Psalms 81

⁵This 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.

Joseph - Among the people of Israel. Testimony - For a witness of that glorious deliverance. He - God. Went - As a captain at the head of his people. Egypt - To execute his judgments upon that land. I - My progenitors, for all the successive generations of Israel make one body, and are sometimes spoken of as one person. A language - The Egyptian language, which at first was unknown to the Israelites, Gen 42:13, and probably continued so for some considerable time, because they were much separated both in place and conversation from the Egyptians.

⁶I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

Pots - This word denotes all those vessels wherein they carried water, straw, lime, or bricks.

⁷Thou 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.

Calledst - At the Red Sea. Secret place - From the dark and cloudy pillar, whence I thundered against the Egyptians.

⁸Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;

Testify - This God did presently after he brought them from Meribah, even at Sinai.

¹⁰I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

Wide - Either to pray for mercies, or to receive the mercies which I am ready to give you.

¹⁵The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.

Him - Unto Israel. Their time - Their happy time.

¹⁶He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

Honey - With all pleasant and precious fruits.