Psalm 81

Psalms · Chapter 81

Psalms 81:7

1Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.2Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.3Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.4For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.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.6I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.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.8Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;9There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.10I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.11But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.12So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.13Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!14I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.15The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.16He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
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.You called out in distress, and I rescued you; I answered you from the cloud of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. SelahThou 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

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
in the troubleבַּצָּרָ֥הba-tza-RAHH6869B
distress

צָרָה (tsa.rah) straits, distress, trouble

you called outקָרָ֗אתָka-RA-taH7121G
to call: call to

קָרָא (qa.ra) : call_to/invite/entreat 1) to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to call, cry, utter a loud sound 1a2) to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God) 1a3) to proclaim 1a4) to read aloud, read (to oneself), read 1a5) to summon, invite, call for, call and commission, appoint, call and endow 1a6) to call, name, give name to, call by 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to call oneself 1b2) to be called, be proclaimed, be read aloud, be summoned, be named 1c) (Pual) to be called, be named, be called out, be chosen

and I rescued youוָאֲחַ֫לְּצֶ֥ךָּva-'a-CHA-le-TZE-kaH2502A
to rescue

חָלַץ (cha.lats) 1) to draw off or out, withdraw 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to draw, draw off 1a2) to withdraw 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be delivered 1b2) to be saved 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to pull out, tear out 1c2) to rescue, deliver, set free 1c3) to take away, plunder

I answered youאֶ֭עֶנְךָ'E-'en-khaH6030B
to answer

עָנָה (a.nah) 1) to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to answer, respond to 1a2) to testify, respond as a witness 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to make answer 1b2) to be answered, receive answer Aramaic equivalent: a.nah (עֲנָה "to answer" H6032)

in [the] hiding place ofבְּסֵ֣תֶרbe-SE-terH5643A
secrecy

סֵ֫תֶר (se.ter) 1) covering, shelter, hiding place, secrecy 1a) covering, cover 1b) hiding place, shelter, secret place 1c) secrecy 1c1) secrecy (of tongue being slanderous)

thunderרַ֑עַםRA-'amH7482
thunder

רַ֫עַם (ra.am) thunder

I tested youאֶבְחָֽנְךָ֨'ev-cha-ne-KHAH0974
to test

בָּחַן (ba.chan) 1) to examine, try, prove 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to examine, scrutinise 1a2) to test, prove, try (of gold, persons, the heart, man of God) 1b) (Niphal) to be tried, proved 1c) (Pual) to make a trial

atעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

[the] waters ofמֵ֖יmeiH4325G
water

מַי (ma.yim) 1) water, waters 1a) water 1b) water of the feet, urine 1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)

Meribahמְרִיבָ֣הme-ri-VAHH4809H
Meribah

מְרִיבָה (me.ri.vah) § Meribah = "strife" or "contention" 1) a fountain at Rephidim, in the desert of Sin; so called because the Israelites murmured against God 2) the name of the water supply at Kadesh on the southern border of the promised land; the people also murmured here against God

Selahסֶֽלָה׃SE-lahH5542
Selah

סֶ֫לָה (se.lah) § 1) to lift up, exalt 1a) Selah 1a1) a technical musical term probably showing accentuation, pause, interruption

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.