80:1(To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of
Asaph.) Give ear, a O Shepherd of Israel, thou that
leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest [between]
the b cherubims, shine forth.
(a) This Psalm was made as a prayer to desire God to be
merciful to the ten tribes.
(b) Move their hearts, that they may return to worship God
properly, that is, in the place you have appointed.
80:3c Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and
we shall be saved.
(c) Join your whole people, and all your tribes together
again.
80:4 O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be d angry
against the prayer of thy people?
(d) The faithful fear God's anger, when they perceive that
their prayers are not heard immediately.
80:6 Thou makest us a e strife unto our neighbours: and our
enemies laugh among themselves.
(e) Our neighbours have continual strife and war against
us.
80:7f Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to
shine; and we shall be saved.
(f) Because recompence only comes from God, they most
instantly and repeatedly call on God for it is a means
by which they shall be saved.
80:8 Thou hast brought a g vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast
out the heathen, and planted it.
(g) Seeing that from your mercy you have made us a most
dear possession to you, and we through our sins are
made open for wild beasts to devour us, declare again
my love and finish the work that you have begun.
80:11 She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches
unto the h river.
(h) That is, Euphrates.
80:13 The i boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild
beast of the field doth devour it.
(i) That is, they who hate our religion, as well as they
who hate our persons.
80:14 Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down k
from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;
(k) They gave no place to temptation, knowing that even
though there was no help in earth, yet God was able to
help them from heaven.
80:15 And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and
the branch [that] thou madest l strong for thyself.
(l) So that no power can prevail against it, and which as
a young bud you raised up again as out of the burnt
ashes.
80:16 [It is] burned with fire, [it is] cut down: they perish at
the m rebuke of thy countenance.
(m) Only when you are angry and not of the sword of the
enemy.
80:17 Let thy hand be upon the n man of thy right hand, upon
the son of man [whom] thou madest strong for thyself.
(n) That is, on this vine or people, whom you have planted
with your right hand, that they should be as one man
or one body
80:18 So will not we go back from thee: o quicken us, and we
will call upon thy name.
(o) For no one can call on God but such as are raised up as
it were from death to life, and regenerate by the Holy
Spirit.
