An Unrecognized Voice: Intra-Textual and Intertextual Perspectives on Psalm 81

Psalm 81 constitutes an Exodus psalm in which YHWH speaks directly to his people, admonishing them against worshipping foreign gods. As an incentive to obedience, YHWH recalls the punishments he inflicted against Israel's forefathers for disobeying this injunction, and promises blessings to those who obey him. In addition to the original meaning intended by the psalmist, Psalm 81 bears additional meanings and serves additional functions depending on the contexts in which it appears. Thus the individual meaning of the composition differs from the meaning it adopts within the complex of its neighbors, Psalms 80 and 82. Similarly, its function alters again when read together with its related intertexts. The present study constitutes a threefold literary reading of Psalm 81 that explores the changes in Psalm 81's meaning from its reading as an individual text, to its reading in light of the aforementioned contexts. Even though the present paper adopts a synchronic approach to intertextuality, it nevertheless raises the probability of either the psalmist or the authors of Psalm 81's intertexts purposefully reinterpreting their sources.