To the chief musician, on Shoshannim-eduth A psalm of Asaph
80:Title Shoshannim eduth probably indicated the tune to be used when singing this psalm. It means “Lilies of the covenant”. This is similar to Psalms 74 and 79. Israel’s enemies have triumphed, God’s people are in great trouble. Note on Asaph at Ps 74.⚜
80
📚Give ear, O Shepherd 📖 of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who dwell between
the cherubim 📖, shine forth.
2 📚Before Ephraim and Benjamin
and Manasseh stir up
your strength,
and come and save us.
80:2 The mention of the tribe of Joseph in verse 1 and the tribes descended from Joseph’s two sons, along with Benjamin indicate that the disaster described in this psalm probably had to do with the northern kingdom and took place many years after Asaph wrote. In the march of Israel through the wilderness Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin were together immediately behind the ark (Num 2:18-24), and Ephraim became the leading tribe in Israel before the rise of Judah under David (Ps 78:9, 67, 68).⚜
3 📚Restore us, O God, and cause your
face to shine 📖;
and we will be saved.
80:3 Verses 7,19. This prayer for restoration would have been fitting for many occasions in the history of Israel, and is still fitting for us today. The first phrase could also be translated “revive us”. Prayers for revival are always important to God, always necessary for men. It is something He wants to do (Ps 85:6; 2 Chron 7:14; Isa 57:15; Hos 6:2; Hab 3:2).⚜
4 📚O LORD God of hosts,
how long will you be angry
with the prayer of your people?
80:4 Is it possible that God would ever be angry with the prayers of His people? Yes. And He is angry with them when they indulge in evil and refuse to repent (Isa 1:15-17).⚜
5 📚You feed them with the bread
of tears and give them a great
many tears to drink.
80:5 Tears for both food and drink! And notice that God Himself has done it.⚜
6 📚You make us an object of
strife to our neighbours,
and our enemies laugh among
themselves.
7 📚Restore us again, O God
of hosts,
and cause your face to shine;
and we will be saved.
8 📚You brought a vine out
of Egypt.
You drove out the nations
and planted it.
9 📚You prepared room for it
and caused it to take deep root,
and it filled the land.
10 📚The hills were covered
with its shadow,
and the mighty cedars
with its branches.
11 📚It sent out its boughs to the sea,
and its branches to the Euphrates River.
80:11 At its greatest extent under Solomon Israel controlled the area between the Euphrates river and the Mediterranean Sea (“the sea”).⚜
12 📚Why then have you broken down its walls,
so that all who pass by the way
pick its grapes?
80:12 Walls speak of God’s protection around His people (Job 1:10). God may remove it for purposes of testing or chastisement or punishment.⚜
13 📚The boar out of the woods ruins it,
and the wild beast of the field devours it.
80:13 The surrounding nations.⚜
14 📚Return, we beseech you, O God of hosts!
Look down from heaven, and see,
and visit this vine,
15 📚And the vineyard which your right hand
has planted,
and the branch that you made strong for
yourself.
16 📚It is burned with fire, it is cut down.
They perish at the rebuke of your countenance.
80:14-16 Asaph reminded God that it is God’s vine that is being destroyed and begged Him to look after His own property. A prayer, no doubt, God is not reluctant to answer.⚜
17 📚Let your hand be on the man of your right
hand,
on the son of man whom you made strong
for yourself.
80:17 Benjamin (v 2) means “son of the right hand”. But the complete fulfillment of this prayer can be seen only in the Lord Jesus. The Son of man is a title which He very often used of Himself (note at Matt 8:20). Benjamin was the son of Jacob’s right hand. Jesus is the Son of God’s right hand – the One especially honored and exalted (Acts 5:30-31). When He bore our sins as our substitute God’s hand was on Him to punish sin. Later the same hand exalted Him to the highest place in the universe – Eph 1:19-22; Phil 2:9-11.⚜
18 📚Then we will not turn back from you.
Revive us, and we will call on your name.
80:18 When God’s hand is on the Son of His right hand it will have eternal results. He is the one who will keep His people from turning away from God. To enable us to call on God as we ought in spirit and in truth we need to be given new life. And when we are given this new life we will certainly call on God.⚜
19 📚Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;
cause your face to shine,
and we will be saved.