Henry Ainsworth on Psalms 81

PSAL. LXXXI.

To the master of the musicke upon Gittith, A Psalme of Asaph.

SHout joyfully unto God our strength, shout triumphantly unto the God of Iakob. Take up a Psalme and give the timbrell, the pleasant harpe with the psalterie. Blow up the trumpet in the new moone, in the appointed time, at the day of our feast. For it is a statute to Israel, a judgement due to the God of Iakob. Hee put it in Ioseph for a testimony, when hee went forth from the land of Egypt, where I heard a language that I knew not. I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands passed from the basket. Thou calledst in distresse, and I released thee: I answered thee in the secret place of thunder, I proved thee at the waters of Meribah Selah. Heare, O my people, and I will testifie unto thee, O Israel, if thou wilt hearken to me. If there shall not be in thee a forraine God, neither thou bow downe thy selfe to a strange God.

I am Iehovah thy God, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, open wide thy mouth, and I will fill it. But my people hearkned not to my voyce, and Israel was not well affected to me. And I sent him away in the perverse intendment of their owne heart, let them walke in their owne counsels. O that my people had been obedient to me, that Israel had walked in my wayes. Even soone would I have humbled their enemies, and turned my hand upon their distressers. The haters of Iehovah should have falsly denied to him, and their time should have beene for ever. And hee would have fed him with the fat of wheat, and out of the rocke, with honey would I have sufficed thee.

Annotations. GIttith] see the Note on Psal. 8. 1. Vers. 3. Take up] to wit, in your mouthes, or lift up your voice with Psalme or song. So in Esa. 42. 2. to lift up, is meant the voice. give] that is, bring the timbrel, &c. of these instruments, see Psal. 68. 26. and 33. 2. Vers. 4. Blow the trumpet] or, the Cornet, (whereof see Psal. 98. 6.) this was done both to proclaime the solemnitie unto men, and to be a memoriall for them before God, Levit. 23. 4. Num. 10. 10. for in their publike worship, the Israelites used trumpets, with other musicall instruments, 2 Chron. 5. 12, 13. and 29. 27. the new moone] when a solemne feast, with speciall worship was appointed of God, Num. 28. 11, 14. and at these times (as on the Sabbaths) they used to assemble to worship, and heare Gods word, 2 King. 4. 23. Ezek. 46. 3. Esa. 66. 23. these feasts were a shadow of things to come, but the body is in Christ, Col. 2. 16, 17. the appointed time] or, the solemnitie, solemne feast, which was thrise in the yeare, 1 at the Passeover, 2 at Pentecost, and 3 at the feast of Tabernacles, Deut. 16. 26. of which last, some understand this festivitie, Ceseh, as having the name of covering in boothes: others of the covering, that is, the change of the moone when it is hid by the Sunne. feast] or daunce; see Psal. 42. 5. This may be meant of all feasts; or in speciall of the feast of blowing trumpets, in the first day of the seventh moneth, Levit. 23. 24. or of the Passeover, as after, verse 6. Vers. 5. a judgement] that is, a rite, or ordinance, made by God, and a duty to be performed to him. So judgement is for dutie, Deut. 18. 3. Vers. 6. in Ioseph] among the posteritie of Ioseph, and the other tribes of Israel. Ioseph is named as principall, having the birth-right, 1 Chron. 5. 1, 2. So Psal. 80. 2. from the land] so the Greeke turneth it, the Hebrew ghnal, being here for meghnal, the same that min, from, as 2 Chro. 33. 8. with 2 King. 21. 8. Zach. 4. 3. At their going out of Egypt, the feast of the Passeover was appointed, Exod. 12. after in the wildernesse, the other feasts, Levit. 23. or we may read it, against the land, viz. to destroy it, and the first-borne, Exod. 11. 4, 5. The Chaldee applieth this to Ioseph when hee went out of prison and ruled over the land of Egypt. I heard a language] Hebr. a lip, used for the speech or language, as Gen. 11. 1. Vers. 7. from the burden] that is, burdens, wherewith they were vexed in Egypt, making bricks, building cities, &c. Exod. 1. 11. and 5. 4, 5, 7, 8. basket] or pot; such vessels as wherein they carried straw, mortar, bricke, &c. Vers. 8. Thou calledst] Israel having left Egypt, Pharaoh with his host pursued them, and they were sore afraid and cried to the Lord, Exo. 14. 10, 15. secret place of thunder] out of the blacke cloud, wherewith God guided and protected Israel; but with thunder, raine, &c. dismayed the Egyptians, Exod. 14. 19, 20, 24, 25. See also Psal. 77. 18, 19. of Meribah] that is, of Strife; so named because Israel there strove with Moses, and almost stonied him, Ex. 17. 1, 2, 3 4—7. There God proved thē, to know what was in their heart, whether they would keep his commandements or no, Deut. 8. 2. Exod. 15. 25. and there they proved God, Ps. 95. 9. Vers. 9. testifie] or protest, take to witnesse, namely the heavens and earth, &c. as Deut. 31. 28. and 32. 1 46. and 30. 19. and deeply charge thee. Compare herewith Exod. 19. 3, 4, 5, &c. and 20. 22, 23. Ier. 11. 7, 8, 8. V. 11. open wide] that is, speake and aske freely. This sentence our Saviour openeth thus, If yee abide in m[illegible: 1 letter] and my words abide in you, aske what ye will, and it shall be done to you, Ioh. 15. 7. and the Apostle thus, Whatsoever we aske of God we receive of him, because wee keepe his commandements, &c. 1 Ioh. 3. 22. The Chaldee expoundeth it, Open thy mouth to the words of the law, and I will fill it with all good. Vers. 12. not well affected] had no will, or good inclination; which they shewed presently after the giving of the Law, by making themselves gods of gold, and by their continuall rebellions afterward, Exod. 32. 1,—31. Vers. 13. perverse intendment] or, stubborne opinion, writhing and obstinate intention, which they looked after in their erroneous heart. This word is taken from Deut. 29. 19. and after often objected to them by Ieremie, Ier. 3. 17. and 7. 24. and 9. 14. and 11. 8. And this is noted for a judgement of God, when he suffereth people to walke in their owne wayes, Act. 14. 16. Vers. 15. humbled] and so have given them rest from their enemies, as in 1 Chron. 17. 10. compared with 2 Sam. 7. 11. Vers. 16. falsly denied] or, fainedly submitted: see Psal. 18. 45. and 66. 3. their time] if this be referred to the enemies, it is meant their time of distresse, as Ps. 10. 1. and 31. 16. so time is used, Ier. 27. 7. Isa. 13. 22. if to Gods people, it meaneth their continued setled state, which the Chaldee translateth, their strength. Vers. 17. fed him] that is, his people, verse 14. fat of wheat] the principall, or flower of corne: so Deut. 32. 14. Psal. 147. 14. out of the rocke] out of which God had made his people sucke honey and oile, Deut. 32. 13. Spiritually, the Rocke is Christ, 1 Cor. 10. 4. the honey is the gracious words that flow from him; sweetnes to the soule, and health to the bones, Prov. 16. 24. Psal. 19. 11. Song. 4. 11.