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.

81:5 Joseph - Among the people of Israel. Testimony - For a witness of that glorious deliverance. He - God. Went - As a captain at the head of his people. Egypt - To execute his judgments upon that land. I - My progenitors, for all the successive generations of Israel make one body, and are sometimes spoken of as one person. A language - The Egyptian language, which at first was unknown to the Israelites, Gen 42:13, and probably continued so for some considerable time, because they were much separated both in place and conversation from the Egyptians.

6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

81:6 Pots - This word denotes all those vessels wherein they carried water, straw, lime, or bricks.

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.

81:7 Calledst - At the Red Sea. Secret place - From the dark and cloudy pillar, whence I thundered against the Egyptians.

8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;

81:8 Testify - This God did presently after he brought them from Meribah, even at Sinai.

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.

81:10 Wide - Either to pray for mercies, or to receive the mercies which I am ready to give you.

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.

81:15 Him - Unto Israel. Their time - Their happy time.

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.

81:16 Honey - With all pleasant and precious fruits.