Psalms 81:16

“I would feed Israel the best wheat, ¹  and would satisfy your appetite ²  with honey from the rocky cliffs.” ³ 

De 32:13,14; Jud 14:8,9,18; 1Sa 14:25,26; Job 29:6; Ps 147:14; Joe 2:24

¹ tn Heb “and he fed him from the best of the wheat.” The Hebrew text has a third person form of the preterite with a vav (ו) consecutive attached. However, it is preferable, in light of the use of the first person in v. 14 and in the next line, to emend the verb to a first person form and understand the vav as conjunctive, continuing the apodosis of the conditional sentence of vv. 13-14. The third masculine singular pronominal suffix refers to Israel, as in v. 6.

sn I would feed. After the parenthetical “curse” in v. 15, the Lord’s speech continues here.

² tn Heb “you.” The second person singular pronominal suffix refers to Israel, as in vv. 7-10.

³ sn The language in this verse, particularly the references to wheat and honey, is reminiscent of Deut 32:13-14.