Discovery BoxPsalms 81:8 
Context81:8 I said, 1 ‘Listen, my people!
I will warn 2 you!
O Israel, if only you would obey me! 3
Psalms 81:11-14
Context81:11 But my people did not obey me; 4
Israel did not submit to me. 5
81:12 I gave them over to their stubborn desires; 6
they did what seemed right to them. 7
81:13 If only my people would obey me! 8
If only Israel would keep my commands! 9
81:14 Then I would quickly subdue their enemies,
and attack 10 their adversaries.”
1 tn The words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Verses 8-10 appear to recall what the
2 tn Or perhaps “command.”
3 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.
4 tn Heb “did not listen to my voice.”
5 tn The Hebrew expression אָבָה לִי (’avah liy) means “submit to me” (see Deut 13:8).
6 tn Heb “and I sent him away in the stubbornness of their heart.”
7 tn Heb “they walked in their counsel.” The prefixed verbal form is either preterite (“walked”) or a customary imperfect (“were walking”).
8 tn Heb “if only my people were listening to me.” The Hebrew particle לוּ (lu, “if not”) introduces a purely hypothetical or contrary to fact condition (see 2 Sam 18:12).
9 tn Heb “[and if only] Israel would walk in my ways.”
10 tn Heb “turn my hand against.” The idiom “turn the hand against” has the nuance of “strike with the hand, attack” (see Isa 1:25; Ezek 38:12; Amos 1:8; Zech 13:7).
