Ps. 81:0 THE ARGUMENT This Psalm seems to have been made for the use of the church in solemn feasts; particularly either upon every first day of the month, or upon the first day of the seventh mouth, which was celebrated with more solemn blast of trumpets, Lev. 23:24, Num.

Gittith; of which title See Poole “Ps. 8:1”. Our strength; who is all our refuge and safeguard against all our enemies.

All which instruments were then prescribed and used in their solemn meetings.

The new moon; which was a sacred and festival time, as appears from Num. 10:10, Num. 28:11, Num. 28:14, 2 Kings 4:23, Isa. 66:23. But this may be understood either, 1. Generally of every new moon. Or rather, 2.

For this is no human device, but an appointment and command of the great God, and your Lord.

This he ordained, to wit, the blowing of trumpets. In Joseph; among the posterity of Joseph, to wit, the people of Israel, as is evident both from the foregoing verse, where they are called Israel, and from the following words in this verse, where they are described by their coming out of Egypt,…

I delivered him from burdensome slavery. Pots; as this word is taken, 1 Sam. 2:14, 2 Chron. 35:13. Or, baskets, as it signifies, 2 Kings 10:7, Jer. 24:2. In the general, it seems to note all those vessels wherein they carried water, straw, lime, bricks, &c.

Thou calledst in trouble; at the Red Sea, Ex. 14:10–12. In the secret place of thunder; from the dark and cloudy pillar, whence I thundered and fought against the Egyptians. See Ex. 13:21, Ex. 14:19, Ex. 14:24. Others refer this to the thunder at Sinai.

I will testify unto thee, concerning my will and thy duty. I will give thee statutes and judgments, in the execution of which thou mayst live and be happy for ever. This God did presently after he brought them from Meribah, even at Sinai.

Thou shalt renounce all false gods and worship, and worship me only.

Open thy mouth wide; either, 1. To pray for mercies. Ask freely, and abundantly, and boldly, (as this phrase oft signifies,) whatsoever you need, or in reason can desire. Or, 2. To receive the mercies which I am ready to give you.

Or, did not assent to me, or acquiesce in me, or obey me, or my commands.

Upon their obstinate and oft-repeated rebellions and rejections of my grace and mercy offered to them, I withdrew all the restraints of my providence, and my Holy Spirit, and grace from them, and wholly left them to follow their own vain and foolish imaginations and wicked lusts.

Those remainders of the Canaanites whom now for their unbelief and apostacy I have left in the land to be snares and plagues to them.

The haters of the Lord; all the haters and enemies of God’s people, as the neighbouring nations were; whom he calls haters of God, partly because they hated the Israelites for God’s sake, and for the singularity of their religious worship, as the heathen oft declared; and partly to show the strict…

With honey; either, 1. Metaphorically, with all pleasant and precious fruits, and with all delights, as all necessaries may be expressed under the name of wheat. Or rather, 2.