Psalms 81:1

King James Version

Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation

For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.

Sing praises to God, our strength. Sing to the God of Jacob.

English Revised Version
For the Chief Musician; set to the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

Update Bible Version
For the Chief Musician; set to the Gittith. [A Psalm] of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength: Make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.

New Century Version

For the director of music. By the gittith. A psalm of Asaph.

Sing for joy to God, our strength; shout out loud to the God of Jacob.

New English Translation

For the music director; according to the gittith style; by Asaph.

Shout for joy to God, our source of strength! Shout out to the God of Jacob!

Webster's Bible Translation
To the chief Musician upon Gittith, [A Psalm] of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength: make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.

World English Bible
<> Sing aloud to God, our strength! Make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob!

Amplified Bible
Sing aloud to God our strength; Shout for joy to the God of Jacob (Israel).

English Standard Version

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. Of Asaph.

Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob!

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The title of the eiytetithe salm. To the ouercomer in the pressours of Asaph. Make ye fulli ioye to God, oure helpere; synge ye hertli to God of Jacob.

Berean Standard Bible
For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. Of Asaph. Sing for joy to God our strength; make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.

Contemporary English Version

(By Asaph for the music leader.)

Be happy and shout to God who makes us strong! Shout praises to the God of Jacob.

American Standard Version

For the Chief Musician; set to the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.

Sing aloud unto God our strength: Make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

Bible in Basic English
Make a song to God our strength: make a glad cry to the God of Jacob.

Complete Jewish Bible
For the Leader. On the gittit. By Asaf:

Darby Translation

To the chief Musician. Upon the Gittith. [A Psalm] of Asaph.

Sing ye joyously unto God our strength, shout aloud unto the God of Jacob;

Easy-to-Read Version

To the director: On the gittith. One of Asaph's songs.

Be happy and sing to God, our strength. Shout with joy to the God of Jacob.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
For the Leader; upon the Gittith. [A Psalm] of Asaph.

King James Version (1611)
[To the chiefe Musician vpon Gittith. A Psalme of Asaph.] Sing alowd vnto God our strength: make a ioyfull noise vnto the God of Iacob.

New Life Bible
Sing for joy to God our strength! Call out for joy to the God of Jacob!

New Revised Standard

To the leader: according to The Gittith. Of Asaph.

Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob.

Geneva Bible (1587)
To him that excelleth vpon Gittith. A Psalme committed to Asaph. Sing ioyfully vnto God our strength: sing loude vnto the God of Iaakob.

George Lamsa Translation
SING aloud to God our strength; make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.

Good News Translation
Shout for joy to God our defender; sing praise to the God of Jacob!

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Shout ye for joy, unto God our strength, Sound the note of triumph, to the God of Jacob;

Douay-Rheims Bible
(80-1) <Unto the end, for the winepresses, a psalm for Asaph himself.> (80-2) Rejoice to God our helper: sing aloud to the God of Jacob.

Revised Standard Version
To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob!

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Sing we meryly vnto the Lorde our strength: make a chearefull noyse vnto the Lorde of Iacob.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Rejoice ye in God our helper; shout aloud to the God of Jacob.

Christian Standard Bible®
Sing for joy to God our strength;shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.

Hebrew Names Version
<> Sing aloud to God, our strength! Make a joyful noise to the God of Ya`akov!

Lexham English Bible

For the music director; on the Gittith. Of Asaph.

Shout out to God our strength; shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.

Literal Translation
To the chief musician. On Gittith. Of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob.

Young's Literal Translation
To the Overseer. -- `On the Gittith.' By Asaph. Cry aloud to God our strength, Shout to the God of Jacob.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Synge merely vnto God which is or stregth make a chearful noyse vnto ye God of Iacob.

THE MESSAGE
An Asaph Psalm A song to our strong God! a shout to the God of Jacob! Anthems from the choir, music from the band, sweet sounds from lute and harp, Trumpets and trombones and horns: it's festival day, a feast to God! A day decreed by God, solemnly ordered by the God of Jacob. He commanded Joseph to keep this day so we'd never forget what he did in Egypt. I hear this most gentle whisper from One I never guessed would speak to me:

New American Standard Bible
Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.

New King James Version
To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. [fn] A Psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength;Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.

New American Standard Bible (1995)

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.

Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.

Legacy Standard Bible
Sing for joy to God our strength;Make a loud shout to the God of Jacob.

Contextual Overview

¹ Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. ² Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. ³ Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. ⁴ For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob. 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. ⁶ I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots. 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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

A Psalm: Some suppose this Psalm to have been composed to be sung at the feast of Trumpets, before the time of David; and others think it was written at the removal of the ark to Mount Zion; but the most probable opinion is, that it was sung at the dedication of the second temple.

of Asaph: or, for Asaph

Sing: Psalms 67:4, Jeremiah 31:7

our strength: Psalms 18:1, Psalms 18:2, Psalms 28:7, Psalms 52:7, Philippians 4:13

make: Psalms 33:1-3, Psalms 46:1-7, Psalms 66:1, Psalms 100:1, Psalms 100:2

the God: Psalms 46:11, Genesis 50:17, Matthew 22:32

Reciprocal: Leviticus 23:24 - In the seventh 1 Chronicles 6:39 - Asaph 1 Chronicles 15:16 - lifting up 1 Chronicles 15:21 - harps 1 Chronicles 23:31 - in the sabbaths 1 Chronicles 25:2 - Asaph 2 Chronicles 15:14 - trumpets 2 Chronicles 20:19 - a loud 2 Chronicles 31:3 - for the new moons Nehemiah 12:27 - thanksgivings Nehemiah 12:42 - sang loud Psalms 27:6 - I will Psalms 42:4 - with the voice Psalms 95:1 - sing Psalms 144:9 - upon Isaiah 30:29 - in the night Isaiah 30:32 - every place Daniel 3:10 - the cornet Zephaniah 3:14 - shout Matthew 26:30 - when

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Sing aloud unto God our strength,.... The strength of Israel, who, by strength of hand, and a mighty arm, brought Israel out of Egypt, protected and upheld them in the wilderness, and brought them to, and settled and established them in the land of Canaan; and who is the strength of every true Israelite, from whom they have both their natural and spiritual strength; so that they can exercise grace, perform duty, bear afflictions, withstand temptations, fight with and conquer enemies, and hold on and out unto the end; and therefore have reason to sing the praises of God with great fervour, zeal, and affection:

make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob; or Israel, being the God that had made a covenant with them, had chosen them for his peculiar people, and had redeemed them out of the house of bondage, and bestowed peculiar favours upon them; and therefore were under obligation to show forth his praise vocally and audibly, and with strong expressions of joy; and the spiritual Israel of God much more so, who have an interest in the covenant of grace, and share in electing, redeeming, and calling grace, by all which he appears to be their God and Father, in a special sense.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Sing aloud unto God our strength - The strength and support of the nation; he from whom the nation has derived all its power. The word rendered sing aloud means to rejoice; and then, to make or cause to rejoice. It would be appropriate to a high festal occasion, where music constituted an important part of the public service. And it would be a proper word to employ in reference to any of the great feasts of the Hebrews.

Make a joyful noise - A noise indicating joy, as distinguished from a noise of mourning or lamentation.

Unto the God of Jacob - Not here particularly the God of the patriarch himself, but of the people who bore his name - his descendants.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

PSALM LXXXI

An exhortation to the people to praise God for his

benefits, 1-7;

and to attend to what he had prescribed, 8-10;

their disobedience lamented, 11;

the miseries brought on themselves by their transgressions,

12-16.

NOTES ON PSALM LXXXI

The title is the same as to Psalms 8:1, which see. There are various opinions concerning the occasion and time of this Psalm: but it is pretty generally agreed that it was either written for or used at the celebration of the Feast of Trumpets, (see on Leviticus 23:24,) which was held on the first day of the month Tisri, which was the beginning of the Jewish year; and on that day it is still used in the Jewish worship. According to Jewish tradition, credited by many learned Christians, the world was created in Tisri, which answers to our September. The Psalm may have been used in celebrating the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of Tisri, the Feast of Tabernacles on the fifteenth of the same month, the creation of the world, the Feasts of the New Moons, and the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt; to all which circumstances it appears to refer.

Verse Psalms 81:1. Sing aloud unto God our strength — There is much meaning here: as God is our strength, let that strength be devoted to his service; therefore, sing aloud! This is principally addressed to the priests and Levites.