Psalms 80:1 «To 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. _Upon Shoshannim-Eduth_] Which some render the lilies of the testimony, and interpret of the J... [ Continue Reading ]
Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come [and] save us. Ver. 2. _Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh_] These three tribes went next after the ark, when it removed, Numbers 2:18,24; Numbers 10:22,24 _ Stir up thy strength_] Which seemeth at present to lie dormant... [ Continue Reading ]
Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. Ver. 3. _Turn us again_] Turn again our captivity, or show thyself reconciled unto us in Christ, who is here called the face of God, as some conceive.... [ Continue Reading ]
O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? Ver. 4. _O Lord God of hosts_] _Iehova bellipotens Deus._ God hath his upper and nether forces, as his horse and foot, ready pressed, say the Rabbis. _ How long wilt thou be angry_] Heb. wilt thou smoke? As angry pe... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure. Ver. 5. _Thou feedest them with the bread of tears_] _Panibus fletu intinctis_ (Chald.). It is as ordinary with them to weep as it is with men to eat and drink (Kimchi). _ And givest them tears to drink in... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves. Ver. 6. _Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours_] We have as many enemies as neighbours, all striving to enslave us. We are crushed between them as corn is between millstones. _ And our enemies laugh among th... [ Continue Reading ]
Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. Ver. 7. _Turn us again, O God of hosts_] See Psalms 80:3, and observe that there it was only, "Turn us again, O God," here, "O God of hosts," and Psalms 80:19, "O Lord God of hosts." As the bird by much waving gather... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it._ Ver. 8. _Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt_] The Church is oft set forth by this similitude. The Rabbis say that Solomon made a vine of gold in the temple. Athenaeus telleth us that the kings of Persia sat... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou preparedst [room] before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. Ver. 9. _Thou preparedst room before it_] Espying out a fit place to plant it in, Ezekiel 20:6, and making clean work before it, as some render the words (_Expurgasti coram ea_), by pulling up those bad... [ Continue Reading ]
The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof [were like] the goodly cedars. Ver. 10. _The hills were covered, &c._] The Israelites grew amain in wealth, power, and multitude of men; witness their huge armies and valiant acts, though the country was not above 200 miles long,... [ Continue Reading ]
She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river. Ver. 11. _She sent out her boughs unto the sea_] The midland sea. _ And her branches unto the river_] Euphrates. This was first done in David's days.... [ Continue Reading ]
Why hast thou [then] broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? Ver. 12. _Why hast thou then broken down her hedges?_] _i.e._ Taken away thy mighty hand hitherto held over her. This befell not till they degenerated into a strange vine, Jeremiah 2:21, and brought fo... [ Continue Reading ]
The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it. Ver. 13. _The boar out of the wood_] All swine (but wild ones especially) are _vitibus inimici,_ saith Theodoret, destructions to vines. And Melancthon thinks that therefore God forbad the Jews to eat swine's fl... [ Continue Reading ]
Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine; Ver. 14. _Visit this vine_] Some understand it of Christ's incarnation, Luke 1:78 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch [that] thou madest strong for thyself. Ver. 15. _And the vineyard_] _Vitiarium, surculum, plantulam._... [ Continue Reading ]
__ Psalms 80:16 _[It is] burned with fire, [it is] cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance._ Ver. 16. _They perish_] _Scilicet palmites, et propagines,_ Psalms 80:10,11 .... [ Continue Reading ]
Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man [whom] thou madest strong for thyself. Ver. 17. _The man of thy right hand_] _i.e._ Israel, or the Messiah.... [ Continue Reading ]
So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. Ver. 18. _So will not we go back_] A promise of gratitude, which is usually annexed to prayers for deliverance.... [ Continue Reading ]
Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. Ver. 19. _Turn us again_] See Psalms 80:7. Prayers are like arrows of deliverance, which would be multiplied and enlarged, 2 Kings 13:17 .... [ Continue Reading ]