Discovery BoxPsalms 81:6-10 
Context81:6 It said: 1 “I removed the burden from his shoulder;
his hands were released from holding the basket. 2
81:7 In your distress you called out and I rescued you.
I answered you from a dark thundercloud. 3
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. 4 (Selah)
81:8 I said, 5 ‘Listen, my people!
I will warn 6 you!
O Israel, if only you would obey me! 7
81:9 There must be 8 no other 9 god among you.
You must not worship a foreign god.
81:10 I am the Lord, your God,
the one who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it!’
1 tn The words “It said” are not included in the Hebrew text. They are supplied in the translation for clarification.
2 sn I removed the burden. The Lord speaks metaphorically of how he delivered his people from Egyptian bondage. The reference to a basket/burden probably alludes to the hard labor of the Israelites in Egypt, where they had to carry loads of bricks (see Exod 1:14).
3 tn Heb “I answered you in the hidden place of thunder.” This may allude to God’s self-revelation at Mount Sinai, where he appeared in a dark cloud accompanied by thunder (see Exod 19:16).
4 sn The name Meribah means “strife.” Two separate but similar incidents at the place called Meribah are recorded in the Pentateuch (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13). In both cases the Israelites complained about lack of water and the Lord miraculously provided for them.
5 tn The words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Verses 8-10 appear to recall what the
6 tn Or perhaps “command.”
7 tn The Hebrew particle אִם (“if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (GKC 321 §109.b). Note that the apodosis (the “then” clause of the conditional sentence) is suppressed.
8 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 9 have a modal function, expressing what is obligatory.
9 tn Heb “different”; “illicit.”
