Psalms 80

¹To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

²Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.

Psa 80:1-19. Shoshannim--“Lilies” (see on Psa 45:1, title). Eduth--Testimony, referring to the topic as a testimony of God to His people (compare Psa 19:7). This Psalm probably relates to the captivity of the ten tribes, as the former to that of Judah. Its complaint is aggravated by the contrast of former prosperity, and the prayer for relief occurs as a refrain through the Psalm. 1-2. Joseph--for Ephraim (1Ch 7:20-29; Psa 78:67; Re 7:8), for Israel. Shepherd--(Compare Ge 49:24). leadest, &c.--(Psa 77:20). dwellest ... cherubim--(Ex 25:20); the place of God’s visible glory, whence He communed with the people (He 9:5). shine forth--appear (Psa 50:2; 94:1).

³Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

3. Turn us--that is, from captivity. thy face to shine--(Nu 6:25).

⁴O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?

4. be angry--(Compare Margin.)

⁵Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.

5. bread of tears--still an Eastern figure for affliction.

⁶Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.

6. strife--object or cause of (Is 9:11). On last clause compare Psa 79:4; Eze 36:4.

⁸Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.

⁹Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.

¹⁰The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.

¹¹She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.

8-11. brought--or, “plucked up,” as by roots, to be replanted. a vine--(Psa 78:47). The figure (Is 16:8) represents the flourishing state of Israel, as predicted (Ge 28:14), and verified (1Ki 4:20-25).

¹²Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?

12. hedges--(Is 5:5).

¹³The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.

13. The boar--may represent the ravaging Assyrian and the wild beast--other heathen.

¹⁴Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;

¹⁵And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.

14-15. visit this vine--favorably (Psa 8:4).

¹⁶It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.

16. it--the “vine” or they--the “people” are suffering from Thy displeasure.

¹⁷Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.

17. thy hand ... upon--that is, strengthen (Ezr 7:6; 8:22). man of ... hand--may allude to Benjamin (Ge 35:18). The terms in the latter clause correspond with those of Psa 80:15, from “and the branch,” &c., literally, and confirm the exposition given above.

¹⁸So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.

18. We need quickening grace (Psa 71:20; 119:25) to persevere in Thy right worship (Ge 4:26; Ro 10:11).

¹⁹Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

19. (Compare Psa 80:3, “O God”; Psa 80:7, “O God of hosts”).