1 <To the chief music-maker; put to Shoshannim-eduth. Of Asaph. A Psalm.> Give ear, O Keeper of Israel, guiding Joseph like a flock; you who have your seat on the winged ones, let your glory be seen.
The Lord is King; let the peoples be in fear: his seat is on the winged ones; let the earth be moved.
You were guiding your people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
And David, and all the people who were with him, went to Baal of Judah to get the ark of God, over which the holy name is named, the name of the Lord of armies, whose place is between the winged ones.
So the people sent to Shiloh and got the ark of the agreement of the Lord of armies whose resting-place is between the winged ones; and Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were there with the ark of God's agreement.
Up! let your face be bright, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is shining on you.
And between the living beings it was like burning coals of fire, as if flames were going one after the other between the living beings; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went thunder-flames.
And I will put over them one keeper, and he will give them food, even my servant David; he will give them food and be their keeper.
And there was the glory of the God of Israel coming from the way of the east: and his voice was like the sound of great waters, and the earth was shining with his glory.
The porter lets him in; and the sheep give ear to his voice; he says over the names of the sheep, and takes them out. When he has got them all out, he goes before them, and the sheep go after him, for they have knowledge of his voice.
I am the good keeper; I have knowledge of my sheep, and they have knowledge of me,
Because, like sheep, you had gone out of the way; but now you have come back to him who keeps watch over your souls.
And at the coming of the chief Keeper of the sheep, you will be given the eternal crown of glory.
<To the chief music-maker; put to Shoshannim. Of David.> Be my saviour, O God; because the waters have come in, even to my neck.
He said, The Lord came from Sinai, dawning on them from Seir; shining out from Mount Paran, coming from Meribath Kadesh: from his right hand went flames of fire: his wrath made waste the peoples.
What profit is it to you to be cruel, to give up the work of your hands, looking kindly on the design of evil-doers?
<To the chief music-maker on wind instruments. A Psalm. Of David.> Give ear to my words, O Lord; give thought to my heart-searchings.
<To the chief music-maker; put to Shoshannim. Of the sons of Korah. Maschil. A Song of loves.> My heart is flowing over with good things; my words are of that which I have made for a king; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
<To the chief music-maker, on Neginoth. Maschil. Of David.> Give hearing to my prayer, O God; and let not your ear be shut against my request.
<To the chief music-maker; put to Shushan-eduth. Michtam. Of David. For teaching. When he was fighting against Aram-naharaim and Aramzobah, when Joab came back, and put twelve thousand of the Edomites to death, in the Valley of Salt.> God, you have put us away from you, you have sent us in all directions, you have been angry; O be turned to us again.
And their wings are to be outstretched over the cover, and the winged ones are to be opposite one another, facing the cover. And put the cover over the ark, and in the ark the record which I will give you. And there, between the two winged ones on the cover of the ark, I will come to you, face to face, and make clear to you all the orders I have to give you for the children of Israel.
But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.
Take us back again, O God; let us see the shining of your face, and let us be safe.
Take us back again, O God of armies; let us see the shining of your face, and let us be safe.
O God, in whose hands is punishment, O God of punishment, let your shining face be seen.
He will give food to his flock like a keeper of sheep; with his arm he will get it together, and will take up the lambs on his breast, gently guiding those which are with young.
Saying to those who are in chains, Go free; to those who are in the dark, Come out into the light. They will get food by the way wherever they go, and have grass-lands on all the dry mountain-tops. They will not be in need of food or drink, or be troubled by the heat or the sun: for he who has mercy on them will be their guide, taking them by the springs of water.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 80
Commentary on Psalms 80 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 80
This psalm is much to the same purport with the foregoing. Some think it was penned upon occasion of the desolation and captivity of the ten tribes, as the foregoing psalm of the two. But many were the distresses of the Israel of God, many perhaps which are not recorded in the sacred history some whereof might give occasion for the drawing up of this psalm, which is proper to be sung in the day of Jacob's trouble, and if, in singing it, we express a true love to the church and a hearty concern for its interest, with a firm confidence in God's power to help it out of its greatest distresses, we make melody with our hearts to the Lord. The psalmist here,
This, as many psalms before and after, relates to the public interests of God's Israel, which ought to lie nearer to our hearts than any secular interest of our own.
To the chief musician upon Shoshannim, Eduth. A psalm of Asaph.
Psa 80:1-7
The psalmist here, in the name of the church, applies to God by prayer, with reference to the present afflicted state of Israel.
Psa 80:8-19
The psalmist is here presenting his suit for the Israel of God, and pressing it home at the throne of grace, pleading with God for mercy and grace for them. The church is here represented as a vine (v. 8, 14) and a vineyard, v. 15. The root of this vine is Christ, Rom. 11:18. The branches are believers, Jn. 15:5. The church is like a vine, weak and needing support, unsightly and having an unpromising outside, but spreading and fruitful, and its fruit most excellent. The church is a choice and noble vine; we have reason to acknowledge the goodness of God that he has planted such a vine in the wilderness of this world, and preserved it to this day. Now observe here,