Psalms 81:6

6 "I took the world off your shoulders, freed you from a life of hard labor.

Psalms 81:6 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 81:6

I removed his shoulder from the burden
These are the words of God, declaring how he had delivered the Israelites from the oppression and cruelty of the Egyptians; who made their lives bitter in hard bondage, and obliged them to carry heavy loads of bricks upon their shoulders:

his hands were delivered from the pots,
or "baskets" F3; into which the bricks were put when made, and carried on their shoulders; or from making of pots, as Kimchi, who thinks the Israelites were employed in making pots of clay as well as bricks; see ( Psalms 68:13 ) , the Targum is,

``his hands withdrew themselves from casting clay into the pots:''

the whole is typical of the saints' deliverance by Christ from the bondage of sin, Satan, and the law.


FOOTNOTES:

F3 (dwdm) "a sporta, a cophino", Gejerus, Amama, Michaelis.

Psalms 81:6 In-Context

4 A day decreed by God, solemnly ordered by the God of Jacob.
5 He commanded Joseph to keep this day so we'd never forget what he did in Egypt. I hear this most gentle whisper from One I never guessed would speak to me:
6 "I took the world off your shoulders, freed you from a life of hard labor.
7 You called to me in your pain; I got you out of a bad place. I answered you from where the thunder hides, I proved you at Meribah Fountain.
8 "Listen, dear ones - get this straight; O Israel, don't take this lightly.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.