Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 81
PSAL. LXXXI.
VPonUpon Gittith] An Inſtrument brought from Gath, or uſed by Obed-Edom the Gittite; or a Pſalm to be ſung at the vintages, i.e. at the Feaſt of Tabernacles. It containeth a ſolemn Thankſgiving (for which cauſe alſo that Feaſt was inſtituted) with ſo great joy, that Plutarch took occaſion there-hence to write (but falſly) that the Jews did then keep a Feaſt,foreign In ſympoſ. gaudium cantu accendite. or Holy-day to Bacchus.
Verſ. 1. Sing aloud unto God] Be loud and large in his praiſes, ſet them forth cheerfully, and couragiouſly. God loveth zeal in all his ſervices.
Verſ. 2. Bring hither the Timbrel] Theſe Inſtruments then uſed in Gods Service (as a part of the Jewiſh pedagogy) were types of that Spiritual joy which we ſhould expreſs in holy duties, no leſs than if we heard the moſt exquiſite Muſick. There ſhould be continual Muſick (habitual joy) in the Temple of the Holy Ghoſt.
Verſ. 3. Blow up the Trumpet in the new Moon] And the like at other ſolemn Feaſts, three whereof (all in the ſeventh Month to be kept) Beza thinketh to be here plainly and diſtinctly noted. Theſe Feaſts were a ſhadow of things to come, but the body is in Chriſt, Col. 2.16, 17.
Verſ. 4. For this was a ſtatute] The keeping of it therefore is not arbitrary, but neceſſary: Aut faciendum aut patiendum.
And a Law] Which was to be kept as the apple of the eye, Prov. 7.2.
Verſ. 5. This he ordained in Joſeph] Put for all Iſrael, as Pſal. 80.1. though the Chaldee underſtandeth it of Joſeph in perſon, and the next words of his going through the Land of Aegypt to gather Corn in the ſeven plentiful years, and that at his firſt coming into Aegypt, he underſtood not their Language.
Where I heard a Language] Idolatrous Language, ſay ſome, contrary to the Language of Canaan: this God knew not, Iſa. 19.18.that is, liked not; Or, rather a ſtrange forrein Language, which is not ſmall grievance, Jer. 5.15. Ezek. 2.6. 1 Corinth. 14.11. to thoſe eſpecially, who underſtand no otherwiſe than by blows, as Beaſts do men.Sordidiſſimo miniſterio.
Verſ. 6. I removed his ſhoulder from the burden] From the woful ſlavery of Aegyptian Tyrants and Task-maſters.
His hands paſſed away from the pots] Or, Baskets, wherein was carried earth for brick-clamping, and Pot-making, &c. whereunto they were ſo cloſe tied that they might not ſtir a foot from their daily work, till God delivered them. Some ſay, that the Pyramides were built by them.
Verſ. 7. Thou calledſt in trouble] Their trouble called, though themſelves had been ſilent; I have ſeen, I have ſeen the afflictions of my people, &c. but they cried to the Lord at the red Sea, Exod. 14.10, 15. and were delivered.
I anſwered thee in the ſecret place of thunder] i. e. In the Pillar of Cloud, that ſtood betwixt the two Armies, and thundred againſt the Aegyptians, Exod. 14.24. Confer Lam. 3.44.
I proved thee at the waters of Meribah] When thou hadſt but newly foot out of ſnare; and yet there, and then thou ſhewedſt thy ſelf. O thine ungratefulneſs! &c. this hath been thy manner from thy youth.
Verſ. 8. Hear O my people, &c.] Notwithſtanding thy many and mighty provocations at Meribah, and elſewhere, I made a covenant with thee at Mount Sinai, and gave thee right Judgements, and true Laws, good Statutes, and Commandements, Neh. 9.13.
Verſ. 9. There ſhall no ſtrange god] This is the firſt and chief Commandement, wherein all the reſt are contained, ſaith Luther.
Verſ. 10. Open thy mouth wide, &c.] If thou be ſtraitned tis not in me, but in thine own bowels; he ſecretly taxeth them for their foreign and their foreign in prayer, their faithleſneſs and faint-heartedneſs, whereby they do deny as it were their own prayers: Ask largely, and ſpeed accordingly.
Verſ. 11. But my people would not hearken] Here beginneth the Second part of the Pſalm which is objurgatory, and very ſuitable to the ſeaſon of the year at that Feaſt, that if it were a fruitful year, the Iſraelites might ſee and acknowledge Gods goodneſs therein; as if otherwiſe, they might accuſe themſelves, and not the Lord.Perplexis cogitationibus. Vat.
Iſrael would none] Heb. acquieſced not in mee, was not well affected to mee, but had hearts full of harlotry.
Verſ. 12. So I gave them up] I left them as a ſhip without a rudder; as an horſe without reigns to go whither they would, and do what they would. This is a fearfull Judgement,Poena rebellionis maxima. Hoſ. 4.14. Rom. 1.28. 2 Theſ. 2.11, 12.
And they walked in their own counſels] To their own ruine, becauſe they took counſel but not of God, and covered with a covering, but not of his Spirit, that they might adde ſin to ſin, Iſa. 30.1.
Verſ. 13. O that my people had hearkened unto mee] A wiſh after the manner of men; to ſet forth Gods great deſire of our welfare, which he here uttereth as it were, with a ſigh and a groan.
Verſ. 14. I ſhould ſoon have ſubdued] I would have turned the ſcales, and made them as much over-weight to their enemies, as they were to them.
And turned my hand, &c.] God, with a turn of his hand can overturn his enemies, and relieve his little ones, Zach. 13.7. If he but ſpread forth his hands as a ſwimmer ſpreadeth forth his hands to ſwim, he ſhall bring down the pride of oppreſſors together, Iſa. 25.11.
Verſ. 15. The haters of the Lord ſhould have ſubmitted] Heb. Lyed, that is, yeelded feigned obedience, as Pſal. 18.44.
But their time ſhould have endured for ever] i. e. Their ſtrength, ſaith the Chaldee; their tranquillity and proſperity, ſay others. Theodoret referreth it to the enemies thus, The time of their calamity ſhall endure for ever, they ſhall be eternally miſerable.
Verſ. 16. With the fineſt of the wheat] Heb. With the fat or marrow of wheat, with the choiceſt of picked nouriſhment.
And with honey, &c.] Hyperbole incomparabilis felicitatis & faecunditatis. See Deut. 32.13. ſhadowing out the ſweetneſs of the Word and Sacraments.