑ף כִּנּ֖וֹר נָעִ֣ים עִם־נָֽבֶל
4 תִּקְע֣וּ בַחֹ֣דֶשׁ שׁוֹפָ֑ר בַּ֜כֶּ֗סֶה לְי֣וֹם חַגֵּֽנוּ
5 כִּ֚י חֹ֣ק לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל ה֑וּא מִ֜שְׁפָּ֗ט לֵֽאלֹהֵ֥י יַֽעֲקֹֽב
6 עֵ֚דוּת | בִּֽיה֘וֹסֵ֚ף שָׂמ֗וֹ בְּ֖צֵאתוֹ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם שְׂפַ֖ת לֹֽא־יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֶשְׁמָֽע
7 הֲסִיר֣וֹתִי מִסֵּ֣בֶל שִׁכְמ֑וֹ כַּ֜פָּ֗יו מִדּ֥וּד תַּֽעֲבֹֽרְנָה
8 בַּצָּרָ֥ה קָרָ֗אתָ וָֽאֲחַ֫לְּצֶ֥ךָּ אֶֽ֖עֶנְךָ בְּסֵ֣תֶר רַ֑עַם אֶבְחָֽנְךָ֨ עַל־מֵ֖י מְרִיבָ֣ה סֶֽלָה
9 שְׁמַ֣ע עַ֖מִּי וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֑ךְ יִ֜שְׂרָאֵ֗ל אִם־תִּשְׁמַע־לִֽי
10 לֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֣ה בְ֖ךָ אֵ֣ל זָ֑ר וְלֹ֥א תִֽ֜שְׁתַּֽחֲוֶ֗ה לְאֵ֣ל נֵכָֽר
11 אָֽנֹכִ֨י | יְהֹ֘וָ֚ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ הַ֖מַּֽעַלְךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הַרְחֶב־פִּ֜֗יךָ וַֽאֲמַלְאֵֽהוּ
12 וְלֹֽא־שָׁמַ֣ע עַמִּ֣י לְקוֹלִ֑י וְ֜יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹא־אָ֥בָה לִֽי
13 וָֽאֲשַׁלְּחֵהוּ בִּשְׁרִיר֣וּת לִבָּ֑ם יֵֽ֜לְכ֗וּ בְּֽמֽוֹעֲצֽוֹתֵיהֶֽם
14 ל֣וּ עַ֖מִּי שֹׁמֵ֣עַ לִ֑י יִ֜שְׂרָאֵ֗ל בִּדְרָכַ֥י יְהַלֵּֽכוּ
15 כִּמְעַט אֽוֹיְבֵיהֶ֣ם אַכְנִ֑יעַ וְעַל־צָֽ֜רֵיהֶ֗ם אָשִׁ֥יב יָדִֽי
16 מְשַׂנְאֵ֣י יְ֖הֹוָה יְכַֽחֲשׁוּ־ל֑וֹ וִיהִ֖י עִתָּ֣ם לְעוֹלָֽם
17 וַיַּֽאֲכִילֵהוּ מֵחֵ֣לֶב חִטָּ֑ה וּ֜מִצּ֗וּר דְּבַ֣שׁ אַשְׂבִּיעֶֽךָּ

King James Version

The following is the full English text of the Psalm from the King James Bible.

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of Asaph.
  1. Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
  2. Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
  3. Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
  4. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law 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 understood not.
  6. I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.
  7. Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.
  8. Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
  9. There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
  10. I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
  11. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
  12. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
  13. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
  14. I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
  15. The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.
  16. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

Verse numbering

In the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 81:1 comprises the designation

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of Asaph. (KJV)

From then on Psalm 81:1–16 in English versions correspond to verses 2–17 in the Hebrew text.

Commentary

The reference to the new moon and full moon as well as the blowing of the trumpet in verse 3 may reflect the celebration of New Year and Tabernacles.[3] The teaching of verses 9 and 10 is similar to the beginning of the Decalogue, although 'the words for "strange" god and "foreign" god are different from the "other gods" in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, with the verb "brought [you] up" and the order of the phrases reversed.[3]

The beginning of the psalm is like a hymn (verses 1–5b), which is followed by an oracle (verses 5c–16). In particular, verses 6-10 describe 'God's deliverance of his people from Egypt', whereas verses 11-16 recall the past disobedience of the people and promise to give victory over their enemies if they obey God.[3]

Joyous Festivals 5716 stamp - 60 mil - Ram's horn with the inscription on tab: "Blow the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day" Psalm 81:4.

Robert Godfrey, Sinclair Ferguson and some others make this the poetic center of the Psalter being the middle book (book 3 of 5), middle Psalm (8 of 17) and even point to the middle verses of this Psalm (Psalm 81:8,9 with "if only my people would listen").[4]

Uses

Judaism

Musical Settings

Verses 1-4 were set by Adrian Batten in a sacred anthem entitled "O sing joyfully".[13]

References
  1. New King James Version
  2. "Tehillim - Psalms - Chapter 81". Chabad.org. 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  3. Rodd, C. S. (2007). "18. Psalms". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 389. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  4. https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/learning-love-psalms/psalm-81-word-center/
  5. The Complete Artscroll Siddur page 166
  6. The Artscroll Tehillim page 329
  7. The Artscroll Tehillim page 329
  8. The Complete Artscroll Siddur page 479
  9. The Complete Artscroll Machzor for Rosh Hashanah page 273
  10. The Complete Artscroll Siddur page 493
  11. The Complete Artscroll Machzor for Rosh Hashanah page 458
  12. The Complete Artscroll Siddur page 64
  13. "O sing joyfully (Adrian Batten)". CPDL. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  • Psalm 81 in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre
  • Psalm 81 King James Bible - Wikisource
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