He made it a decree in Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt. I hear a language I had not known:
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "I hear a language I had not known" isn't about the Israelites suddenly understanding Egyptian; it's about God revealing Himself in a new way. This wasn't just a historical event; it was God's voice, previously unheard or misunderstood, declaring His mighty deliverance and setting His people apart.
He made it a decree in Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt. I hear a language I had not known:
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is recalling a foundational event for Israel: their exodus from Egypt. This verse sets the stage by reminding us of God's ordinance for a specific testimony, pointing to the time He powerfully led His people out of their bondage, an experience marked by hearing a foreign language they didn't understand. This moment in Egypt foreshadows the entire psalm's theme of God's faithfulness and His people's need to listen and obey.
Why does the psalm mention Joseph specifically when talking about the Exodus? What does this name signify for God's people?
A Shared Identity
The psalm mentions "Joseph" here, which might seem a bit odd since the Exodus involved all the tribes of Israel. However, "Joseph" here is used as a representative name for the entire nation. This is because Joseph played such a pivotal role in the Israelites' survival and eventual settlement in Egypt.
More Than Just a Name
Using "Joseph" connects the remembrance of God's saving power to a foundational moment in their history. It reminds them of how God, through Joseph, provided for them in a foreign land. This broader identity underscores that God's promises and actions extend to the whole people, not just individuals.
The verse speaks of hearing 'a language I had not known.' What does this unfamiliar tongue represent, and why is it mentioned in the context of God's decree?
More Than Just Foreign Words
This phrase, "a language I had not known," can be interpreted in a few powerful ways. It doesn't necessarily mean the literal Egyptian language, though that's a strong possibility for the Israelites who were a distinct people within Egypt.
Divine Revelation and Awe
Another perspective is that it refers to the voice of God Himself. When God speaks, especially in ways that are new, powerful, and awe-inspiring (like at Mount Sinai), His words can feel like a "language" beyond ordinary human understanding. It speaks to the overwhelming nature of divine revelation – something known, yet profoundly other.
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Alienation and Oppression
It can also symbolize the feeling of alienation and oppression. Living as foreigners in Egypt, the Israelites might have felt constantly confronted by a culture, laws, and a language that set them apart, reminding them of their subjugated status. God's decree, therefore, is set against this backdrop of being outsiders.
Understand the original words
eduth · Hebrew Noun
An official decision, enactment, or judicial ruling issued by a sovereign authority, in this case, God.
Yoseph · Hebrew Noun
The son of Jacob whose family settled in Egypt; symbolically used here to refer to the nation of Israel as a whole.
This verse vividly recalls the Exodus from Egypt, a time when the Israelites experienced God's judgment on Egypt and their own miraculous deliverance. The 'language I had not known' likely refers to the incomprehensible Egyptian tongue, highlighting their foreignness and oppression before God's intervention.
~1700 BC
Joseph's Rise in Egypt
Joseph, a Hebrew patriarch, rises to power in Egypt, eventually leading his family to settle there. This sets the stage for the Israelites' long sojourn in Egypt.
c. 1800-1500 BC
Israel's Sojourn and Growth in Egypt
The descendants of Jacob live in Egypt for generations, growing into a large population. During this time, they likely adopted some Egyptian customs and their language may have been influenced.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
The Exodus from Egypt
God leads the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage in a miraculous event. This marks a pivotal moment of deliverance and the establishment of Israel as a nation.
c. 1446 BC
The Passover Institution
God institutes the Passover festival just before the Exodus, a memorial of the final plague and Israel's deliverance. This ordinance serves as a testimony of God's power and faithfulness.
c. 1446 BC
Giving of the Law at Sinai
Shortly after the Exodus, God delivers His Law to the Israelites at Mount Sinai. This includes commandments for various festivals and offerings, serving as a testament to His covenant.
This passage details the institution of the Passover, a foundational event that occurred as Israel was about to leave Egypt, directly connecting to the 'decree in Joseph' and 'when he went out over the land of Egypt' mentioned in Psalms 81:5.
Genesis 42:23This verse describes Joseph's brothers not realizing he could understand them, mentioning that Joseph spoke to them through an interpreter, highlighting the 'language I had not known' aspect of being in Egypt.
Psalm 114:1This verse similarly recounts Israel's departure from Egypt, stating 'When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,' which directly echoes the sentiment of encountering an unknown tongue.
Deuteronomy 28:49This prophetic curse describes a future enemy nation with a 'foreign tongue' that Israel would not understand, illustrating the disorientation and alienation associated with a language barrier, a concept present in Psalms 81:5.
clarkePsalms 81:5: "This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not."
I heard a language I understood not - This passage is difficult. Who heard? And what was heard? All the Versions, except the Chaldee, read the pronoun in the third person, instead of the first. "He heard a language that he understood not." And to the Versions Kennicott reforms the text, שפת לא ידעה ישמע sephath lo yadah yisma; "a language which…
ellicottPsalms 81:5: "This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not."
(5) Joseph. —The prominence given to this name indicates, according to some critics, that the author belonged to the northern kingdom:. but when a poet was wishing to vary his style of speaking of the whole people—the names Israel and Jacob have just been used—the name Joseph would naturally occur, especially with the mention of Egypt, where that…
The phrase "I hear a language I had not known" isn't about the Israelites suddenly understanding Egyptian; it's about God revealing Himself in a new way. This wasn't just a historical event; it was God's voice, previously unheard or misunderstood, declaring His mighty deliverance and setting His people apart.
The psalmist is recalling a foundational event for Israel: their exodus from Egypt. This verse sets the stage by reminding us of God's ordinance for a specific testimony, pointing to the time He powerfully led His people out of their bondage, an experience marked by hearing a foreign language they didn't understand. This moment in Egypt foreshadows the entire psalm's theme of God's faithfulness and His people's need to listen and obey.
The psalmist is recalling a foundational event for Israel: their exodus from Egypt. This verse sets the stage by reminding us of God's ordinance for a specific testimony, pointing to the time He powerfully led His people out of their bondage, an experience marked by hearing a foreign language they didn't understand. This moment in Egypt foreshadows the entire psalm's theme of God's faithfulness and His people's need to listen and obey.
"He made it a decree in Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt. I hear a language I had not known:" — The phrase "I hear a language I had not known" isn't about the Israelites suddenly understanding Egyptian; it's about God revealing Himself in a new way. This wasn't just a historical event; it was G…
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Last reviewed October 2026