He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.
Parallel translations
- WEB But he would have also fed them with the finest of the wheat. I will satisfy you with honey out of the rock.”
- BSB But I would feed you the finest wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
- NKJV He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.”
- NASB “But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
- NLT But I would feed you with the finest wheat. I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God would have fed His people with the finest wheat and satisfied them with honey from the rock. He offers His best to those who walk with Him.
Overview
The psalm closes with the picture of richest provision, the finest wheat and honey from the rock, that Israel forfeited by unbelief. It is a poignant 'what might have been,' showing the lavish goodness God longs to give. The imagery of satisfaction from the rock anticipates Christ, the Rock who supplies His people abundantly (1 Cor. 10:4).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Deut 32:13–14He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;
- Ps 147:14He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
- 1 Sam 14:25–26And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground.
- Joel 2:24And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
- Judg 14:18And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
- Job 29:6When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
- Judg 14:8–9And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 81:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.