Psalms 81
Old Testament · King James Version
Psalm 81 begins with exuberant festival worship, then turns to God’s speech: he remembers freeing Israel from slavery, calls for exclusive loyalty and attentive obedience, grieves the people’s refusal to listen, and ends by describing the abundance he desired to give them.
Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
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.
I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.
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.
Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.
He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.
Context
A psalm of Asaph that combines liturgical celebration with covenant exhortation. Its references to Egypt, Meribah, foreign gods, enemies, wheat, and honey belong to Israel’s scriptural story and must not be used to justify antisemitism, coercion, ethnic contempt, violence, or prosperity guarantees.
Themes & application
- Festival worship
- Deliverance
- Listening
- Covenant loyalty
- Idolatry
- Human stubbornness
- Divine desire
- Abundance
Celebrate God’s gifts, remember past deliverance, examine competing loyalties, listen before acting, and treat abundance as grace rather than entitlement.
Key verses
Sing aloud to God our strength.
Application: Celebrate God’s gifts, remember past deliverance, examine competing loyalties, listen before acting, and treat abundance as grace rather than entitlement.
Commonly misread: Do not use the psalm to authorize coercion, antisemitism, contempt for other peoples, violence, or a guarantee of wealth or immediate victory.
I am the Lord who brought you from Egypt; open wide your mouth.
Application: Celebrate God’s gifts, remember past deliverance, examine competing loyalties, listen before acting, and treat abundance as grace rather than entitlement.
Commonly misread: Do not use the psalm to authorize coercion, antisemitism, contempt for other peoples, violence, or a guarantee of wealth or immediate victory.
If only my people would listen to me.
Application: Celebrate God’s gifts, remember past deliverance, examine competing loyalties, listen before acting, and treat abundance as grace rather than entitlement.
Commonly misread: Do not use the psalm to authorize coercion, antisemitism, contempt for other peoples, violence, or a guarantee of wealth or immediate victory.
I would feed my people with finest wheat and honey from the rock.
Application: Celebrate God’s gifts, remember past deliverance, examine competing loyalties, listen before acting, and treat abundance as grace rather than entitlement.
Commonly misread: Do not use the psalm to authorize coercion, antisemitism, contempt for other peoples, violence, or a guarantee of wealth or immediate victory.
Common misreadings of Psalms 81
Misreading: This psalm guarantees prosperity or authorizes hostility toward religious or political opponents.
In context: The psalm addresses Israel’s covenant faithfulness in its own scriptural setting. Its promises and enemy language do not license coercion, violence, collective blame, or a mechanical prosperity formula.
Cross-references
- Exodus 20:2–3 — Read in context.
Frequently asked questions about Psalms 81
What is Psalm 81 about?
Sources & editorial notes
- Translation
- Commentary anchored in the public-domain Psalm 81 text used by the site (en).
- Authorship
- The heading identifies a psalm of Asaph.
- Editorial process
- Synthesis checked against four literary movements.
References
- Psalm 81 — Primary text and structure.
Author: The Lord Will Editorial Team · Reviewed by: Ugo Candido · Updated: 2026-08-19