TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 81:8–16. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
God, by the psalmist, here speaks to Israel, and in them to us, on whom the ends of the world are come.
I.He demands their diligent and serious attention to what he was about to say (Psa 81:8):
"Hear, O my people! and who should hear me if my people will not? I have heard and answered thee; now wilt thou hear me? Hear what is said with the greatest solemnity and the most unquestionable certainty, for it is what I will testify unto thee. Do not only give me the hearing, but hearken unto me, that is, be advised by me, be ruled by me." Nothing could be more reasonably nor more justly expected, and yet God puts an if upon it: "If thou wilt hearken unto me. It is thy interest to do so, and yet it is questionable whether thou wilt or no; for thy neck is an iron sinew."
II.He puts them in mind of their obligation to him as the Lord their God and Redeemer (Psa 81:10):
I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt; this is the preface to the ten commandments, and a powerful reason for the keeping of them, showing that we are bound to it in duty, interest, and gratitude, all which bonds we break asunder if we be disobedient.
III.He gives them an abstract both of the precepts and of the promises which he gave them, as the Lord and their God, upon their coming out of Egypt.
1.The great command was that they should have no other gods before him (Psa 81:9): There shall no strange god be in thee, none besides thy own God. Other gods might well be called strange gods, for it was very strange that ever any people who had the true and living God for their God should hanker after any other. God is jealous in this matter, for he will not suffer his glory to be given to another; and therefore in this matter they must be circumspect, Exo 23:13.
2.The great promise was that God himself, as a God all-sufficient, would be nigh unto them in all that which they called upon him for (Deu 4:7), that, if they would adhere to him as their powerful protector and ruler, they should always find him their bountiful benefactor: "Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it, as the young ravens that cry open their mouths wide and the old ones fill them." See here,
(1.)What is our duty - to raise our expectations from God and enlarge our desires towards him. We cannot look for too little from the creature nor too much from the Creator. We are not straitened in him; why therefore should we be straitened in our own bosoms?
(2.)What is God's promise. I will fill thy mouth with good things, Psa 103:5. There is enough in God to fill our treasures (Pro 8:21), to replenish every hungry soul (Jer 31:25), to supply all our wants, to answer all our desires, and to make us completely happy. The pleasures of sense will surfeit and never satisfy (Isa 55:2); divine pleasures will satisfy and never surfeit. And we may have enough from God if we pray for it in faith. Ask, and it shall be given you. He gives liberally, and upbraids not. God assured his people Israel that it would be their own fault if he did not do as great and kind things for them as he had done for their fathers. Nothing should be thought too good, too much, to give them, if they would but keep close to God. He would moreover have given them such and such things, Sa2 12:8.
IV.He charges them with a high contempt of his authority as their lawgiver and his grace and favour as their benefactor, Psa 81:11.
He had done much for them, and designed to do more; but all in vain: "My people would not hearken to my voice, but turned a deaf ear to all I said." Two things he complains of: - 1. Their disobedience to his commands. They did hear his voice, so as never any people did; but they would not hearken to it, they would not be ruled by it, neither by the law nor by the reason of it. 2. Their dislike of his covenant-relation to them: They would none of me. They acquiesced not in my word (so the Chaldee); God was willing to be to them a God, but they were not willing to be to him a people; they did not like his terms. "I would have gathered them, but they would not." They had none of him; and why had they not? It was not because they might not; they were fairly invited into covenant with God. It was not because they could not; for the word was nigh them, even in their mouth and in their heart. But it was purely because they would not. God calls them hi people, for they were bought by him, bound to him, his by a thousand ties, and yet even they had not hearkened, had not obeyed. "Israel, the seed of Jacob my friend, set me at nought, and would have none of me." Note, All the wickedness of the wicked world is owing to the wilfulness of the wicked will. The reason why people are not religious is because they will not be so.
V.He justifies himself with this in the spiritual judgments he had brought upon them (Psa 81:12):
So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lusts, which would be more dangerous enemies and more mischievous oppressors to them than any of the neighbouring nations ever were. God withdrew his Spirit from them, took off the bridle of restraining grace, left them to themselves, and justly; they will do as they will, and therefore let them do as they will. Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone. It is a righteous thing with God to give those up to their own hearts' lusts that indulge them, and give up themselves to be led by them; for why should his Spirit always strive? His grace is his own, and he is debtor to no man, and yet, as he never gave his grace to any that could say they deserved it, so he never took it away from any but such as had first forfeited it: They would none of me, so I gave them up; let them take their course. And see what follows: They walked in their own counsels, in the way of their heart and in the sight of their eye, both in their worships and in their conversations. "I left them to do as they would, and then they did all that was ill;" they walked in their own counsels, and not according to the counsels of God and his advice. God therefore was not the author of their sin; he left them to the lusts of their own hearts and the counsels of their own heads; if they do not well, the blame must lie upon their own hearts and the blood upon their own heads.
VI.He testifies his good-will to them in wishing they had done well for themselves.
He saw how sad their case was, and how sure their ruin, when they were delivered up to their own lusts; that is worse than being given up to Satan, which may be in order to reformation (Ti1 1:20) and to salvation (Co1 5:5); but to be delivered up to their own hearts' lusts is to be sealed under condemnation. He that is filthy, let him be filthy still. What fatal precipices will not these hurry a man to! Now here God looks upon them with pity, and shows that it was with reluctance that he thus abandoned them to their folly and fate. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? Hos 11:8, Hos 11:9. So here, O that my people had hearkened! See Isa 48:18. Thus Christ lamented the obstinacy of Jerusalem. If thou hadst known, Luk 19:42. The expressions here are very affecting (Psa 81:13-16), designed to show how unwilling God is that any should perish and desirous that all should come to repentance (he delights not in the ruin of sinful persons or nations), and also what enemies sinners are to themselves and what an aggravation it will be of their misery that they might have been happy upon such easy terms. Observe here,
1.The great mercy God had in store for his people, and which he would have wrought for them if they had been obedient.
(1.)He would have given them victory over their enemies and would soon have completed the reduction of them. They should not only have kept their ground, but have gained their point, against the remaining Canaanites, and their encroaching vexatious neighbours (Psa 81:14): I should have subdued their enemies; and it is God only that is to be depended on for the subduing of our enemies. Not would had have put them to the expense and fatigue of a tedious war: he would soon have done it; for he would have turned his hand against their adversaries, and then they would not have been able to stand before them. It intimates how easily he would have done it and without any difficulty. With the turn of a hand, nay, with the breath of his mouth, shall he slay the wicked, Isa 11:4. If he but turn his hand, the haters of the Lord will submit themselves to him (Psa 81:15); and, though they are not brought to love him, yet they shall be made to fear him and to confess that he is too hard for them and that it is in vain to contend with him. God is honoured, and so is his Israel, by the submission of those that have been in rebellion against them, though it be but a forced and feigned submission.
(2.)He would have confirmed and perpetuated their posterity, and established it upon sure and lasting foundations. In spite of all the attempts of their enemies against them, their time should have endured for ever, and they should never have been disturbed in the possession of the good land God had given them, much less evicted and turned out of possession.
(3.)He would have given them great plenty of all good things (Psa 81:16): He should have fed them with the finest of the wheat, with the best grain and the best of the kind. Wheat was the staple commodity of Canaan, and they exported a great deal of it, Eze 27:17. He would not only have provided for them the best sort of bread, but with honey out of the rock would he have satisfied them. Besides the precious products of the fruitful soil, that there might not be a barren spot in all their land, even the clefts of the rock should serve for bee-hives and in them they should find honey in abundance. See Deu 32:13, Deu 32:14. In short, God designed to make them every way easy and happy.
2.The duty God required from them as the condition of all this mercy. He expected no more than that they should hearken to him, as a scholar to his teacher, to receive his instructions - as a servant to his master, to receive his commands; and that they should walk in his ways, those ways of the Lord which are right and pleasant, that they should observe the institutions of his ordinances and attend the intimations of his providence. There was nothing unreasonable in this.
3.Observe how the reason of the withholding of the mercy is laid in their neglect of the duty: If they had hearkened to me, I would soon have subdued their enemies. National sin or disobedience is the great and only thing that retards and obstructs national deliverance. When I would have healed Israel, and set every thing to-rights among them, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and so a stop was put to the cure, Hos 7:1. We are apt to say, "If such a method had been taken, such an instrument employed, we should soon have subdued our enemies:" but we mistake; if we had hearkened to God, and kept to our duty, the thing would have been done, but it is sin that makes our troubles long and salvation slow. And this is that which God himself complains of, and wishes it had been otherwise. Note, Therefore God would have us do our duty to him, that we may be qualified to receive favour from him. He delights in our serving him, not because he is the better for it, but because we shall be.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
“And he fed them with the fat of wheat.” He led them into the land of promise. He fed them, not with manna as in the desert, but the wheat that had fallen, that had risen again. “And he fed them with the fat of wheat.” Be sure you penetrate the mystery in the scriptural words: “With the finest of wheat.” Does wheat have fat? Does it also have intestines? The prophet wanted to show the abundance and richness of spiritual grace, and hence he called it fat. “And with honey from the rock he would fill them.” He is the wheat; he also is the rock who quenches the thirst of the Israelites in the desert. He satisfied their thirst spiritually with honey, and not with water, so that they who believe and receive the food taste honey in their mouth. “How sweet to my palate are your promises, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Lastly, that is why our Lord ate honeycomb after the resurrection and was satisfied with honey from the rock. I am going to tell you something new. The Rock himself ate honey in order to give us honey and sweetness, so that they who in the law had drunk myrrh, or bitterness, might afterwards eat the honey of the Gospel.
..."And He fed them of the fat of wheat, and from the rock with honey He satisfied them" [Psalm 81:16]. In the wilderness from the rock He brought forth water, [Exodus 17:6] not honey. "Honey" is wisdom, holding the first place for sweetness among the viands of the heart. How many enemies of the Lord, then, that lie unto the Lord, are fed not only of the fat of wheat, but also from the rock with honey, from the wisdom of Christ? How many are delighted with His word, and with the knowledge of His sacraments, with the unfolding of His parables, how many are delighted, how many applaud with clamour! And this honey is not from any chance person, but "from the rock." But "the Rock was Christ." [1 Corinthians 10:4] How many, then, are satisfied with that honey, cry out, and say, It is sweet; say, Nothing better, nothing sweeter could be thought or said! And yet the enemies of the Lord have lied unto Him. I like not to dwell any more on matters of grief; although the Psalm ends in terror to this purpose, yet from the end of it, I pray you, let us return to the heading: "Exult unto God our Helper." Turned unto God.
“If my people listened to me, if Israel traveled in my ways, I would have reduced their foes to nothing and laid my hand on those afflicting them.” If they had adhered to my advice and followed my commandments, I would easily have destroyed their foes. “To nothing” suggests the facility—in other words, easily and without trouble I would have been able to bring about their ruin in an instant. “The Lord’s foes were false to him.” Aquila … put it this way: “in their hatred they will deny the Lord.” By denying Christ the Lord, they brought hatred on themselves, and by being false to him and to the existing covenants they made themselves enemies of the Lord. After the giving of the law, [Scripture] says that the people replied, “All that the Lord God has said we will do and listen to.” While their promises were of this kind, their words were the direct opposite—they crucified their own Lord when he appeared and received a penalty for their impiety, namely, eternal ruin. This was true not only of them but also of Arius, Eunomius, Nestorius and the devotees of their teachings.
Continue studying Psalms 81:16 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
Psalms 81:16 serves as a profound divine lament, expressing God's heartfelt sorrow over the abundant blessings Israel forfeited due to their disobedience. It vividly contrasts God's ideal desire to provide His people with the choicest sustenance—symbolized by the "finest of the wheat" and miraculous "honey out of the rock"—with their actual experience of missed opportunities, stemming from their stubborn refusal to heed His voice. The verse powerfully underscores God's boundless generosity and His longing to satisfy His people fully, while simultaneously highlighting the tragic consequences of human rebellion against divine covenant.
Context
Literary Context
Psalm 81 is an Asaphite psalm, likely composed for a major Israelite festival, perhaps Passover or the Feast of Booths, given its themes of national deliverance and covenant renewal. It commences with an exuberant call to worship and praise God for His mighty acts, particularly the Exodus from Egypt, as seen in Psalms 81:1-5. The psalm then transitions into a direct address from God Himself, recalling His faithfulness during the Exodus and wilderness wanderings, and reminding Israel of His commands and His earnest desire for their obedience, beginning in Psalms 81:6. Critically, God laments Israel's stubbornness and refusal to listen to His voice, which led to their being given over to their own devices, as stated in Psalms 81:11-12. Verse 16 serves as the poignant climax of God's conditional statement, expressing what He would have done for His people had they only hearkened to Him, thereby emphasizing the profound blessings they forfeited. This lament powerfully frames the entire psalm, moving from communal worship to a divine plea for obedience.
Historical & Cultural Context
The backdrop for this psalm is the foundational narrative of Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage and their subsequent journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land. The imagery of "finest of the wheat" resonates deeply within an agrarian society, where wheat was the staple crop, symbolizing prosperity and the basic necessities of life. "Finest" implies the highest quality, reflecting God's desire for premium provision. The phrase "honey out of the rock" evokes the miraculous acts of God in the barren wilderness, such as bringing forth water from a seemingly impossible source like a rock, as recorded in Exodus 17:6. While wild honey could indeed be found in rocky crevices, its inclusion here, especially in the context of divine provision in the wilderness, carries a strong connotation of supernatural, unexpected sweetness and sustenance. The entire lament is framed within the context of the Mosaic Covenant, where blessings and curses were contingent upon Israel's obedience or disobedience to God's commands, as vividly outlined in Deuteronomy 28.
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several major theological themes within the Psalter and broader Scripture. Firstly, it highlights Divine Lament and Conditional Blessing, revealing God's deep sorrow over Israel's stubbornness and the tangible blessings they forfeited as a result. This underscores that while God's love is steadfast, the experience of His full covenant blessings is often contingent upon human faithfulness. Secondly, the verse powerfully showcases God's Abundant Provision. Even in His lament, God's character as a generous and benevolent provider is emphasized; He desires to give His people the best, not merely enough, but overflowing abundance. This theme is consistent with God's nature as the one who gives "every good and perfect gift," as stated in James 1:17. Finally, the verse clearly illustrates The Cost of Disobedience. It serves as a stark reminder that human rebellion has tangible, often tragic, consequences, leading to a forfeiture of divine favor and the abundant life God intends. This theme is central to the prophetic books, such as Isaiah's warnings against Israel's rebellion and their subsequent suffering.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primitive root meaning "to eat" (literally or figuratively), "to consume," or "to feed." In this context, it signifies God's active role as the provider of sustenance. The conditional nature of the verb ("should have fed") underscores God's unfulfilled desire to nourish His people fully, lamenting their refusal to partake of His provision.
From an unused root meaning "to be fat," this term refers to the richest, choicest, or most excellent part. When applied to agricultural produce or sacrifices, it denotes supreme quality and abundance. It signifies the premium, overflowing provision God desired to bestow upon His people, far beyond mere sufficiency. The use of "fat" in this context is similar to its use in sacrificial laws, where the fat was considered the Lord's portion, representing the best and most valuable part, as seen in Leviticus 3:16.
From an unused root meaning "to be gummy," this word refers to honey (from its stickiness) and by analogy, syrup. It signifies sweetness, delight, and abundance. It is often associated with the imagery of the Promised Land, described as a "land flowing with milk and honey," as in Exodus 3:8. Its unexpected source "out of the rock" amplifies the miraculous and delightful nature of God's provision, suggesting sweetness derived from seemingly impossible or barren circumstances.
A primitive root meaning "to sate," "to fill to satisfaction" (literally or figuratively). This word conveys the idea of being completely full, having enough, or being content. God's desire was not just to provide, but to fully satisfy His people, bringing them a deep sense of contentment and fulfillment that only divine provision can offer.
Verse Breakdown
"He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat"
This opening clause expresses God's ideal intention and His profound desire for His people. The "He" refers to God, the divine Provider. The conditional "should have fed" (KJV) or "I would feed" (ESV) implies a past unfulfilled condition, a lament over what could have been. God's plan was to provide Israel with the absolute best sustenance, symbolized by the "finest of the wheat," indicating complete physical and spiritual nourishment, prosperity, and a life of abundance. This reflects His generous character and unwavering covenant promises.
"and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee."
This parallel clause reinforces the theme of miraculous and delightful provision, emphasizing God's personal desire to bring profound satisfaction. "Honey out of the rock" is a vivid and striking image of sweetness and abundance drawn from an impossible or barren source, echoing God's supernatural acts in the wilderness (e.g., providing water from a rock). The "I" emphasizes God's personal desire to bring profound satisfaction, not just provision, to His people. The conditional "should I have satisfied" again underscores the deep lament over the spiritual and physical satisfaction that was tragically missed due to their disobedience.
Literary Devices
The verse employs powerful Imagery and Metaphor to convey God's intended blessings. "Finest of the wheat" serves as a vivid metaphor for abundant, high-quality provision and prosperity, representing a life of flourishing and optimal well-being. "Honey out of the rock" is an equally striking image, functioning as a Metaphor for miraculous, unexpected sweetness and sustenance derived from an unlikely, even barren, source. This phrase also carries elements of Hyperbole, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of God's power to provide beyond natural limitations. The overall structure of the verse, particularly the repeated conditional "should have fed" and "should I have satisfied," creates a profound sense of Divine Lament, expressing God's sorrow and regret over the blessings forfeited by His people's stubborn disobedience. This conditional statement is a form of Counterfactual, presenting an alternative, more desirable reality that did not materialize due to human failure.
Theological and Thematic Connections
This verse profoundly speaks to the nature of God's covenant relationship with His people. It reveals His boundless desire to bless and provide abundantly, not merely to sustain, but to satisfy with the very best. However, it simultaneously highlights the critical role of human responsiveness and obedience. The "should have" is a divine lament, a heartbroken expression of missed opportunity due to Israel's stubbornness. It underscores the theological truth that while God's character is unchangingly good and generous, the experience of His full blessings is often contingent upon our willingness to walk in His ways and heed His voice. This principle of conditional blessing, rooted in covenant faithfulness, is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, emphasizing both divine sovereignty and human responsibility in the unfolding of God's purposes. It is a poignant reminder that God's desire for our flourishing is intimately tied to our willingness to trust and obey Him.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 81:16 serves as both an invitation and a solemn warning for contemporary believers. It invites us to recognize the immeasurable generosity of God, who desires to provide us with the "finest of the wheat"—spiritual nourishment, deep satisfaction, and abundant life in Christ—and "honey out of the rock"—unexpected joys, miraculous breakthroughs, and sweet comfort even in the most barren seasons of life. His heart is always to give us the very best. Yet, it also gently warns us against the spiritual stubbornness that characterized ancient Israel. When we choose our own way, ignore God's voice, or cling to self-reliance, we risk forfeiting the fullness of the blessings He longs to pour out. True satisfaction and flourishing come not from striving in our own strength, but from humble obedience and trusting surrender to His loving guidance. This verse calls us to examine our hearts: are we truly listening to God's voice, or are we, like Israel, missing out on the abundant life He offers because of our own hardened hearts and unwillingness to walk in His ways?
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "finest of the wheat" symbolize?
"Finest of the wheat" (Hebrew: chelev chiṭṭâh, literally "fat of the wheat") symbolizes the highest quality, most abundant, and richest provision. In an agricultural society, wheat was a staple, so "finest" implies not just basic sustenance but luxurious, overflowing nourishment. Theologically, it represents God's desire to provide His people with the absolute best in every aspect of life—physical, spiritual, and emotional—leading to prosperity and deep satisfaction. This reflects God's character as a generous and benevolent provider, as seen in the blessings promised to Israel for obedience.
How can honey come "out of the rock"?
While wild honey could literally be found in crevices and caves within rocky landscapes, the phrase "honey out of the rock" carries a deeper, miraculous connotation, especially in the context of the wilderness wanderings. It signifies God's supernatural ability to bring forth sweetness, delight, and sustenance from the most unlikely, barren, or seemingly impossible circumstances. It echoes other miraculous provisions in the wilderness, such as water flowing from a rock, emphasizing that God's power to satisfy is not limited by natural means. It symbolizes unexpected blessings and divine favor in challenging situations.
Why does God say "should have fed" and "should I have satisfied"?
The conditional phrasing "should have fed" and "should I have satisfied" expresses God's deep lament and regret over Israel's missed blessings. It highlights a counterfactual reality—what would have been if they had listened and obeyed Him. As stated in Psalms 81:11, "But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me." This conditional language underscores the tragic consequence of their disobedience: they forfeited the abundant, satisfying life God intended for them. It serves as a powerful reminder that while God's desire to bless is constant, our experience of those blessings is often contingent upon our faithfulness and responsiveness to His covenant.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 81:16, with its poignant lament over Israel's missed blessings due to their disobedience, finds its ultimate fulfillment and reversal in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "finest of the wheat" and "honey out of the rock" that Israel forfeited are supremely offered to humanity through Christ, not on the basis of our fleeting and imperfect obedience, but on His perfect, once-for-all obedience. Jesus declared Himself the "bread of life" who came down from heaven, offering Himself as the spiritual sustenance that truly nourishes and gives eternal life to all who believe, surpassing any physical provision. He is the true and ultimate "finest of the wheat," providing an abundance that Israel could only dream of. Furthermore, the miraculous provision from "out of the rock" foreshadows Christ Himself, who was "struck for our transgressions" and from whom flows the Spirit, the source of all spiritual sweetness and profound satisfaction, even in the barrenness of a fallen world. In Christ, the conditional "should have" is replaced by the unconditional "has given" and "will give," for He has secured for us access to every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, freely given by grace, as affirmed in Ephesians 1:3. He is the one who truly satisfies the deepest longings of the soul, providing an abundance that Israel could only dream of, because He perfectly fulfilled the obedience that Israel failed to render.