Psalms 81:3

Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

Blow up {H8628}{H8798)} the trumpet {H7782} in the new moon {H2320}, in the time appointed {H3677}, on our solemn feast {H2282} day {H3117}.

Sound the shofar at Rosh-Hodesh and at full moon for the pilgrim feast,

Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.

Blow the trumpet at the new moon, At the full moon, on our feast-day.

Psalm 81:3 issues a vibrant call to worship, specifically instructing ancient Israel to participate in a divinely ordained celebration. This verse emphasizes the importance of marking sacred time through specific ritual acts, fostering communal remembrance and devotion.

Context

Psalm 81 is a psalm of Asaph, likely intended for public worship, possibly during one of Israel's major festivals. The preceding verses call for joyful singing and musical praise, setting the stage for this specific instruction about the trumpet. The psalm then transitions into a divine oracle, reminding Israel of God's mighty acts in their history and His desire for their obedience. This verse, therefore, serves as a foundational command for observing God's appointed times, particularly the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), which falls on the new moon of the seventh month and is a solemn assembly.

Key Themes

  • Sacred Time and Divine Appointment: The verse highlights God's establishment of specific times for worship and remembrance. These "appointed times" (Hebrew: mo'adim, though here keseh or kesseh for the specific feast) were crucial for Israel's spiritual calendar, ensuring regular collective devotion.
  • Communal Worship and Celebration: The command to "blow up the trumpet" signifies a public, audible, and joyous act of worship. It was a communal signal, gathering the people for a shared spiritual experience.
  • Obedience and Remembrance: Observing these feasts was an act of obedience to God's commands and served as a powerful reminder of His covenant with Israel and His past deliverance, particularly from Egypt (as alluded to later in Psalm 81).

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "Blow up the trumpet" refers to the sounding of the shofar, a ram's horn, or sometimes a metal trumpet (chatsotzrah). The shofar's piercing sound served various purposes: a call to war, a signal for assembly, and notably, a liturgical instrument for announcing significant events and feasts. The "new moon" (Hebrew: chodesh) marked the beginning of each lunar month, but the combination with "time appointed" (Hebrew: keseh or kesseh, often interpreted as 'full moon' or 'appointed time' specific to the hidden new moon of the 7th month) and "solemn feast day" strongly points to the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) which occurs on the new moon of the seventh month (Tishrei). This particular new moon was unique, being a "solemn feast day" (chag), distinct from the regular monthly new moon observances.

Reflection and Application

For believers today, Psalm 81:3 serves as a reminder of the importance of intentional and communal worship. While we no longer observe the exact Old Testament feast calendar, the principle remains: we are called to set aside time to honor God, to remember His faithfulness, and to celebrate His redemptive acts. The trumpet blast can be seen as a metaphor for a spiritual awakening, a call to attention, or a joyful proclamation of God's presence and power. It encourages us to make our worship vibrant, audible, and deeply rooted in remembering what God has done and is doing in our lives and in the world.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 2 Chronicles 2:4

    Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate [it] to him, [and] to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This [is an ordinance] for ever to Israel.

  • Numbers 15:3

    And will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock:

  • Numbers 10:1

    ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

  • Numbers 10:10

    Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I [am] the LORD your God.

  • 2 Chronicles 13:12

    And, behold, God himself [is] with us for [our] captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

  • 1 Chronicles 16:42

    And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun [were] porters.

  • 2 Chronicles 5:12

    Also the Levites [which were] the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, [being] arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)

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