Bible Strands
Psalms 81:8
Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God addresses Israel directly, speaking to His people immediately after recounting His rescue from distress and His testing at the waters of Meribah. He issues this call at the precise moment between declaring His past intervention and commanding the removal of foreign gods.
The words — The Hebrew root שְׁמַ֣ע (she.Ma') appears twice, meaning "listen" or "hear," paired with אִם\־ ('im-), meaning "if," to frame a conditional appeal. The verb וְ/אָעִ֣ידָה (ve./'a.'I.dah) translates literally as "so let me warn" or "let me testify."
The thread — This conditional call to listen echoes the identical opening formula in Psalms 50:7 and recalls the covenant stipulation in Exodus 15:26 regarding careful obedience to God's voice. The pattern of divine testimony met with human refusal also parallels the rejection described in John 3:11.
Why it lands — The text demands immediate, unreserved attention to God's warning before introducing the prohibition against idolatry. It requires the reader to recognize that divine rescue and testing precede the expectation of exclusive loyalty.
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
Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
Cross-references
- Psalms 50:7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God.
- Exodus 15:26 saying, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”
- John 3:11 Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.
- Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.
- Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant—My loving devotion promised to David.
- John 3:32 He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony.
- 1 John 5:9 Even if we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony that God has given about His Son.
- Psalms 81:13 If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,
- Deuteronomy 5:27 Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then you can tell us everything the LORD our God tells you; we will listen and obey.”
- Deuteronomy 32:46 he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to carefully follow all the words of this law.