Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 80
PSAL. LXXX.
UPon Shoſha…nim Eduth] Which ſome render the lillies of the Teſtimony, and interpret of the Jewiſh politie or Common-wealth called by Joſephus foreign, that is, a God-government. Kimchi ſaith that Shoſha…nim Eduth is ſpecies …oni nobis hodi… ignota, a kind of muſicall ſtrain not known to us now adayes.
Verſ. 1. Give ear, O Shepheard of Iſrael] Thou that feeedeſt thy people, watcheſt over them, defendeſt, redeemeſt, reduceſt them; Thou that handleſt them, cureſt them, waſheſt them, driveſt them as they are able to go, carryeſt them in thy boſome, doeſt all the offices of a good Shepheard for them. In calling upon God, it is wiſdome to make choice of fit appellations and attributes, ſuch as may ſtrengthen our faith, and increaſe our fervour.
Thou that leadeſt Joſeph] Joſeph is named quia nobilis inter fratres, ſaith Auſtin; the firſt-birth-right was taken from Reuben, and given to Joſeph, 1 Chron. 5. hence he is put for the whole people.
Thou that dwelleſt between (or fitteſt upon) the Cherubims] Thoſe winged creatures that covered the mercy-ſeat, the Ark, and the two Tables of the Law within it; And all, to ſet forth Chriſt covering the curſes of the Law, and graciouſly dwelling with the ſons of men, to the admiration of Angels.
Shine forth] Shew thy power in ſaving thy people, and puniſhing their enemies. Shine as the Sun doth in his ſtrength.
Verſ. 2. Before Ephraim Benjamin and Manaſſeh] Theſe three Tribes went next after the Ark, when it removed, Num 2. & 10.
Stir up thy ſtrength] Which ſeemeth at preſent to lye, dormant.
Verſ. 3. Turn us again] Turn again our captivity, or ſhew thy ſelf reconciled unto us in Chriſt, who is here called the face of God, as ſome conceive.
Verſ. 4. O Lord God of Hoaſts] Jehova bellipotens Deus. God hath his upper and nether forces, as his horſe and foot ready preſt, ſay the Rabbines.
How long wilt thou be angry?] Heb. Wilt thou ſmoak? As angry people ſeem to ſend out ſmoak at their noſtrils.
Againſt the prayer of thy people] This is a ſore affliction to the Saints, that their prayers ſeem to be ineffectuall.
Verſ. 5. Thou feedeſt them with the bread of tears] Panibus fletu intinct is. Chald. Kimchi.It is as ordinary with them to weep, as it is with men to eat and drink.
And giveſt them tears to drink in great meaſure] Trientales they are Tricongii in a ſenſe, to their ſorrow. They are afflicted even to utmoſt ſatiety. See Pſal. 42.3.Act. & Mon. 1457. Holy Bradford oft muſed at his meat, having his hat over his eyes, from whence came commonly plenty of tears dropping on his trencher.
Verſ. 6. Thou makeſt us a ſtrife unto our neighbours] We have as many enemies as neighbours, all ſtriving to enſlave us. We are cruſht betwixt them as corn is betwixt milſtones.
And our enemies laugh among themſelves] Make them merry in our miſery, revel in our ruines.
Verſ. 7. Turn us again O God of Hoaſts] See verſ. 3. and obſerve that there it was only; Turn us again, O God, here O God of Hoaſts, and verſe 19. O Lord God of Hoaſts. As the bird by much waving gathereth wind under the wing, and mounteth higher; ſo doth faith in prayer, vireſ que acquirit eundo.
Verſ. 8. Thou haſt brought a vine out of Egypt] The Church is oft ſet forth by this ſmilitude. The Rabbins ſay, that Solomon made a vine of gold in the Temple. Athenaeus telleth us, that the Kings of Perſia ſat under a golden vine having bunches of ſmaragds and other ſtately ſtones.Lib. 12. All this was nothing to Gods Vine that plant of renown, brought out of Egypt (where it got no good, Ezek. 20.8) and ſet in a better ſoil.
Verſ. 9. Thou preparedſt room for it] Eſpying out a fit place to plant it in, Ezek. 20.6. and making clean work before it, as ſome render the words,Expurgaſti coram ca. by pulling up thoſe bad and barren weeds the Canaanites, that might have hindred its growth.
And didſt cauſe it to take deep root] viz. by thy digging, dreſſing, watering and mounding it; as of all poſſeſſions, none requireth greater care than that of Vineyards ſaith Cato; and there is peculiar affection in men toward the Vine above all trees, as another obſerveth.
Verſ. 10. The hills were covered, &c.] The Iſraelites grew amain in wealth, Power and multitude of men; witneſſe their huge armies, and valiant acts, though the Country was not above two hundred miles long, and fifty miles broad.
Verſ. 11. She ſent out her bough… unto the Sea] The midland Sea.
And her branches unto the river] Euphrates. This was firſt done in Davids dayes.
Verſ. 12. Why hast thou then broken down her hedges?] i. e. Taken away thy mighty hand hitherto held over her. This befell not till they degenerated into a ſtrange Vine, Jer. 2. and brought forth wild grapes. Iſa. 5.
Verſ. 13. The Boar out of the Wood] All Swine (but wild ones eſpecially) are vitibus inimici, ſaith Theodoret, deſtructions to Vines. And Melancthon thinks that therefore God forbad the Jews to eat Swines fleſh Eo quod ſues omnia ſurſum deorſum vertant vaſtent que , becauſe they turn up all; rooting things up by the roots,Manl. loc. com. as the word here ſignifieth. Auſtin underſtands it of Veſpaſian, others of Antiochus, Exvineavit. foreign, Sept. Luk. 1.78.or Antichriſt.
And the wild beaſt] The ſouldiers, 2 Chron. 25.18.
Verſ. 14. Viſit this Vine] Some underſtand it of Chriſts incarnation.
Verſ. 15. And the Vineyard] Vitiarium, ſurculum, plantulam.
Verſ. 16. They periſh] Scilicet palmites, & propagines, verſe 10, 11.
Verſ. 17. The man of thy right hand] i. e. Iſrael, or the Meſſiah.
Verſ. 18. So will not we go back] A promiſe of gratitude, which is uſually annexed to prayers for deliverance.
Verſ. 19. Turn us again] See verſe 7. Prayers are like arrows of deliverance, which would be multiplied and enlarged, 2 King. 13.17.