Psalms 81 (GNV)

Chapter Text

81:1 To him that excelleth upon Gittith. A Psalme committed to Asaph. Sing ioyfully vnto God our strength: sing loude vnto the God of Iaakob.

81:2 Take the song and bring forth the timbrel, the pleasant harpe with the viole.

81:3 Blowe the trumpet in the newe moone, euen in the time appointed, at our feast day.

81:4 For this is a statute for Israel, and a Law of the God of Iaakob.

81:5 Hee set this in Ioseph for a testimonie, when hee came out of the land of Egypt, where I heard a language, that I vnderstoode not.

81:6 I haue withdrawen his shoulder from the burden, and his handes haue left the pots.

81:7 Thou calledst in affliction and I deliuered thee, and answered thee in the secret of the thunder: I prooued thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.

81:8 Heare, O my people, and I wil protest vnto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken vnto me,

81:9 Let there bee no strange god in thee, neither worship thou any strange god.

81:10 For I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.

81:11 But my people would not heare my voyce, and Israel would none of me.

81:12 So I gaue them vp vnto the hardnesse of their heart, and they haue walked in their owne cousels.

81:13 Oh that my people had hearkened vnto me, and Israel had walked in my wayes.

81:14 I would soone haue humbled their enemies, and turned mine hand against their aduersaries.

81:15 The haters of the Lord should haue bene subiect vnto him, and their time should haue endured for euer.

81:16 And God would haue fedde them with the fatte of wheat, and with honie out of the rocke would I haue sufficed thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "excelleth", "upon", "gittith", "psalme", "committed", "asaph", and "sing". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "excelleth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local GNV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "called" and "excelleth" carries the first interpretive weight. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "called" and "excelleth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.