INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 81 TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN UPON GITTITH, A [PSALM] OF ASAPH. Of "gittith", Psalms 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 i... [ Continue Reading ]
SING ALOUD UNTO GOD OUR STRENGTH,.... The strength of Israel, who, by strength of hand, and a mighty arm, brought Israel out of Egypt, protected and upheld them in the wilderness, and brought them to, and settled and established them in the land of Canaan; and who is the strength of every true Israe... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE A PSALM,.... Or "lift one up" y; hold up the book, and read and sing it; or rather, lift up the voice in singing a psalm: AND BRING HITHER THE TIMBREL; or "give one" z, put the hand to one: THE PLEASANT HARP WITH THE PSALTERY; make use of all these musical instruments in singing, and so make... [ Continue Reading ]
BLOW UP THE TRUMPET IN THE NEW MOON,.... Either in every new moon, or first day of the month, which was religiously observed by the Jews, 2 Kings 4:23 or rather the new moon, or first day of the seventh month, the month Tisri, which day was a memorial of blowing of trumpets, Leviticus 23:34, and so... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THIS WAS A STATUTE FOR ISRAEL,.... It was not a piece of will worship, or device of the children of Israel, but was of divine institution; that the passover should be kept at the time it was; and that the trumpets should be blown on the new moon, or first of Tisri; and that the feast of tabernac... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS HE ORDAINED IN JOSEPH FOR A TESTIMONY,.... That is, this law concerning the blowing of trumpets on the new moon, and the keeping the solemn feast at the full of the moon, was made to be observed by all Israel, who are meant by Joseph, for a testimony of God's good will to them, and of their dut... [ Continue Reading ]
I REMOVED HIS SHOULDER FROM THE BURDEN,.... These are the words of God, declaring how he had delivered the Israelites from the oppression and cruelty of the Egyptians; who made their lives bitter in hard bondage, and obliged them to carry heavy loads of bricks upon their shoulders: HIS HANDS WERE D... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU CALLEDST IN TROUBLE, AND I DELIVERED THEE,.... That is, when Israel were in trouble in Egypt, as the Targum adds, and they cried unto the Lord in their distress, he heard them, and answered them, and sent them a deliverer, and brought them out of all their troubles, Exodus 3:7. I ANSWERED THEE... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR, O MY PEOPLE, AND I WILL TESTIFY UNTO THEE,.... Of himself, his being, and perfections; what he was unto them, had done for them, and would do for them, as in the following verses: or "testify in thee" d, bear witness to their spirits, that they were his people, and he was their God; this is a... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE SHALL NO STRANGE GOD BE IN THEE,.... Or in the midst of thee, owned and worshipped as God; or in thine heart, for whatever engrosses the affection, or a man puts his trust and confidence in, that he makes his god, and is a strange one: thus, if any friend or relation, father or mother, wife or... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM THE LORD THY GOD,.... The true Jehovah, the Being of beings, in whom all live and move and have their beings, the covenant God of his people; and is a reason why they should hear him, and worship him, and no other: WHICH BROUGHT THEE OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; this, with what goes before, is th... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT MY PEOPLE WOULD NOT HEARKEN TO MY VOICE,.... Neither as exhorting them to the above duties, nor as promising the above favours; would neither hearken to the voice of the law, nor to the voice of the Gospel; but were like the deaf adder, which stops its ear to the voice of the charmer, charming n... [ Continue Reading ]
SO I GAVE THEM UP UNTO THEIR OWN HEARTS' LUST,.... Sometimes God gave them up, when they sinned, into the hands of the Moabites, or Ammonites, or Philistines, or other neighbouring nations, for their chastisement; but to be delivered up unto their own hearts' lust is worse than that; nay, than to be... [ Continue Reading ]
O THAT MY PEOPLE HAD HEARKENED UNTO ME,.... This might have been expected from them, as they were his professing people; and it would have been to their advantage if they had hearkened to him, as well as it would have been well pleasing to him; for that is what is designed by this wish, which does n... [ Continue Reading ]
I SHOULD SOON HAVE SUBDUED THEIR ENEMIES,.... The Canaanites, and others: this he would have done in a very little time, or at once, and that easily, and without any trouble; he would quickly have humbled them, and brought them on their knees, as the word g signifies, to terms of peace; for when a m... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HATERS OF THE LORD SHOULD HAVE SUBMITTED THEMSELVES UNTO HIM,.... Or, "lied unto him" h; feignedly submitted to him, flattered him, pretended friendship to him, and entered into a league with him; either Israel, mentioned Psalms 81:13, our God, whom and whose worship and people they hated; as ev... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHOULD HAVE FED THEM ALSO WITH THE FINEST OF THE WHEAT,.... Or the "fat of the wheat y"; see Deuteronomy 32:14, with the finest flour of it: the Targum is, "with the best bread of wheat;'' with the best of wheat, and the best bread that can be made of it: Aben Ezra interprets it of the manna, w... [ Continue Reading ]