Psalms 80

A Prayer for Restoration

1

For the choir director: according to "The Lilies." A testimony of Asaph. A psalm.

1 Listen, Shepherd of Israel, who guides Joseph like a flock;^[a] You who sit enthroned [on] the cherubim,^[b] rise up

2 at the head of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.^[c] Rally Your power and come to save us.

3 Restore us, God; look [on us] with favor,^[d] and we will be saved.

4 Lord God of Hosts, how long will You be angry with Your people's prayers?

5 You fed them the bread of tears and gave them a full measure^[e] of tears to drink.^[f]

6 You set us at strife with our neighbors; our enemies make fun of us.

7 Restore us, God of Hosts; look [on us] with favor, and we will be saved.

8 You uprooted a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations^[g] and planted it.^[h]

9 You cleared [a place] for it; it took root and filled the land.

10 The mountains were covered by its shade, and the mighty cedars^[i] with its branches.

11 It sent out sprouts toward the Sea^[j] and shoots toward the River.^{[k] [l]}

12 Why have You broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its fruit?^[m]

13 The boar from the forest gnaws at it, and creatures of the field feed on it.

14 Return, God of Hosts. Look down from heaven and see;^[n] take care of this vine,

15 the root^[o] Your right hand has planted, the shoot^[p] that You made strong for Yourself.

16 It was cut down and burned up;^[q] they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.

17 Let Your hand be with the man at Your right hand, with the son of man You have made strong for Yourself.

18 Then we will not turn away from You; revive us, and we will call on Your name.

19 Restore us, Lord God of Hosts; look [on us] with favor, and we will be saved.

Psalms 80 Commentary

Chapter 80

The psalmist complains of the miseries of the church. (1-7) Its former prosperity and present desolation. (8-16) A prayer for mercy. (17-19)

Verses 1-7 He that dwelleth upon the mercy-seat, is the good Shepherd of his people. But we can neither expect the comfort of his love, nor the protection of his arm, unless we partake of his converting grace. If he is really angry at the prayers of his people, it is because, although they pray, their ends are not right, or there is some secret sin indulged in them, or he will try their patience and perseverance in prayer. When God is displeased with his people, we must expect to see them in tears, and their enemies in triumph. There is no salvation but from God's favour; there is no conversion to God but by his own grace.

Verses 8-16 The church is represented as a vine and a vineyard. The root of this vine is Christ, the branches are believers. The church is like a vine, needing support, but spreading and fruitful. If a vine do not bring forth fruit, no tree is so worthless. And are not we planted as in a well-cultivated garden, with every means of being fruitful in works of righteousness? But the useless leaves of profession, and the empty boughs of notions and forms, abound far more than real piety. It was wasted and ruined. There was a good reason for this change in God's way toward them. And it is well or ill with us, according as we are under God's smiles or frowns. When we consider the state of the purest part of the visible church, we cannot wonder that it is visited with sharp corrections. They request that God would help the vine. Lord, it is formed by thyself, and for thyself, therefore it may, with humble confidence, be committed to thyself.

Verses 17-19 The Messiah, the Protector and Saviour of the church, is the Man of God's right hand; he is the Arm of the Lord, for all power is given to him. In him is our strength, by which we are enabled to persevere to the end. The vine, therefore, cannot be ruined, nor can any fruitful branch perish; but the unfruitful will be cut off and cast into the fire. The end of our redemption is, that we should serve Him who hath redeemed us, and not go back to our old sins.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ps 100:3; Gn 48:15; Ezk 34:11-16,31
• [b]. 1 Sm 4:4; 2 Sm 6:2; 2 Kg 19:14-15
• [c]. See Nm 2:17-24 for the order of these names in the marching order of the camp of Israel.
• [d]. Ps 4:6; 67:1; Nm 6:24-26
• [e]. Lit a one-third measure
• [f]. Ps 102:9; Isa 30:20; Hs 9:4
• [g]. Ex 23:28-30; 33:2; 34:11
• [h]. Ex 15:17; 2 Sm 7:10; 1 Ch 17:9
• [i]. Lit the cedars of God
• [j]. The Mediterranean
• [k]. The Euphrates
• [l]. Ex 23:31; Dt 11:24; Jos 1:4
• [m]. Ps 89:40-41
• [n]. Ps 33:13; Isa 63:15
• [o]. Hb obscure
• [p]. Or son
• [q]. Lit burned with fire
• [r]. Or may they
• [s]. Ps 85:6; Hs 6:2

Chapter Summary

To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph. Of the word "shoshannim," See Gill on "Ps 45:1," and of "shushaneduth," See Gill on "Ps 60:1" which seems to be the same with this here, and is thought by some to be the name of a musical instrument now unknown, as Kimchi and Ben Melech; though these two words are not to be read together as one, for there is a dividing accent on "shoshannim," and which may be rendered "concerning the lilies" {a}; and so may denote the subject matter of the psalm, or respect the people of God, comparable to lilies for their beauty, purity, and holiness in Christ, Song of Solomon 6:2, and to lilies among thorns, Song of Solomon 2:2, being in great afflictions and persecutions, as appears from Psalm 80:5, the word "eduth" is to be read not along with "shoshannim," but with what follows, thus, "Eduth unto Asaph a psalm"; some render the word "eduth" an ornament or glory, as R. Marinus in Aben Ezra; and take the sense to be, that the psalm was a glorious one, and desirable to Asaph; but it rather signifies a testimony, and is by the Targum interpreted of the testimony of the law; but it is rather to be understood of the testimony of the Gospel, which is the testimony of Christ, and bears witness of him; and there is a testimony of him in this psalm, Psalm 80:17, and there seem to be in it many breathings after his coming and appearance in the flesh. Some take this psalm to be of the same argument with the foregoing, and think it refers to the destruction of the Jews, the two tribes, by the Chaldeans; so Theodoret; but there is no mention made of the temple, nor of Jerusalem, as in the preceding psalm; and besides, why should Manasseh and Ephraim be mentioned? wherefore others are of opinion that it has regard to the captivity of the ten tribes by Salmaneser; but then it may be asked, why is Benjamin taken notice of, which had no concern in the affliction? this has led others to conclude that it respects some time of affliction before either of these captivities, or between them both; and it may be applied to any affliction of the people of God in any age or period of time; and no doubt was written by Asaph, or by David, and put into his hands before the distress was, under a spirit of prophecy. Kimchi interprets it of the present captivity of the Jews, and Jarchi of their three captivities.

{a} Mynvv la "super liliis," Tigurine version, Cocceius; "pro liliis," Musculus.