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Psalm Eighty
Psalm 80
Chapter Contents
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)
Commentary on Psalm 80:1-7
(Read Psalm 80:1-7)
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.
Commentary on Psalm 80:8-16
(Read Psalm 80:8-16)
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.
Commentary on Psalm 80:17-19
(Read Psalm 80:17-19)
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.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Psalms》
Psalm 80
Verse 1
[1] Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph
like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.
Joseph — The children of Joseph or Israel. The name of Joseph,
the most eminent of the patriarchs, is elsewhere put for all the tribes.
Cherubim — Which were by the mercy seat above the ark.
Verse 2
[2] Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy
strength, and come and save us.
Before Ephraim — Here is an allusion to the
ancient situation of the tabernacle in the wilderness, where these tribes were
placed on the west-side of the tabernacle, in which the ark was, which
consequently was before them.
Verse 3
[3] Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and
we shall be saved.
Turn us — To thy self.
Verse 9
[9] Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to
take deep root, and it filled the land.
Preparedst — Thou didst root out the
idolatrous nations.
Deep root — Thou gavest them a firm
settlement.
Verse 10
[10] The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the
boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.
The hills — They filled not only the fruitful
valleys, but even the barren mountains.
Verse 11
[11] She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches
unto the river.
The river — They possessed the whole land,
from the mid-land sea to the river Euphrates.
Verse 12
[12] Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all
they which pass by the way do pluck her?
Hedges — Taken away thy protection.
Verse 16
[16] It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at
the rebuke of thy countenance.
They — Thy people, signified by the vine. So now he passes
from the metaphor to the thing designed by it.
Verse 17
[17] Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the
son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.
Be — To protect and strengthen him.
Right-hand — Benjamin signifies the son of the
right hand, a dearly beloved son, as Benjamin was to Jacob.
Son of man — The people of Israel, who are
often spoken of as one person, as God's son and first-born.
Verse 18
[18] So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we
will call upon thy name.
Go back — Revolt from thee to idolatry or wickedness.
Quicken — Revive and restore us to our tranquility.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Psalms》
Exposition
Explanatory Notes and
Quaint Sayings
Hints to the Village
Preacher
Other Works
TITLE. To the
Chief Musician upon Shoshannim Eduth. For the fourth time we have a song
upon Shoshannim, or the lilies; the former ones being Psalms 45, 60, and 69.
Why this title is given it would be difficult to say in every case, but the
delightfully poetical form of the present Psalm may well justify the charming
title. Eduth signifies testimony. The Psalm is a testimony of the church
as a "lily among thorns." Some interpreters understand the present
title to refer to an instrument of six strings, and Schleusner translates the
two words, "the hexachord of testimony." It may be that further
research will open up to us these "dark sayings upon a harp." We
shall be content to accept them as evidence that sacred song was not lightly
esteemed in the days of old. A Psalm of Asaph. A latter Asaph we should
suppose, who had the unhappiness to live, like the "last minstrel,
"in evil times. If by the Asaph of David's day, this Psalm was written in
the spirit of prophecy, for it sings of times unknown to David.
DIVISION. The Psalm
divides itself naturally at the refrain which occurs three times: "Turn us
again, O God, "etc. Ps 80:1-3 is an opening address to the Lord God of
Israel; from Ps 80:4-7 is a lamentation over the national woe, and from Ps
80:8-19 the same complaint is repeated, the nation being represented in a
beautiful allegory as a vine. It is a mournful Psalm, and its lilies are lilies
of the valley.
EXPOSITION
Verse
1. "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel." Hear thou the
bleatings of thy suffering flock. The name is full of tenderness, and hence is
selected by the troubled psalmist: broken hearts delight in names of grace.
Good old Jacob delighted to think of God as the Shepherd of Israel, and this
verse may refer to his dying expression: "From thence is the Shepherd, the
stone of Israel." We may be quite sure that he who deigns to be a shepherd
to his people will not turn a deaf ear to their complaints. "Thou that
leadest Joseph like a flock." The people are called here by the name
of that renowned son who became a second father to the tribes, and kept them
alive in Egypt; possibly they were known to the Egyptians under the name of
"the family of Joseph, "and if so, it seems most natural to call them
by that name in this place. The term may, however, refer to the ten tribes of
which Manasseh was the acknowledged head. The Lord had of old in the wilderness
led, guided, shepherded all the tribes; and, therefore, the appeal is made to
him. The Lord's doings in the past are strong grounds for appeal and
expectation as to the present and the future. "Thou that dwellest
between the cherubims, shine forth." The Lord's especial presence was
revealed upon the mercyseat between the cherubim, and in all our pleadings we
should come to the Lord by this way: only upon the mercyseat will God reveal
his grace, and only there can we hope to commune with him. Let us ever plead
the name of Jesus, who is our true mercyseat, to whom we may come boldly, and
through whom we may look for a display of the glory of the Lord on our behalf.
Our greatest dread is the withdrawal of the Lord's presence, and our brightest
hope is the prospect of his return. In the darkest times of Israel, the light
of her Shepherd's countenance is all she needs.
Verse
2. "Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy
strength, and come and save us." It is wise to mention the names of
the Lord's people in prayer, for they are precious to him. Jesus bears the
names of his people on his breastplate. Just as the mention of the names of his
children has power with a father, so it is with the Lord. The three names were
near of kin; Ephraim and Manasseh represent Joseph, and it was meet that
Benjamin, the other son of the beloved Rachel, should be mentioned in the same
breath: these three tribes were wont to march together in the wilderness,
following immediately behind the ark. The prayer is that the God of Israel
would be mighty on behalf of his people, chasing away their foes, and saving his
people. O that in these days the Lord may be pleased to remember every part of
his church, and make all her tribes to see his salvation. We would not mention
our own denomination only, but lift up prayer for all the sections of the one
church.
Verse
3. "Turn us again, O God." It is not so much said,
"turn our captivity, "but "turn us." All will come right if
we are right. The best turn is not that of circumstances but of character. When
the Lord turns his people he will soon turn their condition. It needs the Lord
himself to do this, for conversion is as divine a work as creation; and those
who have been once turned unto God, if they at any time backslide, as much need
the Lord to turn them again as to turn them at the first. The word may be read,
"restore us; "verily, it is a choice mercy that "he restoreth my
soul." "And cause thy face to shine." Be favourable to us, smile
upon us. This was the high priest's blessing upon Israel: what the Lord has
already given us by our High Priest and Mediator we may right confidently ask
of him. "And we shall be saved." All that is wanted for salvation is
the Lord's favour. One glance of his gracious eye would transform Tophet into
Paradise. No matter how fierce the foe, or dire the captivity, the shining face
of God ensures both victory and liberty. This verse is a very useful prayer.
Since we too often turn aside, let us often with our lips and heart cry,
"Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be
saved."
Verse
4. "O Lord God of Hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against
the prayer of thy people?" How long shall the smoke of thy wrath drown
the smoking incense of our prayers? Prayer would fain enter thy holy place, but
thy wrath battles with it, and prevents its entrance. That God should be angry
with us when sinning seems natural enough, but that he should be angry even
with our prayers is a bitter grief. With many a pang may the pleader ask,
"How long?" Commander of all the hosts of thy creatures, able to save
thy saints in their extremity, shall they for ever cry to thee in vain?
Verse
5. "Thou feedest them with the bread of tears."
Their meat is seasoned with brine distilled from weeping eyes. Their meals,
which were once such pleasant seasons of social merriment, are now like funeral
feasts to which each man contributes his bitter morsel. Thy people ate bread of
wheat before, but now they receive from thine own hand no better diet than
bread of tears. "And givest them tears to drink in great measure."
Tears are both their food and their drink, and that without stint. They swallow
tierces of tears, and swim in gulfs of grief, and all this by God's own
appointment; not because their enemies have them in their power by force of
arms, but because their God refuses to interpose. Tear bread is even more the
fruit of the curse than to eat bread in the sweat of one's face, but it shall
by divine love be turned into a greater blessing by ministering to our
spiritual health.
Verse
6. "Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours."
Always jealous and malicious, Edom and Moab exulted over Israel's troubles, and
then fell to disputing about their share of the spoil. A neighbour's jeer is
ever most cutting, especially if a man has been superior to them, and claimed
to possess more grace. None are unneighbourly as envious neighbours. "And
our enemies laugh among themselves." They find mirth in our misery, comedy
in our tragedy, salt for their wit in the brine of our tears, amusement in our
amazement. It is devilish to sport with another's griefs; but it is the
constant habit of the world which lieth in the wicked one to make merry with
the saints' tribulations; the seed of the serpent follow their progenitor and
rejoice in evil.
Verse
7. "Turn us again, O God of hosts." The prayer
rises in the form of its address to God. He is here the God of Hosts. The more
we approach the Lord in prayer and contemplation the higher will our ideas of
him become.
Verse
8. "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt." There
it was in unfriendly soil: the waters of the Nile watered it not, but were as
death to its shoots, while the inhabitants of the land despised it and trampled
it down. Glorious was the right hand of the Lord when with power and great
wonders he removed his pleasant plant in the teeth of those who sought its
destruction. "Thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it." Seven
nations were digged out to make space for the vine of the Lord; the old trees,
which long had engrossed the soil, were torn up root and branch; oaks of
Bashan, and palm trees of Jericho were displaced for the chosen vine. It was
securely placed in its appointed position with divine prudence and wisdom.
Small in appearance, very dependent, exceeding weak, and apt to trail on the
ground, yet the vine of Israel was chosen of the Lord, because he knew that by
incessant care, and abounding skill, he could make of it a goodly fruit bearing
plant.
Verse
9. "Thou preparedst room before it." The weeds,
brambles, and huge stones were cleared; the Amorites, and their brethren in
iniquity, were made to quit the scene, their forces were routed, their kings
slain, their cities captures, and Canaan became like a plot of land, made ready
for a vineyard. "And didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the
land." Israel became settled and established as a vine well rooted, and
then it began to flourish and to spread to every side. This analogy might be
applied to the experience of every believer in Jesus. The Lord has planted us,
we are growing downward, "rooting roots, "and by his grace we are
also advancing in manifest enlargement. The same is true of the church in a yet
closer degree, for at this moment through the goodwill of the dresser of the
vineyard her branches spread far and wide.
Verse
10. "The hills were covered with the shadow of it."
Israel dwelt up the mountains' summits, cultivating every foot of soil. The
nation multiplied and became so great that other lands felt its influence, or
were shadowed by it. "And the boughs thereof were like the goodly
cedars." The nation itself was so great that even its tribes were powerful
and worthy to take rank among the mighty. A more correct rendering describes
the cedars as covered with the vine, and we know that in many lands vines climb
the trees, and cover them. What a vine must that be which ascends the cedars of
God, and even overtops them! It is a noble picture of the prosperity of the
Israelitish people in their best days. In Solomon's time the little land of
Israel occupied a high place among the nations. There have been times when the
church of God also has been eminently conspicuous, and her power has been felt
far and near.
Verse
11. "She sent out her boughs unto the sea." Along
the Mediterranean and, perhaps, across its waters, Israel's power was felt.
"And her branches unto the river." On her Eastern side she pushed her
commerce even to the Euphrates. Those were brave days for Israel, and would
have continued, had not sin cut them short. When the church pleases the Lord,
her influence becomes immense, far beyond the proportion which her numbers or her
power would lead us to expect; but, alas! when the Lord leaves her she becomes
as worthless, useless, and despised as an untended vine, which is of all plants
the most valueless.
Verse
12. "Why hast thou then broken down her hedges?"
Thou hast withdrawn protection from her after caring for her with all this
care; wherefore is this, O Lord? A vine unprotected is exposed to every form of
injury; none regard it, all prey upon it: such was Israel when given over to
her enemies; such has the church full often been. "So that all they which
pass by the way do pluck her." Her cruel neighbours have a pluck at her,
and marauding bands, like roaming beasts, must needs pick at her. With God no
enemy can harm us, without him none are so weak as to be unable to do us damage.
Verse
13. The boar out of the wood doth waste it. Such creatures are
famous for rending and devouring vines. Babylon, like a beast from the marshes
of the Euphrates, came up and wasted Judah and Israel. Fierce peoples,
comparable to wild swine of the forest, warred with the Jewish nation, until it
was gored and torn like a vine destroyed by greedy hogs. And the wild beast of
the field doth devour it. First one foe and then another wreaked vengeance on
the nation, neither did God interpose to chase them away. Ruin followed ruin;
the fox devoured the young shoots which had been saved from the damage wrought
by the boar. Alas, poor land. How low wast thou brought! An oak or cedar might
have been crushed by such ravages, but how canst thou endure it, O weak and
tender vine? See what evils follow in the train of sin, and how terrible a
thing it is for a people to be forsaken of their God.
Verse
14. Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts. Turn thyself to
us as well as us to thee. Thou hast gone from us because of our sins, come back
to us, for we sigh and cry after thee. Or, if it be too much to ask thee to
come then do at least give us some consideration and cast an eye upon our
griefs. Look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine. Do not close thine
eyes; it is thy vine, do not utterly turn away from it as though it were quite
gone from thy mind. Great Husbandman, at least note the mischief which the
beasts have done, for then it may be thy heart will pity, and thy hand will be
outstretched to deliver.
Verse
15. And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted. Shall
all thy care be lost? Thou has done so much, wilt thou lose thy labour? With
thy power and wisdom thou didst great things for thy people, wilt thou now
utterly give them up, and suffer thine enemies to exult in the evil which they
delight in? And the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. A prayer for
the leader whom the Lord had raised up, or for the Messiah whom they expected.
Though the vine had been left, yet one branch had been regarded of the Lord, as
if to furnish a scion for another vine; therefore, is the prayer made in this
form. Let us pray the Lord, if he will not in the first place look upon his
church, to look upon the Lord Jesus, and then behold her in mercy for his sake.
This is the true art of prayer, to put Christ forward and cry, "Him and
then the sinner see, Look through Jesus' wounds on me."
Verse
16. It is burned with fire. In broken utterances the sorrowful
singer utters his distress. The vineyard was like a forest which has been set
on fire; the choice vines were charred and dead. It is cut down. The cruel axe
had hacked after its murderous fashion, the branches were lopped, the trunk was
wounded, desolation reigned supreme. They perish at the rebuke of thy
countenance. God's rebuke was to Israel what fire and axe would be to a vine.
His favour is life, and his wrath is as messengers of death. One angry glance
from Jehovah's eye is sufficient to lay all the vineyards of Ephraim desolate.
O Lord, look not thus upon our churches. Rebuke us, but not in anger.
Verse
17. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand. Let thy
power rest on thy true Benjamin, son of thy right hand; give a commission to
some chosen man by whom thou wilt deliver. Honour him, save us, and glorify
thyself. There is no doubt here an outlook to the Messiah, for whom believing
Jews had learned to look as the Saviour in time of trouble. Upon the son of man
whom thou madest strong for thyself. Send forth thy power with him whom thou
shalt strengthen to accomplish thy purposes of grace. It pleases God to work
for the sons of men by sons of men. "By man came death, by man came also
the resurrection from the dead." Nations rise or fall largely through the
instrumentality of individuals: by a Napoleon the kingdoms are scourged, and by
a Wellington nations are saved from the tyrant. It is by the man Christ Jesus
that fallen Israel is yet to rise, and indeed through him, who deigns to call
himself the Son of Man, the world is to be delivered from the dominion of Satan
and the curse of sin. O Lord, fulfil thy promise to the man of thy right hand,
who participates in thy glory, and give him to see the pleasure of the Lord
prospering in his hand.
Verse
18. So will not we go back from thee. Under the leadership of one
whom God had chosen the nation would be kept faithful, grace would work
gratitude, and so cement them to their allegiance. It is in Christ that we
abide faithful; because he lives we live also. There is no hope of our
perseverance apart from him. Quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. If the
Lord gives life out of death, his praise is sure to follow. The Lord Jesus is
such a leader, that in him is life, and the life is the light of men. He is our
life. When he visits our souls anew we shall be revived, and our praise shall
ascend unto the name of the Triune God.
Verse
19. Turn us again, O Lord God of Hosts. Here we have another
advance in the title and the incommunicable name of Jehovah, the I AM is
introduced. Faith's day grows brighter as the hours roll on; and her prayers
grow more full and mighty. Cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. Even
we who were so destroyed. No extremity is too great for the power of God. He is
able to save at the last point, and that too by simply turning his smiling face
upon his afflicted. Men can do little with their arm, but God can do all things
with a glance. Oh, to live for ever in the light of Jehovah's countenance.
EXPLANATORY
NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS
TITLE. It is an Asaph
prayer again, full of pleas in Israel's behalf. It is as if they had before
them Isa 63:1, "Then he remembered the days of old." They call to his
mind the days of Joseph, when (Ge 49:24) the Lord miraculously fed them
in Egypt. And then the tabernacle days, when (first, since the days of
Eden), the Lord was known to dwell between the cherubim, on the mercyseat. They
call to his mind wilderness times (verse 2), when their march was
gladdened by his presence, "Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh" looking
on the Pillar of Glory as it rose before them, the guide and partner of their
way (see Nu 10:32-34) "O God, bring us back again! Cause thy face to
shine! and all shall be well again!" Andrew A. Bonar.
Verse
1. The prophet does not nakedly begin his prayer, but mingles therewith
certain titles, by which he most aptly addresses God, and urges his cause. He
does not say, O you who sustain and govern all things which are in heaven and
in earth, who hast placed thy dwelling place above the heaven of heavens; but,
Thou who art the Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock,
thou that dwellest between the cherubims. Those things which enhance the favour
and providence of God revealed to Israel, he brings to remembrance that he
might nourish and strengthen confidence in prayer...Let us learn from this
example to feed and fortify our confidence in praying to God, with the marks of
that divine and paternal kindness revealed to us in Christ our Shepherd and
propitiation. Musculus.
Verse
1. "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel." It is the part
of the shepherd to give ear to the bleatings and cries of the sheep, to call
them to mind, that he may readily run to their help. Venema.
Verse
1. "O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a
flock." Yon shepherd is about to lead his flock across the river; and,
as our Lord says of the good shepherd, you observe that he goes before, and the
sheep follow. Not all in the same manner, however. Some enter boldly, and come
straight across. These are the loved ones of the flock, who keep hard by the
footsteps of the shepherd, whether sauntering through green meadows, by the
still waters, feeding upon the mountains, or resting at noon beneath the shadow
of great rocks. And now others enter, but in doubt and alarm. Far from their
guide, they miss the ford, and are carried down the river, some more, some
less, and yet, one by one, they all struggle over and make good their landing.
Notice those little lambs. They refuse to enter, and must be driven into the
stream by the shepherd's dog, mentioned by Job in his "parable." Poor
things! how they leap and plunge, and bleat in terror! That weak one yonder
will be swept quite away, and perish in the sea. But, no; the shepherd himself
leaps into the stream, lifts it into his bosom, and bears it trembling to the
shore. All safely over, how happy they appear. The lambs frisk and gambol about
in high spirits, while the older ones gather round their faithful guide, and
look up to him in subdued but expressive thankfulness.
Now,
can you watch such a scene, and not think of that Shepherd who leadeth Joseph
like a flock, and of another river which all his sheep must cross? He too, goes
before, and, as in the case of this flock, they who keep near him fear no evil.
They hear his sweet voice saying, "When thou passest through the waters, I
will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee."
With eyes fastened on him, they scarcely see the stream, or feel its cold and
threatening waves. The great majority, however, "linger, shivering on the
brink, and fear to launch away." They lag behind, look down upon the dark
river, and, like Peter on stormy Gennesaret, when faith failed, they begin to
sink. Then they cry for help, and not in vain. The Good Shepherd hastens to
their rescue, and none of all his flock can ever perish. Even the weakest
lambkins are carries safely over. I once saw flocks crossing the Jordan
"to Canaan's fair and happy land, "and there the scene was even more
striking and impressive. The river was broader, the current stronger, and the
flocks larger, while the shepherd's were more picturesque and Biblical. The
catastrophe, too, with which many more sheep were threatened—of being swept
down into that mysterious sea of death, which swallows up the Jordan
itself,—was more solemn and suggestive. W. M. Thomson, in "The Land and
the Book."
Verse
1. "Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock." Thou
that leadest Joseph like a flock art considered by the unbelieving to have no
thoughts for our affairs; therefore stretch forth thine hand for our
assistance, that the mouth of them that speak iniquities may be shut. We seek
not gold and riches, or the dignities of this world, but we long for thy light,
we desire more ardently to know thee, therefore "shine forth." Savonarola.
Verse
1. "Thou that dwellest between the cherubims." From
this phrase the following ideas may be derived:
1.
That God is a King, sitting on his throne, and surrounded by his "ministers."
His throne is the heavens, the symbol of which is the holy of holies, his "ministers"
are "angels, "and are elsewhere distinguished by that name, as
Genesis 3; Ps 18:11;
2.
that God is the "King" of Israel, dwelling among them by the
external symbol of his presence. His most illustrious ministers are depicted by
the "Cherubims, "who comprehend his heavenly as well as
earthly ministers;
3.
that God is the covenant "King" of his people, and has fixed
his dwelling place above the "ark of the covenant, "an
argument that he will observe the covenant and fulfil its promises, that he
will guard his people, and procure for them every felicity;
4.
lastly, that God is willing to reveal to the people his grace and mercy
through the covering of the ark, called the "mercyseat, "on
which God sat. Venema.
Verse
2. "Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh." The three
tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, the three sons of Rachel, went
immediately behind the ark. Whenever the ark arose against the enemy, Moses
used to exclaim, "Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and
let them that hate thee flee before thee." The Psalmist repeats this
exclamation. "Cause thy face to shine upon us, " was the blessing of
Aaron; the psalmist prays for the renewal of that blessing. Augustus F.
Tholuck.
Verse
3. "Turn us, and cause thy face to shine." To thyself
convert us, from the earthly to the heavenly; convert our rebellious wills to
thee, and when we are converted, show thy countenance that we may know thee;
show thy power that we may fear thee; show thy wisdom that we may reverence
thee; show thy goodness that we may love thee; show them once, show them a
second time, show them always, that through tribulation we may pass with a
happy face, and be saved. When thou dost save, we shall be saved; when thou
withdrawest thy hand, we cannot be saved. Savonarola.
Verse
4. "Lord God of hosts." All creatures are mustered,
and trained, and put into garrison, or brought forth into the field, by his
command. Which way can we look beside his armies? If upward into heaven, there
is a band of soldiers, even a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, Lu
2:13. If to the lower heavens, there is a band of soldiers, Ge 2:1; it was universa
militia caeli, to which those idolaters burnt incense. On the earth, not
only men are marshalled to the service; so Israel was called the "host of
the living God; "but even the brute creatures are ranged in arrays. So God
did levy a band of flies against the Egyptians; and a band of frogs that
marched into their bed chambers. He hath troops of locusts, Pr 30:27, and armies
of caterpillars. Not only the chariots and horsemen of heaven to defend his
prophet; but even the basest, the most indocible, and despicable creatures,
wherewith to confound his enemies. If Goliath stalk forth to defy the God of
Israel, he shall be confuted with a pebble. If Herod swells up to a god, God
will set his vermin on him, and all the king's guard cannot save him from them.
You have heard of rats that could not be beaten off till they had destroyed
that covetous prelate; and of the fly that killed Pope Adrian. God hath more
ways to punish than he hath creatures. "The Lord God of Hosts"
is not properly a title of creation, but of Providence. All creatures have
their existence from God as their Maker; but so have they also their order from
him as their Governor. It refers not so much to their being as to their
marshalling; not to their natural but militant estate; not only as creatures do
they owe him for their making, but as they are soldiers for their managing.
Their order is warlike, and they serve under the colours of the Almighty. So
that here, God would be respected, not as a creator, but as a general. His anger,
therefore, seems so much the more fearful, as it is presented to us under so
great a title: "the Lord God of Hosts" is angry. They
talk of Tamerlane that he could daunt his enemies with the very look of his
countenance. Oh! then what terror dwells in the countenance of an offended God!
The reprobates shall call to the rocks to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb.
Re 6:16. If ira agni doth so affright them, how terrible is ira
leonis, the wrath of the lion? It may justly trouble us all to hear that
the Lord, "the Lord God of Hosts, "is angry; in the
sense whereof the prophet breaks forth here into this expostulation: "O
Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry with thy people that
prayeth?" Thomas Adams.
Verse
4. "Angry against the prayer of thy people." There
may be infirmities enough in our very prayers to make them unacceptable. As if
they be Exanimes, without life and soul; when the heart knows not what
the tongue utters. Or Perfunctoriae, for God will have none of those
prayers that come out of feigned lips. Or Tentativae, for they that will
petere tentando, tempt God in prayer, shall go without. Or Fluctuantes,
of a wild and wandering discourse, ranging up and down, which the Apostle calls
"beating the air," as huntsmen beat the bushes, and as Saul sought
his father's asses. Such prayers will not stumble upon the kingdom of heaven.
Or if they be Preproperae, run over in haste, as some use to chop up
their prayers, and think long till they have done. But they that pray in such
haste shall be heard at leisure. Or sine fiducia; the faithless man had
as good hold his peace as pray; he may babble, but prays not; he prays
ineffectually, and receives not. He may lift up his hands, but he does not lift
up his heart. Only the prayer of the righteous availeth, and only the believer
is righteous. But the formal devotion of a faithless man is not worth the crust
of bread which he asks. Or sine humilitate, so the pharisee's prayer was
not truly supplicatio, but superlatio. A presumptuous prayer
profanes the name of God instead of adoring it. All, or any, of these defects
may mar the success of our prayers. Thomas Adams.
Verse
5. "In great measure." The Hebrew shalish is
the name of a measure, so called of three, as containing a third part
of the greatest measure, four times as big as the usual cup to drink in. Henry
Ainsworth.
Verse
7. "Turn us again, O God of hosts." See Ps 80:3 and
observe that there it was only, "Turn us again, O God, "here "O
God of hosts, "and Ps 80:19, "O Lord God of hosts."
As the bird by much waving gathers wind under the wing, and mounts higher, so
does faith in prayer: viresque acquirit eundo. John Trapp.
Verse
7. Salvation may be certainly expected in God's order; and if we
labour to be sure of our turning to God, and living in the sense of communion
with him, we need not make question of salvation, for that shall follow
infallibly on the former two. "Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause
thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." The last is not put up by
way of prayer here, but promised to themselves, and put out of question, that
it shall follow; "Turn us, so shall we be saved, "say they. David
Dickson.
Verse
8. "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt, "etc.
The blessings are here placed before us in figurative language, taken from the vine,
and the care usually expended upon it. They are,
1.
The transplanting of the vine from an unfruitful to a very rich and fertile
soil.
2.
Its plantation and care.
3.
Its incredible fruitfulness derived hence. Venema.
Verses
8-19. Mant's version of the passage is so exquisite that we quote it in
full:
8.
Thy hands from Egypt brought a goodly vine, And planted fair in fertile
Palestine;
9.
Cleared for its grasping roots the unpeopled land, And gave it high to rise,
and firm to stand.
10.
Far over the eternal hills her shadow spread, Her tendrils wreathed the cedar's
towering head;
11.
And, as the centre of the land she stood, Her branches reaches the sea, her
boughs the eastern flood.
12.
Why hast thou now her hedges rent away, And left her bare, the passing
traveller's prey?
13.
The field fed beast devours each tender shoot, Fierce from the wood the boar
assails her root.
14.
Return, O God; from heaven thine eyes incline; Behold, and visit this neglected
vine:
15.
Regard the plant, thou once didst love so well, And chief thy pleasant branch,
the hope of Israel.
16.
Burnt though she be and rent, her haughty foe The deathly terrors of thy wrath
shall know.
17.
But on the man, by thee with strength array'd, The Son of Man by thee for
conquest made,
18.
Thy hand shall rest; till we thy triumph see, Resound thy praise, and still
remember thee.
19.
Turn us again, thou God of heaven's high powers, Beam with thy radiance forth,
and peace shall still be ours.
Verse
14. Look down from heaven, and behold. This prayer is fit for
none but the truly contrite, and those who are in heart returning. Otherwise,
with what conscience could we entreat God to look down from heaven and behold
our affairs? Should we not inflame his anger all the more, if, besides living
in sin, we dared to challenge the all holy eyes of God to behold from heaven
our wickedness? Musculus.
Verse
14. Look down from heaven. Thou hast gone far from us, thou
hast ascended to heaven. Thou hast departed from us, look down at least upon us
from heaven, if thou art not willing to descend to earth, if our sins do not
merit this. Savonarola.
Verse
14. Visit this vine. Still it has roots, still some branches
are living. In the beginning of the world it began, and never has failed, and
never will. For thou hast said, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of
the world. It may be diminished, it can never utterly fall. This vine is the
vine which thou hast planted. There is one spirit, one faith, one baptism, one
God, and Lord of all, who is all in all. Visit, then, this vine, for thy
visitation preserves her spirit; visit by thy grace, by thy presence, by thy
Holy Spirit. Visit with thy rod, and with thy staff; for thy rod and thy staff
comfort her. Visit with thy scourge that she may be chastened and purified, for
the time of pruning comes. Cast out the stones, gather up the dry branches, and
bind them in bundles for burning. Raise her up, cut off the superfluous shoots,
make fast her supports, enrich the soil, build up the fence, and visit this
vine, as now thou visitest the earth and watereth it. Savonarola.
Verse
17. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, etc.
Neither the church, nor any member thereof needeth any more security for their
stability and perpetuation, but Christ; for now when the vineyard is burnt, and
the visible church defaced, the remnant are content to rest satisfied with
this, which also they take for granted, and do subscribe unto it: Let thy
hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest
strong for thyself. The consanguinity of Christ with the believer, and his
humiliation in his human nature, are strong supporters of the faith and comfort
of his people that do seek salvation through him; therefore do the faithful
here fix themselves on this, that as he is God's Son, so he is a branch of
their vineyard also; that as he is at the right hand of the Father as God, so
he is the man of his right hand also; the Son of Man, or of Adam,
partaker of flesh and blood with us, of the same stock that we are of, in all
things like to us, except sin; for the Son of Man is the style whereby
Christ styled himself in his humiliation. The perpetuity of the church, and the
perseverance of the saints, is founded upon the sufficiency of Christ; and the
unfeigned believer may assure himself, as of the continuance of the church, so
of his own perseverance and constant communion with God through him. Let thy
hand be upon the man of thy right hand, etc.; so will not we go back
from thee. David Dickson.
Verse
17. The man of thy right hand... The Son of Man. These
striking expressions apply in the fullest and most perfect sense to Christ. If the
Man of God's right hand be the man placed there, to whom can the title
apply but to him? for, to which of the angels said God at any time, Sit thou
on my right hand? Heb 1:5; and much less has he said this of any Jewish
king. As to the other appellation, The Son of Man, it is one of Christ's
most definite titles, being given to him in Scripture no less than seventy-one
times; in sixty-seven instances by himself; once by Daniel; once by the martyr
Stephen; and twice by the Apostle John in the Revelation. He it is, too, whom
the Father has made strong for the salvation of his church, and who will yet
turn away captivity from the chosen people, and restore them to a place in the
church, so that henceforth they will not go back from God. Editorial Note to
Calvin in loc.
Verse
17. The man of thy right hand. The man of the right hand is,
1. Most
dear, whom one holds equally dear with his own right hand, Mt 5:29-30.
Jacob called the son of his most beloved wife, Benjamin, the son of his right
hand, Ge 35:18, who was so dear to him that his life was bound up in the lad's
life, Ge 44:30.
2. Most
honoured; a man upon whom one wishes to confer the highest honour, is
placed at the right hand as Solomon placed his mother, 1Ki 2:19, and the spouse
stands at the right hand, Ps 45:10. Sitting down at the right hand is in
Scripture a proof of the greatest honour.
3. Allied,
because covenants and mutual agreements are ratified by giving the right hand,
2Ki 10:15. Jehu said to Jehonadab, Is thy heart right? and Jehonadab
answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand.
The right hand used to be given, as in Ga 2:9. The man of God's right hand,
therefore, is one most dear to God, most honoured and joined with him in
covenant. James Alting. 1618-1679.
Verse
17. Though the phrase, man of thy right hand, may have an
immediate reference to the King who ruled in Judah when this Psalm was penned,
it must ultimately and most properly intend Jesus Christ, the great antitype of
all the kings of David's line. The New Testament is the best interpreter of the
Old; and it assures us that this highly dignified man is the Son of God. Heb
1:1,3,13. But if we would understand the genuine import of the phrase, we must
attend to a custom which obtained in Judea and other eastern countries. At
meals, the master of the feast placed the person whom he loved best on his
right hand, as a token of love and respect; and as they sat on couches, in the
intervals between the dishes, when the master leaned on his left elbow, the man
at his right hand, leaning also on his, would naturally repose his head on the
master's bosom, while at the same time the master laid his right hand on the
favourite's shoulder or side, in testimony of his favourable regards. This
custom is obviously referred to in Joh 21:20, where John is called the
disciple whom Jesus loved, who also leaned on his breast at supper. Now,
since Christ is called the man of God's right hand, this says that he is
the object of his warmest and most honourable regards. In him he is well
pleased, and in token of this, he has set him in the most honourable place. He
is the Son of Man, whom the Father made to stand strong for himself, i.e.,
to support the honour and dignity of the divine character amidst a perverse and
crooked generation: the consideration of the Father's right hand being upon
him, or of the Father's satisfaction in him as our Surety, serves to animate
and embolden our addresses to his throne, and is the keenest incitement to put
in practice that resolution, Henceforth will we not go back from thee.
Alexander Pirie.
Verse
18. So will not we, etc. How are we to understand the
connection between this and the preceding words? It may be understood two ways.
1. As
it would oblige them to the yielding of steadfast obedience; it would lay
them under a special engagement never to revolt any more, as they had done; if
God would grant this request, it would be a most eminent tie and bond upon them
to the most constant and faithful service.
2. As
it would enable them to yield such obedience. And this I conceive to be
chiefly aimed at; if God would lay such help upon Christ for them, they should
receive power by that means to discharge their duty to him better than ever
heretofore; though they were very feeble and wavering, false and treacherous of
themselves, yet here would be a successful remedy. Timothy Cruso.
Verse
19. During distress God comes; and when he comes it is no more
distress. Gaelic Proverb.
Verse
19. Turn us again. How well that we can look to God when our
face is set wrong, that he may turn us, and so his face shine on us, as to
bring blessing and present deliverance to his people. J. N. Darby.
HINTS TO THE
VILLAGE PREACHER
Verse
1. In what respects the Lord acted as a Shepherd to Israel, as
illustrative of his dealings with his Church.
Verse
2. Salvation expected in connection with the people of God, their
prayers, labours, and daily service.
Verse
3. The double work in salvation, (1) Turn us; (2) Turn to us.
Verse
4. What prayers they are which make God angry.
Verse
5. Unpalatable provender.
1.
Analyze the Provision.
2. Note the hand which sends it.
3. Consider the healthfulness of the diet.
4. Remember the alleviating accompaniments.
Verse
7. Conversion, communion, confidence of salvation.
Verses
8-15. Parallel between the Church and a vine.
Verse
12.
1.
The hedges of the Church.
2. Their removal.
3. The deplorable consequences.
Verse
13. What are the greatest enemies of the Church? Where do they come
from? How shall we defeat them?
Verses
17-18. The power of God seen in Jesus, the cause of the perseverance of
the saints.
Verse
18 (last clause). The need of quickening in order to
acceptable worship.
WORKS UPON THE
EIGHTIETH PSALM
Hieronymi
Savonarolae Ferrariensis Meditationes in Psalmos—Miserere—In Te Domine
Speravi, et Qui Regis Israel (12mo. Leyden: 1633).
A
Few Words on the Eightieth Psalm. By CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH. 1835.
── C.H. Spurgeon《The Treasury of David》