The Book of Psalms Paraphrased, Book 3 · Psalm 81
PSALM LXXXI.
To the chief Muſician upon Gittith. A Pſalm of Aſaph.
ARGUMENT.
There was a ſpecial command of God, as the Pſalmiſt here takes notice Ver. 4. for the making a joyfull ſound with Trumpets, upon all their ſolemn days, eſpecially their New Moons. (X. Numb. 10.) But more particularly upon the firſt day of the ſeventh Month; which is called by this peculiar Name, above all other days, a day of blowing the Trumpets, i. e from Morning unto Evening, XXIX. Numb. 1. and a memorial of blowing Trumpets, XXIII. Lev. 24. For this ſolemn day I ſuppoſe this Pſalm was compoſed; and the reaſon is apparent why they were to blow with Trumpets longer on this day then any other, becauſe it was the firſt New Moon in the Year, (for according to their old computation before they came out of Egypt, their Year began on this Day, as appears from XXIII. Exod. 16. XXXIV. 22. where the Feaſt of ingathering their Fruits, is ſaid to be in the revolution or the end of the year) and God intended, it is poſſible, to awaken them (as Maimonides conjectures) to prepare themſelves, by ſtrict inquiry into their lives, and by hearty repentance, for the great day of Attonement, which was the tenth of this Month.
But of what this blowing Trumpets or Cornets was a memorial is not eaſie to reſolve: the Hebrews themſelves being at ſuch a loſs about it, that they are fain to go as far back as the deliverance of Iſaac and the offering a Ram in his ſtead, for the reaſon of it. The cleareſt account of which, it ſeems to me, may be fetcht from this Pſalm; which plainly intimates that the blowing with Trumpets at that time, related to ſomething which enſued upon their happy deliverance out of Egypt Which though it began upon the firſt day of the firſt Month, according to their new Computation (which took its original from that deliverance, in memory of which God ordained the Feaſt of the Paſſeover, to begin on that day, XXIII. Lev. 6.) yet they had not a compleat body of Laws delivered to them by Moſes till the firſt day of the ſeventh Month, which was the Feaſt of blowing Trumpets.
Moſes received indeed ſeveral Laws in the third Month, XIX. Exod. 1, 3, &c. on the third day whereof (Ver. 11, 16, 19, 20.) God himſelf appeared on the top of Mount Sinai, with the ſound of a Trumpet exceeding loud and prolonged (to which I believe this Feaſt hath reſpect) and ſpake the Ten Commandments; after which Moſes delivered them a body of civil Laws, Exod. XXI. XXII. XXIII. But they did not know the manner of the Divine Service, for which they came out of Egypt into the Wilderneſs, till Moſes had been twice forty days, one after the other, in the Mount; and likewiſe (as ſeveral of the Jews underſtand thoſe paſſages in IX. Deut. relating to this matter) had forty days more bewailed their ſin, in making the golden Calf. Which ſixſcore days, if we add to the time between their coming out of Egypt, and the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, and to the ſix days, which paſſed before Moſes was called up into the Cloud, it will fall out exactly to be the firſt day of the ſeventh month, when he began to give orders for the building of the Tabernacle, and making all things belonging to God's Houſe; according to the direction he had received in the Mount. I am ſure this was the preciſe time of their ſetting up the Altar and beginning to offer burnt Offerings, after their return from the Captivity of Babylon; before the foundation of the Temple was laid. For you reade III. Ezra 1, 6. it was upon the firſt day of the ſeventh month; in the middle of which they alſo kept the Feaſt of Tabernacles, as Moſes had appointed; in memory of their dwelling in Booths in the Wilderneſs, under the Government of the Almighty. The ſame day alſo was kept holy by Nehemiah with great ſolemnity, VIII. 1, 8, 9, 10. where you find how the Book of the Law was diſtinctly read to the people on this day, and the ſenſe of it explained: ſo that they came the next day again for further inſtruction, Ver. 13.
Now that they might be more mindfull of thoſe Divine Benefits, which in this Month they commemorated, more then in any other Month in the Year, Aſaph (in the days of David it is likely) compoſed this Pſalm, and directed it to the Maſter of Muſick to be ſung (as the VIII. Pſalm upon Gittith) in the beginning of it, upon the Feaſt of Trumpets. And he introduces God Himſelf (before whom they were ſummoned, as I ſaid, by theſe Trumpets to appear) inſtructing them in the end of this Solemnity; and complaining of their forgetfulneſs of his benefits, in giving them ſo great a deliverance out of the Egyptian ſlavery; and of their hard heartedneſs, in preferring their own Inventions, and the miſeries they brought thereby upon themſelves, before his Counſels, and the happineſs He intended for them. Which happineſs is expreſſed, in the laſt Verſe, by ſatisfying them with honey out of the rock: concerning which the learned may conſult Bochartus de Sacris Animal. Part. II. L. IV. c. 12.
1. SIng aloud unto God our ſtrength: make a joyfull noiſe unto the God of Jacob.
1. SIng praiſes aloud unto God; to whoſe mighty power alone we owe the Deliverance which we now Commemorate: ſhout with the voice of triumph, in honour of Him; who was ſo good unto your Forefathers.
2. Take a pſalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleaſant harp with the pſaltery.
2. Offer to Him your chearfull Hymns; and, to compleat the melody, and expreſs the greatneſs of your joy, let ſome with Timbrils, others with the pleaſant Harp, and others with the Pſaltery, celebrate the memory of his mercies.
3. Blow up the trumpet in the new-moon, in the time appointed, on our ſolemn feaſt-day.
3. And let the Prieſts eſpecially (X. Numb. 8.) take care to blow with the Trumpets, at this ſacred Solemnity; on the firſt day of the ſeventh month, the principal New Moon in the year: that all the people may call to mind the Trump of God (XIX. Exod. 16, 19.) which our Fathers heard; at his dreadfull appearance on Mount Sinai, to give his Law unto them.
4. For this was a ſtatute for Iſrael, and a law of the God of Jacob.
4. For thus hath the Lord decreed in that Law; where the God of our Father Jacob requires this ſervice of us, XXIII. Lev. 24, &c.
5. 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.
5. This He appointed unto the Children of Joſeph, as well as the reſt of the Tribes of Iſrael; for a perpetual memorial of his benefits: when He going out over all the Land of Egypt, (XI. Exod. 4. XII. 23, 29.) and deſtroying all their Firſt-born, forced them to let us depart into the Wilderneſs; where we heard to our great aſtoniſhment (for we were never before acquainted with it) the voice of God.
6. I removed his ſhoulder from the burthen: his hands were delivered from the pots.
6. Who, conſidering with Himſelf what a title He had to our ſervice (having taken off the heavy burthens which the Egyptians laid upon our backs, and rid our hands of thoſe ſordid and dirty Imployments, wherein they made us labour)
7. 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.
7. Admoniſhed us to this effect, ſaying; You cryed to me by reaſon of your cruel ſervitude under Pharaoh's Task-maſters (II. Exodus 23.) and I delivered you out of it (III. 8.) and again anſwered your prayers, when you cried unto me in a new diſtreſs, at the red Sea, (XIV. Exod. 10, 13.) but confounded the Egyptians, with Thunder and Lightning out of the cloudy Pillar (XIV. Exo. 24, 25. LXXVII. Pſalm 18.) After all which I might well expect you ſhould depend upon me: but preſently found you full of diſtruſt and infidelity at the waters of ſtrife; (XVII. Exod. 7.) where I gave you a new proof of my power.
8. Hear, O my people, and I will teſtifie unto thee: O Iſrael, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
8. Of which if you will ſtill enjoy the benefit, then give ear, O my people, and I will ſolemnly declare my will; and give a ſevere charge unto you, O ye Iſraelites, if you reſolve to be obedient to my admonitions.
9. There ſhall no ſtrange god be in thee: neither ſhalt thou worſhip any ſtrange god.
9. Then this is the principal thing upon which all the reſt depends, you ſhall not ſuffer any other Gods to be acknowledged among you, but onelyonly me, (XX. Exod. 3. 23.) nor ſhall you worſhip the Gods of other Nations, XXIII. Exod. 13, 24, 32.
10. I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
10. For I and I alone am the living Lord, the eternal God, who gave a Being to all things; and who am your peculiar Benefactour; having brought you out of the Egyptian Bondage: (XIX. Exod. 4. XX. 2.) And if you will be faithfull and obedient to me, inlarge your deſires as far as you pleaſe, and I will ſatisfie them; for all the world is mine, XIX. Exod. 5. XXIII. 25.
11. But my people would not hearken to my voice: and Iſrael would none of me.
11. But notwithſtanding their ſeeming compliance with Him, and the fair promiſes they made Him (XIX. Exod. 8. XX. 19. XXIV. 3, 7.) He preſently complained, (XXXII. Exod. 7, 8, 9. as I hear Him ſtill do at this day) my people would not be obedient to me; and Iſrael would not reſt contented with me aalone:
12. So I gave them up unto their own hearts luſt: and they walked in their own counſels.
12. So, provoked by their long ſtubborneſs, I took no further care of them; but left them to do as they pleaſed: ſaying, let them follow their own inventions.
13. O that my people had hearkened unto me, and Iſrael had walked in my ways!
13. But it had been better for them to have adhered to me; who, out of my tender affection to their good, ſtill wiſhed, even when they were ſo refractory, that my people Iſrael had been ſo wiſe, as to have followed my directions, and been led by my advice; and not their own fooliſh imaginations.
14. I ſhould ſoon have ſubdued their enemies, and turned my hand againſt their adverſaries.
14. Then I ſhould, in a ſhort time, have quelled all their enemies; and, by one Victory after another, have quite deſtroyed thoſe adverſaries: which (ſince I brought them into Canaan) have often miſerably afflicted, and oppreſſed them, II. Judg. 2, 3, 14, 15, 19, 20. III. 1, &c. IV. 2.
15. The haters of the LORD ſhould have ſubmitted themſelves unto him: but their time ſhould have endured for ever.
15. All that maligned their proſperity, and ſet themſelves againſt the deſign of the Lord to make them victorious over their enemies, ſhould have been ſo daunted; that they ſhould have diſſembled their inward hatred, and been forced, at leaſt, to a counterfeit ſubmiſſion: but his people ſhould have ſeen bleſſed days, and injoyed a ſubſtantial and durable happineſs without any interruption.
16. He ſhould have fed them alſo with the fineſt of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock ſhould I have ſatisfied thee.
16. He ſhould have made their Country exceeding fruitfull, and fed them with the richeſt Wheat: And I my ſelf, ſaith the Lord, would have bleſſed Thee with ſuch plenty, that in the Deſarts thou ſhouldeſt have found the ſweeteſt refreſhments; and without any care of thine, the Bees ſhould have laboured honey for thee, in the Rocks, and holes of Trees, and ſuch like places, XXXII. Deut. 13. XIV. Judg. 8. 1 Sam. XIV. 25, 26.