PsaumesChapitre 81

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For the director of music. According to the gittith.<fn>The gittith is an unknown musical term, possibly an instrument or a tune.</fn> Of Asaph.

Sing for joy to God, our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!

Raise a song, strike the tambourine, sound the sweet lyre and the harp.

Blow the ram's horn at the new moon, and at the full moon, on the day of our feast.

For this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

He set it up as a testimony for Joseph when he went out against the land of Egypt. I heard a language I did not know:

"I lifted the burden from his shoulder; his hands were freed from the basket.

In your distress you called, and I rescued you; I answered you from the thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

Hear, my people, and I will warn you—Israel, if only you would listen to me!

You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to any strange god.

I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.

But my people would not listen to my voice; Israel would have none of me.

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own devices.

If only my people would listen to me, if Israel would walk in my ways,

how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!

Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever.

But you I would feed with the finest wheat<fn>Hebrew: he would feed him.</fn>; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

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Résumé2

Chapitre 81

Main Theme: A festival psalm that calls Israel to praise, recalls God's deliverance, and exhorts obedience to Him alone.

Content: The psalm opens with an invitation to festive worship using music and the shofar during the appointed feast. God speaks, reminding them how He delivered Israel from Egypt and answered them at Meriba. He commands that they have no foreign gods, but Israel did not listen and followed their own ways. The psalm concludes with God's longing: if His people would only listen, He would crush their enemies and satisfy them with the finest wheat and honey from the rock.

Key Words/Images:

Shofar at the new moon: Symbolizes festival celebration and the call to gather before God (v.4).
Burden lifted from the shoulder: A picture of deliverance from slavery in Egypt (v.7).
Meriba: The place where God tested Israel and answered them in their distress (v.8).
No foreign god: The heart of the covenant relationship—faithfulness to the Lord alone (v.10).
Honey from the rock: A picture of God's abundant blessings through obedience (v.17).

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for Psalm 81

People

Verse 6 uses the unusual form "Jehoseph" (יְהוֹסֵף) for Joseph, a poetic or archaic name form in which the divine name (יְהוֹ-) is embedded. This links Israel's stay in Egypt directly to the story of Joseph and emphasizes God's sovereign guidance throughout history.

Events and Customs

Psalm 81 is closely connected to Israel's festival calendar, especially the new moon festival and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). Verse 4 mentions blowing the shofar "at the new moon" (בַחֹדֶשׁ) and "at the full moon" (בַּכֵּסֶה), pointing toward the festivals of the seventh month (Tishri). According to Leviticus 23:24, the first day of this month was to be marked with shofar blowing, and the Feast of Tabernacles began at the full moon on the fifteenth day. The Feast of Tabernacles was a pilgrimage festival in which the people remembered their deliverance from Egypt and their journey through the wilderness—themes that stand central in this psalm.

The second part of the psalm (verses 6–17) has the character of a prophetic speech in which God Himself speaks through a Levitical singer or prophet. This form of "divine oracle" within worship was an established practice in the temple, where priests or prophets could convey God's word directly to the assembly.

Places

The psalm mentions "the waters of Meribah" (מֵי מְרִיבָה) in verse 8, referring to the event described in Exodus 17:1–7 and Numbers 20:1–13, where God gave the people water from the rock in the wilderness. The name means "waters of strife" or "waters of contention" (from רִיב, to strive) and recalls Israel's complaints against God despite His care. Egypt (מִצְרָיִם) is mentioned twice (verses 6 and 11) as the place of slavery from which God delivered His people.

Key Terms

The word "Gittith" (הַגִּתִּית) in the heading is disputed. It may refer to a musical instrument from Gath, a particular melody, or possibly to the winepress (גַּת), thus linking the psalm to the harvest festival. The expression "pot" (דּוּד) in verse 7 refers to a basket or pot, likely carrying baskets used for heavy labor during slavery in Egypt—a concrete image of the slave labor from which the Israelites were freed. The phrasing "open your mouth wide" (הַרְחֶב־פִּיךָ) in verse 11 uses the image of a young bird opening its beak to be fed, expressing God's desire to provide abundantly for His people.

Personnages2

Asaph1 Jacob2

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Mots-clés8

Asaph — One of the leading musicians and poets in King David's time, who wrote several of the Psalms.
Lord — Another name for God, the almighty Creator, referring to his sovereignty and authority.
Shout of joy — An expression of gladness and gratitude, often used in connection with praising and worshipping God.
Raised horn — A symbol of strength and victory, usually associated with God's power and protection of his people.
Land of Joseph — A reference to Israel, especially the northern kingdom, which was inhabited by Joseph's descendants.
Egypt — The country where the Israelites were slaves before God freed them through Moses.
Deliverance — The process of being set free from oppression or slavery, often linked with God's saving of his people.
Commandments — Laws and orders given by God to his people so that they may live righteously and in harmony with his will.