Psalm 81

This article is about Psalm 81 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 81 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 82.

Psalm 81

"Sing aloud unto God our strength"

Psalm 81 (Psalm 80 in Vulgate) from Psalter of Eleanor of Aquitaine (ca. 1185) - KB 76 F 13, folium 103v

Other name|

* Psalm 80
* "Exultate deo adiutori nostro"

Text| A Psalm of Asaph
Language| Hebrew (original)
Psalm 81

← Psalm 80

Psalm 82 →

Book| Book of Psalms
Hebrew Bible part| Ketuvim
Order in the Hebrew part| 1
Category| Sifrei Emet
Christian Bible part| Old Testament
Order in the Christian part| 19

Psalm 81 is the 81st psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Sing aloud unto God our strength". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 80. In Latin, it is known as "Exultate deo adiutori nostro".[1] It is one of the 12 Psalms of Asaph.[2] Its themes relate to celebration and repentance. In the New King James Version its sub-title is "An Appeal for Israel's Repentance".[3]

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music.

## Text[edit]

### Hebrew Bible version[edit]

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 81:[4]

Verse  | Hebrew

|

1  | לַֽמְנַצֵּ֬חַ | עַל־הַגִּתִּ֬ית לְאָסָֽף
2  | הַרְנִינוּ לֵֽאלֹהִ֣ים עוּזֵּ֑נוּ הָ֜רִ֗יעוּ לֵֽאלֹהֵ֥י יַֽעֲקֹֽב
3  | שְֽׂאוּ־זִ֖מְרָה וּתְנוּ־תֹ֑ף כִּנּ֖וֹר נָעִ֣ים עִם־נָֽבֶל
4  | תִּקְע֣וּ בַחֹ֣דֶשׁ שׁוֹפָ֑ר בַּ֜כֶּ֗סֶה לְי֣וֹם חַגֵּֽנוּ
5  | כִּ֚י חֹ֣ק לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל ה֑וּא מִ֜שְׁפָּ֗ט לֵֽאלֹהֵ֥י יַֽעֲקֹֽב
6  | עֵ֚דוּת | בִּֽיה֘וֹסֵ֚ף שָׂמ֗וֹ בְּ֖צֵאתוֹ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם שְׂפַ֖ת לֹֽא־יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֶשְׁמָֽע
7  | הֲסִיר֣וֹתִי מִסֵּ֣בֶל שִׁכְמ֑וֹ כַּ֜פָּ֗יו מִדּ֥וּד תַּֽעֲבֹֽרְנָה
8  | בַּצָּרָ֥ה קָרָ֗אתָ וָֽאֲחַ֫לְּצֶ֥ךָּ אֶֽ֖עֶנְךָ בְּסֵ֣תֶר רַ֑עַם אֶבְחָֽנְךָ֨ עַל־מֵ֖י מְרִיבָ֣ה סֶֽלָה
9  | שְׁמַ֣ע עַ֖מִּי וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֑ךְ יִ֜שְׂרָאֵ֗ל אִם־תִּשְׁמַע־לִֽי
10  | לֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֣ה בְ֖ךָ אֵ֣ל זָ֑ר וְלֹ֥א תִֽ֜שְׁתַּֽחֲוֶ֗ה לְאֵ֣ל נֵכָֽר
11  | אָֽנֹכִ֨י | יְהֹ֘וָ֚ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ הַ֖מַּֽעַלְךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הַרְחֶב־פִּ֜֗יךָ וַֽאֲמַלְאֵֽהוּ
12  | וְלֹֽא־שָׁמַ֣ע עַמִּ֣י לְקוֹלִ֑י וְ֜יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹא־אָ֥בָה לִֽי
13  | וָֽאֲשַׁלְּחֵהוּ בִּשְׁרִיר֣וּת לִבָּ֑ם יֵֽ֜לְכ֗וּ בְּֽמֽוֹעֲצֽוֹתֵיהֶֽם
14  | ל֣וּ עַ֖מִּי שֹׁמֵ֣עַ לִ֑י יִ֜שְׂרָאֵ֗ל בִּדְרָכַ֥י יְהַלֵּֽכוּ
15  | כִּמְעַט אֽוֹיְבֵיהֶ֣ם אַכְנִ֑יעַ וְעַל־צָֽ֜רֵיהֶ֗ם אָשִׁ֥יב יָדִֽי
16  | מְשַׂנְאֵ֣י יְ֖הֹוָה יְכַֽחֲשׁוּ־ל֑וֹ וִיהִ֖י עִתָּ֣ם לְעוֹלָֽם
17  | וַיַּֽאֲכִילֵהוּ מֵחֵ֣לֶב חִטָּ֑ה וּ֜מִצּ֗וּר דְּבַ֣שׁ אַשְׂבִּיעֶֽךָּ

### King James Version[edit]

The following is the full English text of the Psalm from the King James Bible.

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of Asaph.

1. Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
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.
6. I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.
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.
8. Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
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.
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.
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.

### Verse numbering[edit]

In the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 81:1 comprises the designation

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of Asaph. (KJV)

From then on Psalm 81:1–16 in English versions correspond to verses 2–17 in the Hebrew text.

## Commentary[edit]

Start of Psalm 81, from the Utrecht Psalter, c. 800, Utrecht University Library

The reference to the new moon and full moon as well as the blowing of the trumpet in verse 3 may reflect the celebration of New Year and Tabernacles.[5] The teaching of verses 9 and 10 is similar to the beginning of the Decalogue, although 'the words for "strange" god and "foreign" god are different from the "other gods" in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, with the verb "brought [you] up" and the order of the phrases reversed.[5]

The beginning of the psalm is like a hymn (verses 1–5b), which is followed by an oracle (verses 5c–16). In particular, verses 6-10 describe 'God's deliverance of his people from Egypt', whereas verses 11-16 recall the past disobedience of the people and promise to give victory over their enemies if they obey God.[5]

Joyous Festivals 5716 stamp - 60 mil - Ram's horn with the inscription on tab of verse 81:4 (in Hebrew).

## Significance[edit]

Robert Godfrey, Sinclair Ferguson and some others make this the poetic center of the Psalter being the middle book (book 3 of 5), middle Psalm (8 of 17) and even point to the middle verses of this Psalm (Psalm 81:8,9 with "if only my people would listen").[6]

## Uses[edit]

### Judaism[edit]

* The psalm is recited in its entirety in the Shir Shel Yom of Thursday.[7]
* It is recited on Rosh Hashanah in some traditions.[8]
* It is recited on the sixth day of Sukkot in some traditions.[9]
* Verse 2 is part of Mishnah Tamid 7:4.[10]
* Verse 3 is part of the blessings before the Shema on the second day of Rosh Hashanah.[11]
* Verses 4-5 are part of the daytime Kiddush on Rosh Hashanah.[12]
* Verse 5 is found in the Mussaf Amidah on Rosh Hashanah.[13]
* Verse 11 is the seventh verse of Hoshia Et Amecha in Pesukei Dezimra.[14]

### Book of Common Prayer[edit]

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the sixteenth day of the month.[15]

### Musical settings[edit]

Heinrich Schütz set Psalm 81 in a metred version in German, "Singet mit Freuden unserm Gott", SWV 178, as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628. George Frideric Handel composed a movement of his Occasional Oratorio, HWV 62, setting verses 1 and 2 c. 1745.

William Walton's 1931 cantata Belshazzar's Feast takes text from the psalm. In 1964, Herman Berlinski used the psalm in English, Sing joyfully, for four-part choir, organ and obbligato trumpet, combining it with texts from the High Holiday Prayerbook). Verses 1-4 were set by Adrian Batten in a sacred anthem entitled "O sing joyfully".[16] Verse 1 was set by Alan Hovhaness for his motet Opus 68 Sing Aloud.[17]

Ofer Ben-Amots set the psalm in Hebrew for mixed choir and metal percussion in 1989. A 2022 song by New Zealand singer Brooke Ligertwood, "Honey in the Rock", is based on verse 16. An al-female a cappella group, Sweet Honey in the Rock, founded in 1973, takes its name from the same verse.

## References[edit]

1. ^ Parallel Latin/English Psalter, Psalmus 80 (81). Archived 2017-05-07 at the Wayback Machine Medievalist.
2. ^ Psalm 81: New International Version
3. ^ Psalm 81: New King James Version
4. ^ "Tehillim - Psalms - Chapter 81". Chabad.org. 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
5. ^ a b c Rodd, C. S. (2007). "18. Psalms". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 389\. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
6. ^ "Psalm 81: The Word at the Center by W. Robert Godfrey".
7. ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 166
8. ^ The Artscroll Tehillim, page 329
9. ^ The Artscroll Tehillim, page 329
10. ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 479
11. ^ The Complete Artscroll Machzor for Rosh Hashanah, page 273
12. ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 493
13. ^ The Complete Artscroll Machzor for Rosh Hashanah, page 458
14. ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 64
15. ^ Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, pp. 258-259
16. ^ "O sing joyfully (Adrian Batten)". CPDL. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
17. ^ "Alan Hovhaness List of Works by Opus Number". www.hovhaness.com. Retrieved 2022-10-30.

## External links[edit]

Psalm 81 at Wikipedia's sister projects

* Media from Commons
* Quotations from Wikiquote
* Texts from Wikisource
* Data from Wikidata

* Pieces with text from Psalm 81: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
* Psalm 81: Free scores at the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
* Psalm 81 in Hebrew and English, Mechon-mamre
* Text of Psalm 81 according to the 1928 Psalter
* For the leader; "upon the gittith." Of Asaph. Sing joyfully to God our strength;a (text and footnotes) United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
* Psalm 81 – Gathering God’s People to Listen and Obey (text and detailed commentary) enduringword.com
* Psalm 81:1 (introduction and text) Bible study tools
* Psalm 81 / Refrain: O come, let us sing to the Lord. Church of England
* Psalm 81 Bible gateway
* Charles H. Spurgeon: Psalm 81 (commentary) spurgeon.org
* Hymns for Psalm 81 hymnary.org

* v
* t
* e

Psalms

By number
(divergent
Greek
number)|

* 1
* 2
* 3
* 4
* 5
* 6
* 7
* 8
* 9 (9a)
* 10 (9b)
* 11 (10)
* 12 (11)
* 13 (12)
* 14 (13)
* 15 (14)
* 16 (15)
* 17 (16)
* 18 (17)
* 19 (18)
* 20 (19)
* 21 (20)
* 22 (21)
* 23 (22)
* 24 (23)
* 25 (24)
* 26 (25)
* 27 (26)
* 28 (27)
* 29 (28)
* 30 (29)
* 31 (30)
* 32 (31)
* 33 (32)
* 34 (33)
* 35 (34)
* 36 (35)
* 37 (36)
* 38 (37)
* 39 (38)
* 40 (39)
* 41 (40)
* 42 (41)
* 43 (42)
* 44 (43)
* 45 (44)
* 46 (45)
* 47 (46)
* 48 (47)
* 49 (48)
* 50 (49)
* 51 (50)
* 52 (51)
* 53 (52)
* 54 (53)
* 55 (54)
* 56 (55)
* 57 (56)
* 58 (57)
* 59 (58)
* 60 (59)
* 61 (60)
* 62 (61)
* 63 (62)
* 64 (63)
* 65 (64)
* 66 (65)
* 67 (66)
* 68 (67)
* 69 (68)
* 70 (69)
* 71 (70)
* 72 (71)
* 73 (72)
* 74 (73)
* 75 (74)
* 76 (75)
* 77 (76)
* 78 (77)
* 79 (78)
* 80 (79)
* 81 (80)
* 82 (81)
* 83 (82)
* 84 (83)
* 85 (84)
* 86 (85)
* 87 (86)
* 88 (87)
* 89 (88)
* 90 (89)
* 91 (90)
* 92 (91)
* 93 (92)
* 94 (93)
* 95 (94)
* 96 (95)
* 97 (96)
* 98 (97)
* 99 (98)
* 100 (99)
* 101 (100)
* 102 (101)
* 103 (102)
* 104 (103)
* 105 (104)
* 106 (105)
* 107 (106)
* 108 (107)
* 109 (108)
* 110 (109)
* 111 (110)
* 112 (111)
* 113 (112)
* 114 (113a)
* 115 (113b)
* 116 (114–115)
* 117 (116)
* 118 (117)
* 119 (118)
* 120 (119)
* 121 (120)
* 122 (121)
* 123 (122)
* 124 (123)
* 125 (124)
* 126 (125)
* 127 (126)
* 128 (127)
* 129 (128)
* 130 (129)
* 131 (130)
* 132 (131)
* 133 (132)
* 134 (133)
* 135 (134)
* 136 (135)
* 137 (136)
* 138 (137)
* 139 (138)
* 140 (139)
* 141 (140)
* 142 (141)
* 143 (142)
* 144 (143)
* 145 (144)
* 146 (145)
* 147 (146–147)
* 148
* 149
* 150

Apocrypha or
Deuterocanonical

* 151 (Eastern Orthodox)
* 152–155 (Syriac Orthodox)
* Psalms of Solomon

People|

* David
* Ethan
* Heman the Ezrahite
* Asaph

Types of psalm|

* Psalms of Asaph
* Communal lament
* Imprecatory
* Invitatory
* Laudate
* Penitential
* Royal
* Song of Ascents

Terminology|

* Psalter
* Hallel
* Hallelujah
* Leviathan
* Miktam
* Rahab
* Selah
* Shoshannim

Psalm phrases|

* Beatus vir
* It is time to work for the Lord
* My cup runneth over
* They have pierced my hands and my feet

Psalmody|

* Exclusive psalmody
* Gaelic
* Gelineau
* Responsorial

Related|

* Kathisma
* Perek Shirah
* Pater Noster cord
* Tikkun HaKlali
* Zabur
* Midrash Tehillim

Manuscripts|

* 4Q448
* Great Psalms Scroll
* Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 5101
* Vindobonensis Greek 39777
* P. Lond.Lit.207
* Taylor-Schechter 16.320
* Ambrosiano O 39 sup.

Wikisource texts|

* Tehillim (Hebrew)
* Septuagint (Greek)
* Vulgate (Latin)
* Wycliffe / King James / American Standard / Episcopal Prayer Book / World English Bible (English)

| <- Book of Job (Job 42) in Christian Bibles
Book of Malachi (chapter 4) in the Hebrew Bible |

* Bible portal
* Christianity portal
* Judaism portal

| Book of Proverbs (chapter 1) ->

|
|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template