37 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Psalms 81 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A [Psalm] of Asaph. Of "gittith", [See comments on Psalms 8:1]. The Targum renders it, "upon the harp which came from Gath;'' and so Jarchi says it was a musical instrument that came from Gath. The Septuagint, and the versions which follow that, render it, "for the winepresses". This...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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, and settled and established them in the land of Canaan; and who is the strength of every true Israelite, from whom they have both their natural and...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
This psalm was penned, as is supposed, not upon occasion of any particular providence, but for the solemnity of a particular ordinance, either that of the new-moon in general or that of the feast of trumpets on the new moon of the seventh month, Lev. xxiii. 24; Num. xxix. 1. When David, by the Spirit, introduced the singing of psalms into the...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Sing aloud unto God our strength: Yes, the strength which the Lord gives you should be spent in praising him. “Sing aloud.” Throw your whole soul into it. If the Lord makes you strong, then give your strength back to him in sacred song: “Sing aloud unto God our strength.” Psa_81:1. Make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Other gods, such as...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
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 “the God of Jacob” is altogether rejected by those wondrous thinkers who think they know so much. The God of the New Testament, they say, is a very different Being from...
Spurgeon - Treasury of David - Charles H. Spurgeon
Ver. 1. Sing, in tune and measure, so that the public praise may be in harmony; sing with joyful notes, and sounds melodious. Aloud. For the heartiest praise is due to our good Lord. His acts of love to us speak more loudly than any of our words of gratitude can do. No dulness should ever stupefy our psalmody, or half heartedness cause is to limp...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Take a psalm,.... Or "lift one up" (y); hold up the book, and read and sing it; or rather, lift up the voice in singing a psalm: and bring hither the timbrel; or "give one" (z), put the hand to one: the pleasant harp with the psaltery; make use of all these musical instruments in singing, and so make an agreeable melody: these were used in the...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
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. It is “a statute” that we should praise God; it is “a law” that we should make a joyful noise before him. Happy law,...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Blow up the trumpet in the new moon,.... Either in every new moon, or first day of the month, which was religiously observed by the Jews, 2 Kings 4:23 or rather the new moon, or first day of the seventh month, the month Tisri, which day was a memorial of blowing of trumpets, Leviticus 23:34, and so the Targum, "blow the trumpet in the month of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For this was a statute for Israel,.... It was not a piece of will worship, or device of the children of Israel, but was of divine institution; that the passover should be kept at the time it was; and that the trumpets should be blown on the new moon, or first of Tisri; and that the feast of tabernacles should be kept on the fifteenth of the same...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony,.... That is, this law concerning the blowing of trumpets on the new moon, and the keeping the solemn feast at the full of the moon, was made to be observed by all Israel, who are meant by Joseph, for a testimony of God's good will to them, and of their duty and obedience to him: when he went out through...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
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. God understands his people’s language, and in very truth he understands everything; but here he uses a Hebraic to show that he did not care for the speech of the Egyptians: “I heard a language that I understood...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
I removed his shoulder from the burden,.... These are the words of God, declaring how he had delivered the Israelites from the oppression and cruelty of the Egyptians; who made their lives bitter in hard bondage, and obliged them to carry heavy loads of bricks upon their shoulders: his hands were delivered from the pots, or "baskets" (c); into...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
I removed his shoulder from the burden: Is not that true of many of you in a spiritual sense? Oh, what a burden of sin we used to carry! How have we got rid of it? Does not the Lord here remind us of how we lost that grievous load? “I removed his shoulder from the burden.” Psa_81:6. His hands were delivered from the pots. We used to be busy enough...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee,.... That is, when Israel were in trouble in Egypt, as the Targum adds, and they cried unto the Lord in their distress, he heard them, and answered them, and sent them a deliverer, and brought them out of all their troubles, Exodus 3:7. I answered thee in the secret place of thunder; by bringing the...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; What a gracious word is this! How it reminds us, in the most loving tones, of our obligations to the Lord!” Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee.” Psa_81:7. I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah. A very humbling sentence this! God has...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
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. But how sadly did they stand the test! You and I, too, have not only received much mercy at the hand of God, but we also have had our testing-times. We can look back to the waters of strife with deep regret...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee,.... Of himself, his being, and perfections; what he was unto them, had done for them, and would do for them, as in the following verses: or "testify in thee" (d), bear witness to their spirits, that they were his people, and he was their God; this is a witness which the people of God have in...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; What! Is there any question as to whether God’s people will hearken to him or not? Alas! sometimes our ears grow very heavy, we are so occupied with the cares of the world, so sleepy while passing over the Enchanted Ground, that we do not hear that dear voice...