Psalms 81:4
For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
Original Language Analysis
כִּ֤י
H3588
כִּ֤י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
1 of 7
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
חֹ֣ק
For this was a statute
H2706
חֹ֣ק
For this was a statute
Strong's:
H2706
Word #:
2 of 7
an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage)
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל
for Israel
H3478
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל
for Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
3 of 7
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
ה֑וּא
H1931
ה֑וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
4 of 7
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
מִ֝שְׁפָּ֗ט
and a law
H4941
מִ֝שְׁפָּ֗ט
and a law
Strong's:
H4941
Word #:
5 of 7
properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, ind
Historical Context
Moses established Israel's festal calendar at Sinai (Leviticus 23, Numbers 28-29), codifying worship rhythms that predated the Law (Genesis 1:14). These appointed times structured Israel's entire year around remembering God's saving acts—Passover (exodus), Pentecost (law-giving), Trumpets (awakening), Atonement (cleansing), Tabernacles (wilderness provision).
Questions for Reflection
- How do God's 'statutes' and 'laws' reveal both His authority and His desire for relationship with His people?
- What Christian practices and ordinances function as covenant renewal in the new covenant (Lord's Supper, baptism, gathered worship)?
- Why does God command specific times and ways to worship rather than leaving everything to personal preference?
Analysis & Commentary
For this was a statute for Israel (כִּי חֹק לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא)—Choq means an engraved decree, something permanently inscribed in law (Leviticus 23). These festivals weren't optional cultural traditions but divine commands. And a law of the God of Jacob (mishpat, ordinance or judgment)—the dual terms emphasize both the decree's authority and its rightness.
The covenant name God of Jacob recalls the patriarchal promises (Genesis 28:13-15). Festival observance wasn't mere ritual but covenant renewal, where Israel rehearsed their identity as God's redeemed people. Rejecting the festivals meant rejecting covenant relationship itself—a principle Christ reaffirmed by fulfilling, not abolishing, the Law (Matthew 5:17).