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.
8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
9 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
10 I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
15 The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.
16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.
<html><b>on the gittith</b> A musical instrument that comes from Gath.</html>
<html><b>sound the shofar</b> on Rosh Hashanah.</html>
<html><b>a pleasant harp with a lyre</b> Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba says: The “kinnor” and the “nevel” are the same. Rabbi Simon says: The [number of] strings distinguishes one from the other. Why is it called “nevel”? Because it puts all other types of music to shame.</html>
<html><b>on the New Moon</b> When the moon renews itself. <b>on the appointed time</b> The appointed day for it, and so (Prov. 7:20): “on the appointed day (בכסה) he will come home”; to the appointed time that had been fixed.</html>
<html><b>For it is a statute</b> for Israel from the Holy One, blessed be He, to sound the shofar on that day, the day of the judgment of the Holy One, blessed be He.</html>
<html><b>As a testimony for Jehoseph He ordained it</b> On Rosh Hashanah, Joseph went out of prison. <b>[when] I understood a language that I had not known</b> It is explained in tractate Sotah (36b) that [the angel] Gabriel taught him seventy languages.</html>
<html><b>from the cauldron</b> From slave labor to cook the pots in the manner of other slaves. <b>from the cauldron</b> Heb. מדוד, a pot, as (I Sam. 2:14): “And he would thrust into the fire-pot or into the pot (הדוד).”</html>
<html><b>In distress, you called</b> to Me, all of you. You called from the distress of the labor of the burdens of Egypt, and I released you. <b>I answered you in secret with thunder</b> You called in secret between Me and you, but I answered you with a voice of thunder; I made known My might and My awesome deeds in public. <b>I tried you by the waters of Meribah, forever</b> Although it was revealed and tried before Me that you were destined to provoke Me with the waters of Meribah. So it was taught in Mechilta (Exod. 19:2).</html>
<html><b>Hearken, My people</b> Since I did all this for you, it is fitting for you to hearken to Me.</html>
<html><b>open your mouth wide</b> to request of Me whatever your heart desires. <b>and I shall fill it</b> According to whatever you ask I will fill.</html>
<html><b>after their heart’s fantasies</b> Heb. בשרירותלבם, after the views of their heart, as (above 5: 9): “because of those who lie in wait for me (שוררי).”</html>
<html><b>If only My people would hearken to Me</b> Still, if they desired to return to Me and to hearken to Me…</html>
<html><b>In a short time I would subdue their enemies</b> In a short time I would subdue their enemies. <b>I would return My hand</b> I would return my blow from upon you to lay it upon them, and then…</html>
<html><b>The enemies of the Lord would lie to Him, and their time would be</b> [The time of] their retribution [would be] forever.</html>
<html><b>Then He would feed them</b> Israel. <b>and…from a rock</b> He sated them with honey when they went in His ways, as the matter that is stated (Deut. 32:13): “He suckled them with honey from the rock.”</html>