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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Psalms 81:1-16

Psalm PSALM—NOTE ON Psalms 81:1. This psalm resembles the OT prophets’ oracles, so perhaps it is best to think of it as a prophetic hymn. The primary function of the OT prophets is to challenge God’s people to covenant faithfulness. They tell of covenant blessings or punishments that will come, depending on the people’s response. This psalm reviews the basic history of the covenant, charges Israel with unfaithfulness, and urges them to once again embrace the covenant. God would then subdue Israel’s enemies.

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See also Psalms 81:1-16 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    PSALM LXXXI _An exhortation to the people to praise God for his_ _benefits_, 1-7; _and to attend to what he had prescribed_, 8-10; _their disobedience lamented_, 11; the miseries brought on thems...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    SING ALOUD UNTO GOD OUR STRENGTH - The strength and support of the nation; he from whom the nation has derived all its power. The word rendered sing aloud means to rejoice; and then, to make or cause...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    Psalms 81 Hope Revived: His Gracious Return to Israel _ 1. The blowing of the trumpet (Psalms 81:1)_ 2. His loving call to His people (Psalms 81:6) 3. Gracious results promised ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    LXXXI. This Ps. is probably composite. A. PSALMS 81:1. A FESTAL HYMN, specially adapted for the old New Year's Day or Feast of Trumpets (p. 104), which was held on the new moon of Tishri, the seventh...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN. See App-64. UPON GITTITH. relating to the (Art.) wine-press, or the autumn Festival of Tabernacles; or to the vine and the vineyard, which are the subjects of the Psalm. See Ap...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _God our strength_ Cp. Exodus 15:2; Psalms 46:1....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    A call to the joyous celebration of the festival, addressed to the whole congregation (Psalms 81:1), to the Levites as the appointed leaders of the Temple music (Psalms 81:2), and to the Priests, whos...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    _An exhortation to a solemn praising of God. God challengeth that duty by reason of his benefits. God, exhorting to obedience, complaineth of their disobedience, which proverb their own hurt._ To the...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 81 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE A Mission-Song, to be Sung to the Northern Tribes. ANALYSIS Stanza I., Psalms 81:1-5, A Festive Celebration Invoked; in which People, Levites, and Priests can Recall the...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Psalms 81:1.-I. Invitation to keep joyfully the Passover feast (Psalms 81:1), for it is a testimony to the fact that God...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    81:1 Gittith. (k-7) See Psalms 8 ....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    After a summons to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Psalms 81:1) this Ps. recalls the meaning of Israel's national festivals as memorials of their deliverance from Egypt (Psalms 81:4). From Psalms...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Psalms 73:89 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ START THE MUSIC! PSALMS 81 Jesus said, "Can the bridegroom’s friends be sad when the bridegroom is with them?" (Matthew

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    לַ † מְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀ עַֽל ־הַ גִּתִּ֬ית לְ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 81:1 THE psalmist summons priests and people to a solemn festival, commemorative of Israel's deliverance from Egypt, and sets forth the lessons which that deliverance teaches, the learning of w...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    SING UNTO GOD, THE DELIVERER Psalms 81:1 It is supposed that this psalm was composed for use at the great Hebrew festivals and especially at the Passover, which is referred to in Psalms 81:5; Psalms...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    This is a psalm for the Feast of Trumpets. In the calendar of the Hebrews this feast prepared the way for the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. The first day of the seventh month was the...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    "To the chief Musician upon (a) Gittith, [A Psalm] of Asaph." Sing (b) aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. (a) An instrument of music brought from Geth. (b) It se...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Asaph. Josaphat gave the like instructions to his judges, 2 Paralipomenon xix. 6. (Kimchi) (Calmet) --- God rejected the Jews in the preceding psalm, and here the reason is assigned. (Theodoret) --- C...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    CONTENTS The Writer of this Psalm is calling upon Israel to bless the God of Israel: and he proposeth the subject and points to the cause. The Psalm concludes with lamenting the sad departures of Isr...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    It is very probable that this Psalm formed part of the religious worship in the temple on the feast days. We find several occasions of this sort: such as the feast of trumpets; Leviticus 23:24; Number...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    1_Sing joyfully to God our strength. _This psalm, it is probable, was appointed to be sung on the festival days on which the Jews kept their solemn assemblies. In the exordium, there is set forth the...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Psalms 81, while celebrating in figure the restoration of Israel, again returns to historical ground, specially introducing Joseph, who represents the ten tribes (see Ezekiel 37:16). Otherwise Judah,...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    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,...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Psalms 81:1 «To the chief Musician upon Gittith, [A Psalm] of Asaph. » Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. _Upon Gittith_] An instrument brought from Gath, or...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Sing aloud unto God our strength_ Our refuge and defence against all our enemies. _Bring hither the timbrel_, &c. All which instruments were then prescribed and used in their solemn meetings. _Blow u...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Sing aloud unto God, our Strength, letting exultation sound forth in His honor, to praise Him for His almighty protection; MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE UNTO THE GOD OF JACOB, the only true God, Jacob represent...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    A JOYFUL SALUTATION AND GOD'S RESPONSE. To the chief musician upon Gittith, to be sung to the accompaniment of the zitherlike instrument which David brought along from the Philistine city of Gath, a...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-7 All the worship we can render to the Lord is beneath his excellences, and our obligations to him, especially in our redemption from sin and wrath. What God had done on Israel's behalf, was kept i...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    PSALM 81 THE ARGUMENT This Psalm seems to have been made for the use of the church in solemn feasts; particularly either upon every first day of the month, or upon the first day of the seventh mouth,...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 81:1 Musician H5329 (H8764) Gath H1665 Asaph H623 aloud H7442 (H8685) God H430 strength H5797 shout...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    GITTITH See title note; (_ See Scofield) - (Psalms 8:1). _...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 81:1. _Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob._ In these days, the Psalm would have to be altered if they are to suit the dogmas of modern thought, for «th...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    We have here an exhortation to praise God; and this is always in season. Perhaps we need more stirring up to praise than to prayer, yet it ought to be as natural for us to praise God as it is for the...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: God chides His people for their ingratitude and pictures their happy state had they but obeyed Him. CHARACTERS: God, Asaph, Joseph, Jacob. CONCLUSION: God gives those up to their own heart...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    This psalm was composed for the festival of tabernacles, when the people celebrated the deliverance from Egypt. It was a statute in Israel on the first day of the Hebrew month of _Tisri,_ or the new m...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob._ A REVELATION OF THREE GREAT SUBJECTS I. True worship (verses1-5) 1. True worship is the highest happiness, which consi...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION _Superscription_.—“_To the chief Musician upon Gittith_.” Gittith is explained in several ways. One interpretation is that it was a musical instrument invented in Gath, or common among th...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION PROFESSOR CHEYNE regards this psalm as composed of "two distinct lyrical passages," accidentally thrown together (compare his theory of Psalms 19:1, Psalms 24:1, Psalms 36:1

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Let's turn to Psalms 81:1-16. On the first day of the seventh month in the Jewish calendar, which, because their calendar begins, the religious calendar begins the first of April, it usually coincides...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Genesis 50:17; Jeremiah 31:7; Matthew 22:32; Philippians 4:13;...

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