@Ps 81:1-16. Gittith--(See on Ps 8:1, title). A festal Psalm, probably for the passover (compare @Mt 26:30), in which, after an exhortation to praise God, He is introduced, reminding Israel of their obligations, chiding their neglect, and depicting the happy results of obedience.
1. our strength--(@Ps 38:7).
2. unites the most joyful kinds of music, vocal and instrumental.
3. the new moon--or the month.
the time appointed--(Compare @Pr 7:20).
5. a testimony--The feasts, especially the passover, attested God's
relation to His people.
Joseph--for Israel (@Ps 80:1).
went out through--or, "over," that is, Israel in the exodus.
I heard--change of person. The writer speaks for the nation.
language--literally, "lip" (@Ps 14:1). An aggravation or element
of their distress that their oppressors were foreigners (@De 28:49).
6. God's language alludes to the burdensome slavery of the Israelites.
7. secret place--the cloud from which He troubled the Egyptians
(@Ex 14:24).
proved thee--(@Ps 7:10 17:3)--tested their faith by the miracle.
8. (Compare @Ps 50:7). The reproof follows to @Ps 81:12.
if thou wilt hearken--He then propounds the terms of His covenant:
they should worship Him alone, who (@Ps 81:10) had delivered them,
and would still confer all needed blessings.
11, 12. They failed, and He gave them up to their own desires and hardness of heart (@De 29:18 Pr 1:30 Ro 11:25).
13-16. Obedience would have secured all promised blessings and the subjection of foes. In this passage, "should have," "would have," &c., are better, "should" and "would" expressing God's intention at the time, that is, when they left Egypt.