This very touching and beautiful psalm purports also to be a psalm of Asaph. Compare the notes at the title to Psalms 73. On the phrase “upon Shoshannim-eduth” in the title, see the notes at the title to Psalms 45. and notes at Psalms 60:1. The word rendered eduth, which means testimony, may have be... [ Continue Reading ]
GIVE EAR - Incline the ear; as if the ear of God was then turned away, or as if he was inattentive to what was occurring. See the notes at Psalms 5:1. O Shepherd of Israel. See the notes at Psalms 23:1. THOU THAT LEADEST JOSEPH LIKE A FLOCK - Joseph, the father of Ephraim and Manasseh. See the notes... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE EPHRAIM, AND BENJAMIN, AND MANASSEH - Ephraim and Manasseh were the two sons of Joseph, and their names were given to two of the tribes of Israel. See the notes at Psalms 78:67. They seem to have been particularly mentioned here, because Joseph, their father, had been referred to in the previ... [ Continue Reading ]
TURN US AGAIN - This phrase in our translation would seem to mean, “Turn us again from our sins,” or, “Bring us back to our duty, and to thy love;” and this idea is commonly attached to the phrase probably by the readers of the Bible. But this, though in itself an appropriate prayer, is not the idea... [ Continue Reading ]
O LORD GOD OF HOSTS - Yahweh, God of armies. That is either (a) the God who rules among the hosts of heaven - the inhabitants of that holy world; or (b) God of the hosts of the sky - the worlds above - the stars, that seem marshalled as hosts or armies, and that are led forth each night with such... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU FEEDEST THEM WITH THE BREAD OF TEARS - literally, “Thou causest them to eat the bread of tears,” or of weeping. That is, their food was accompanied with tears; even when they ate, they wept. Their tears seemed to moisten their bread, they flowed so copiously. See the notes at Psalms 42:3. AND... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU MAKEST US A STRIFE - An occasion of strife or wrangling; that is, of strife among themselves, to see who will get the most of our spoils; or of contention, to see which could do most to aggravate their sufferings, and to bring disgrace and contempt upon them. They were emulous with each other i... [ Continue Reading ]
TURN US AGAIN, O GOD OF HOSTS ... - This verse is the same as Psalms 80:3, except that here the appeal is to the “God of hosts;” there, it is simply to “God.” This indicates greater earnestness; a deeper sense of the need of the interposition of God, indicated by the reference to his attribute as th... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST BROUGHT A VINE OUT OF EGYPT - Referring to his people, under the image (which often occurs in the Scriptures) of a vine or vineyard. See the notes at Isaiah 5:1. Compare Jeremiah 2:21; Ezekiel 15:6; Matthew 20:1; Matthew 21:28, Matthew 21:33; Luke 13:6. THOU HAST CAST OUT THE HEATHEN - The... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU PREPAREDST ROOM BEFORE IT - The Hebrew word used here means properly to turn; to turn the back; then, to turn in order to look at anything; to look upon; to see; then, in Piel, to cause to turn away; to remove. Then it comes to mean to remove, or to clear from impediments so as to prepare a way... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HILLS WERE COVERED WITH THE SHADOW OF IT - That is, It made a shade, by its luxuriant foliage, on the hills in every part of the land; it seemed to cover all the hills. AND THE BOUGHS THEREOF WERE LIKE THE GOODLY CEDARS - Margin, as in Hebrew, cedars of God; that is, lofty, majestic cedars. See... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE SENT OUT HER BOUGHS UNTO THE SEA - To the Mediterranean Sea on the one side. AND HER BRANCHES - Her sucklings. The word is usually applied to little children, and means here the little branches that are nourished by the parent vine. UNTO THE RIVER - The Euphrates, for so the river usually mean... [ Continue Reading ]
WHY HAST THOU THEN BROKEN DOWN HER HEDGES? - Why hast thou dealt with thy people as one would with a vineyard who should break down all its enclosures, and leave it open to wild beasts? The word rendered hedges means wall or enclosure. Compare the notes at Isaiah 5:2. SO THAT ALL THEY WHICH PASS BY... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BOAR OUT OF THE WOOD - Men come in and ravage the land, whose character may be compared with the wild boar. The word rendered boar means simply swine. The addition of the phrase “out of the wood” determines its meaning here, and shows that the reference is to wild or untamed swine; swine that ro... [ Continue Reading ]
RETURN, WE BESEECH THEE, O GOD OF HOSTS - Again come and visit thy people; come back again to thy forsaken land. This is language founded on the idea that God had withdrawn from the land, or had forsaken it; that he had left his people without a protector, and had left them exposed to the ravages of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE VINEYARD ... - Gesenius renders this as a verb: “Protect;” that is, “Protect or defend what thy right hand hath planted.” So the Septuagint renders it κατάρτισαι _katartisai_ - and the Vulgate, _perfice_, fit, prepare, order. Prof. Alexander renders it sustain. DeWette, “Guard what thy righ... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS BURNED WITH FIRE - That is, the vineyard. This is a description of the desolations that had come upon the nation, such as would come upon a vineyard if it were consumed by fire. IT IS CUT DOWN - It has been made desolate by fire and by the axe. THEY PERISH AT THE REBUKE OF THY COUNTENANCE -... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THY HAND BE UPON THE MAN OF THY RIGHT HAND - Luther renders this, “Let thy hand guard the folks of thy right hand, and the people whom thou hast powerfully chosen.” The right hand is the place of honor; and the phrase “the man of thy right hand” means one who occupies such a position of honor. T... [ Continue Reading ]
SO WILL NOT WE GO BACK FROM THEE - That is, if thou wilt thus interpose; if thou wilt deliver the nation; if thou wilt help him whom thou hast placed over it, giving him wisdom and valor, we will hereafter be obedient to thy law; we will not apostatize from thee. It is a solemn promise or pledge of... [ Continue Reading ]
TURN US AGAIN, O LORD GOD OF HOSTS ... - See Psalms 80:3, note; Psalms 80:7, note; Psalms 80:14, note. This is the sum and the burden of the psalm. The repetition of the prayer shows the earnestness of the people, and their conviction that their only hope in their troubles was that God would interpo... [ Continue Reading ]