Bible Strands
Psalms 81:4
For this is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the Israelite assembly during a festival observance, commanding them to honor appointed times. The speaker grounds the instruction in the covenant identity of the God of Jacob.
The words — The Hebrew terms חֹק (chok) and מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) function as parallel descriptors for the decree. Chok denotes a fixed boundary or statute, while mishpat signifies a legally binding ordinance.
The thread — This statutory language appears throughout covenant law, such as Exodus 12:14 and Leviticus 23:4. The psalmist expands the concept when God declares the command a testimony for Joseph during the Exodus (Psalms 81:5).
Why it lands — The verse requires readers to treat divine commands as fixed boundaries rather than flexible traditions. It demands obedience rooted in the specific historical covenant between Yahweh and Jacob’s lineage.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.