Works Volume 4, Book 3 · Psalm 80
The Eightieth PSALM.
TO the chief Muſitian upon ‖the he… ▪ chord of the teſtimony, ſee note on Pſal. 40. bShuſhannim Eduth, A Pſalm of Aſaph.
Paraphrase. The eightieth Pſalm is a complaint of the troubles of Gods Church and people, probably in time of captivity, or by way of prediction of it, and prayer for releaſe from them. 'Twas compoſed by Aſaph, and committed to the Praefect of the Muſick, to be ſung to the ſix-ſtringed inſtrument that waited on the Ark, or that was uſed in the ſacred commemorations and feſtivities.
1. Give ear, O thou ſhepherd of Iſrael, thou that leadeſt Joſeph like a flock; thou that dwelleſt between the Cherubims ſhine forth.
Paraphrase. 1. Hearken, O Lord, unto our prayers: Thou art the great governour and defender of thy people, and conducteſt them in all their ways, thou giveſt reſponſes from the oracle, and exhibiteſt thy ſelf by the miniſtry of thy holy Angels to thoſe that make their addreſſes to thee in thy ſanctuary, thou revealeſt thy will to them, and granteſt their petitions; O be thou thus gratiouſly pleaſed to exhibite and manifeſt thy ſelf to us at this time.
2. Before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manaſſes, ſtir up thy ſelf, and come and ſave us.
Paraphrase. 2. Thou once wenteſt along with the Iſraelites in their march from Egypt to Canaan, the three tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manaſſes next following the Ark of thy preſence, and then thou didſt deliver us from all our aſſailants; O let us all now, in like manner as then, the tribes of Iſrael and Judah (both carried away captive, the one under †foreign, A Pſalm concerning the Aſſyrian. LXXII. in the title.Salmanaſar, the other under Nebuchadonoſor) receive deliverance and redemption from thee.
3. Turn us again, O God, and cauſe thy face to ſhine, and we ſhall be ſaved.
Paraphrase. 3. Be thou pleaſed to *foreign reduce us from our captivity, Chald.return our captivity, and reſtore thy favour and loving kindneſs towards us, elſe there is no poſſibility of relief to be hoped for by us.
4. O Lord God of hoſts, how long wilt thou be angry †at foreignagainſt the prayer of thy people?
Paraphrase. 4. We addreſs our ſelves to thee, as to the ſupreme Commander of all the hoſts of Angels, the only Monarch and Governour of heaven and earth, from thee alone we beſeech deliverance; but thou rejecteſt our prayers, and continueſt the evidences of thy diſpleaſure: Lord, be thou at length pleaſed to be reconciled to us.
5. Thou feedeſt them with the bread of *weepingtears, and giveſt them tears to drink in great meaſure.
Paraphrase. 5. We are in continual ſorrow and diſtreſs, and that of the heavieſt ſort, ſhut out and deprived of thy preſence, and have no degree of comfort or refreſhment but our lamentations.
6. Thou makeſt us a ſtrife unto our neighbours, and our enemies laugh among themſelves.
Paraphrase. 6. Thou permitteſt our neighbours that hate us, Edu…aeans, &c. Pſal. 83.6. (ſee note c.) to add their load to our preſſures, to aſſault and invade us, and that ſucceſsfully, to rejoyce and triumph over us.
7. Turn us again, O God of hoſts, and cauſe thy face to ſhine, and we ſhall be ſaved.
Paraphrase. 7. In this ſad conjuncture we have none but thee to flee unto for relief; O be thou pleaſed to ſhew thy ſelf to us in thy power and majeſty, to reſcue us from this captive forlorn ſtate, and reſtore us to thy favour and mercy, to return our captivity, v. 13. and then our neighbours triumphs and depraedations ſhall be at an end, then it ſhall be well with us, who are otherwiſe in a moſt deplorable condition.
8. Thou haſt brought a vine out of Egypt, thou haſt caſt out the heathen and planted it.
9. Thou ‖lookedſt out, or preparedſt the ſoil before it.preparedſt room before it, and didſt cauſe it to take deep root, and it filled the land.
10. The hills were covered with the ſhadow of it, and the †ſtately cedars with the branches thereof.boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.
11. She ſent out her boughs unto the ſea, and her branches unto the river.
Paraphrase. 8, 9, 10, 11. Thou haſt brought this people out of the bondage of Egypt to the moſt fertile and proſperous land, that where the Canaanites, &c. inhabited, as when a vine is tranſplanted from a moſt barren to a moſt fruitfull ſoil, the ſide of an hill; &c. and there, as it is the manner of planters to dreſs and prepare the ſoil exactly, that it may ſpeedily and happily take root, and ſpread and cover the ground, and the boughs of it being ſupported with props or trees, grow into a great height and …th, ſo didſt thou fit the land for their quiet and peace and fertility, and plentiful multiplying, by removing the old …nhabitants, and leaving all to their injoying, and accordingly they very ſoon proſpered as into a very powerful and victorious, ſo into a very large and numerous nation, extending it ſelf on the Weſt to the Mediterranean ſea, and on the Eaſt to Euphrates.
12. Why haſt thou then broken down her hedges, ſo that all they that paſs by the way do pluck her?
13. The boar out of the wood doth waſte it, and the wild beaſt of the field doth devour it.
Paraphrase. 12, 13. But now as when the hedge of a vineyard is broken down, all paſſengers come freely in, and gather the fruits, and the rude ſwine and other wild beaſts break in, and tear and root up all that is planted there; ſo is it with us, thy protection which was our only defenſe being withdrawn for our ſins, the heathen nations round about us (ſee note c. on Pſal. 83.) together with the Kings of Aſſyria and Babylon, thoſe potent tyrants, break in upon us, carry away all our wealth, and even root us out from our dwellings, carry us as captive ſervants into their own lands.
14. Return, we beſeech thee, O Lord of hoſts, look down from heaven, and behold and viſit this vine.
15. And the *root, or plant.vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch which thou madeſt ſtrong for thy ſelf.
Paraphrase. 14, 15. Lord, in this extremity be thou pleaſed to interpoſe thy power for us, to be gratiouſly reconciled to us, and in favour to behold this poor captive people, and Temple, which thine eſpecial providence hath built and ſupported ſo long, the place of thy eſpecial reſidence among us.
16. ‖being cut down it is burnt with fire; they ſhall periſh, (ſee note c.)It is burnt with fire, it is cut down: they periſh at the rebuke of thy countenance.
Paraphrase. 16. For ſince upon our provoking ſins thou haſt withdrawn thy mercy from us, the enemies have broken in and burnt our Temple, and if thou ſtill continue thy wrath, both people and Temple will be utterly conſumed.
17. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the ſon of man whom thou madeſt ſtrong for thy ſelf.
Paraphrase. 17. We have none therefore but thee to whom we may flee for ſuccour, who art juſtly diſpleaſed with us. Yet, O Lord, it is thou which haſt ſet our King over us, thy ſpecial grace and providence, and foreign — to whom thou haſt ſworn with thy right hand, Chald.thy oath made to David and his ſeed, by which the power is veſted on him; though he be but a man, he is yet ſet up and eſtabliſhed by thee, in thy ſtead to adminiſter juſtice among us: O be thou favourably pleaſed to deliver and reſcue him out of all the calamities that are fallen upon him.
18. So will not we go back from thee: quicken us and we will call upon thy Name.
Paraphrase. 18. And this ſhall be the greateſt obligation on us from thee, for ever to cleave faſt to thee in the moſt obediential reliance: Thy reſtoring of us ſhall be ſure to be anſwered by our conſtant returns of prayers and praiſes.
19. Turn us again, O Lord God of hoſts; cauſe thy face to ſhine, and we ſhall be ſaved.
Paraphrase. 19. This therefore is the burthen of our ſong, the ſum of our reiterated requeſt to thee, that as thou haſt an immenſe hoſt and many legions of Angels ready preſt for thy ſervice, which can the next minute perfect any the vaſteſt enterpriſe to which thou ſhalt aſſign them, ſo thou wilt at length return our captivity, reſtore thy ſelf to thy wonted favour and old mercies, caſt ſome beams of thy gracious countenance, evidences of thy being reconciled to us, and then we ſhall certainly be releaſed out of all our afflictions, and till then we have no humane hope of the leaſt reſpite.
Annotations on Pſalm LXXX.
foreignV. 2. Before Ephraim, &c.] What is meant here by foreign before Ephraim, and why Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manaſſes, and no other are here named, muſt be learnt from the order of the Iſraelites march in the Wilderneſs, Num. 2. For there, next after the Ark, the pledge of Gods ſpecial preſence and aſſiſtance, did theſe three tribes follow, Then the Tabernacle of the congregation ſhall ſet forward, &c. v. 17. On the Weſt ſide (i. e. next behind it) ſhall be the ſtandard of the camp of Ephraim v. 18. and his hoſt v. 19. And by him ſhall be the tribe of Manaſſes v. 20. and his hoſt, v. 21. then the tribe of Benjamin and his hoſt, v. 22, 23. Now the returning from the captivity, the deſire whereof is the buſineſs of this Pſalm, being a parallel to the delivery from Egypt, Gods leading them back, ſtirring up himſelf and coming to ſave them, is very fitly begged, and deſcribed in a ſtyle reſembling the former reſcue: There he was ſaid to have ſhined forth, and to have riſen and come, Deut. 33.2. (the Lord came from Sinai, and roſe up from Seir unto them, he ſhined forth from mount Paran, and he came with holy myriads;) and here in like manner, the Pſalmiſt beſeecheth him that dwelleth between the Cherubims, (that ſure is God in the Ark) to ſhine forth, v. 1. and that before theſe three tribes, which next followed the Ark, and to ſtir up himſelf, and come and ſave.
foreignV. 5. Bread of tears] foreign will here be beſt rendred bread of weeping, thereby moſt probably ſignifying the bread of mourners, foreign Hoſ. 9.4. of which it is there ſaid, all that eat thereof ſhall pollute themſelves, the eater was legally unclean, and ſo ſeparated from the congregation; and ſo were they at that time, in the captivity, detained from the comforts of Gods ſolemn worſhip. To which is elegantly added, that foreign tears in the plural,foreign and that foreign in a treble or large meaſure, are the drink apportioned to theſe meats.
foreignV. 9. Preparedſt room] From foreign to look, to turn the face, to bow down, to look out, to look toward any thing, is foreign in Piel, to ſweep, to cleanſe, to remove filth out of the way, and ſo to prepare for the coming of any, to fit or provide an houſe, a way or path. A houſe, and room, Gen. 24.31. Lev. 14.36▪ a way Iſa. 40.3. and 57.14. If this be applied to an houſe, then 'tis to ſweep or cleanſe, and ſo the Interlinear here renders it, ſcopaſti, thou haſt ſwept: if to a way, then 'tis to purge or prepare, Iſa. 57.14. Prepare the way, take up the ſtumbling-block; and ſo the LXXII. here, foreign, thou haſt made or prepared the way before it, (though the Latine rendring, dux itineris fuiſti, thou wert the leader or captain of their journey, ſeem to have lookt toward foreign or foreign a corner, and by metaphor, a captain.) But being applied to the earth, in order to a plantation, as here, it is moſt fitly rendred either looking out, according to the original notion (as Ezek. 20.6. a land that I had eſpied for them) or preparing before-hand, or elſe more probably preparing (not room, but) ſoil for it: and to this fitly follows, and didſt cauſe it to take deep root, that being the proper effect of preparing the ſoil. To the notion of looking out, I ſuppoſe the Syriack is to be underſtood foreign, not as the Latine Tranſlator renders it, intuitus es illam, thou lookeſt on it, but as foreign in Chaldee and Syriack ſignifies alſo ſcrutari, to ſearch, or look out, thou lookedſt out, or didſt ſearch before it, as the twelve ſpies were after appointed to do by Moſes. The Chaldee follow the other notion of ſweeping or purging out, reteining the Hebrew word, ſave only that by way of paraphraſe they thought fit to change it from the figure of a vine to the people of Iſrael, and ſo read foreign thou haſt purged out (or ſwept) from before them the Canaanites.
V. 10. foreignGoodly Cedar-trees] That foreign Cedars of the ſtrong, or as the LXXII. foreign, of God, ſignifie (as mountains of God) tall and lofty Cedars, there is no queſtion. All the doubt is of the Syntaxis, how it lies. And of that the LXXII. give us the faireſt account, reading the whole verſe thus, foreign, the ſhadow thereof covered the hills, and the branches thereof the cedars of God, i. e. covered the Cedars. This ſenſe the Latine exactly follow, Operuit montes umbra ejus, & arbuſta ejus Cedros Dei, the ſhadow of it covered the mountains, and the ſprouts thereof (covered) the Cedars of God. And to this the Hebrew well accords, for as foreign the mountains were covered with the ſhadow is directly equivalent with the ſhadows covering the mountains, foreignſo foreign may beſt be rendred, in the ſame common conſtruction, (repeating foreign were covered, from the former part) and the goodly Cedars were covered with the branches thereof, and that is as perfectly equivalent to the branches covering the Cedars. The Syriack put it out of queſtion, (and after them the Arabick) reading foreign above the Cedars. Thus the Jewiſh Arab, Her ſhadow covered the mountains, and her branches the divine or ſtately Cedars. That the ſides of hills are the moſt commodious places for vineyards is ſufficiently known, as alſo that the vine hath props on which it climbs, and reſts it ſelf, and theſe are lower or higher according to the nature of the ſeveral ſoils or climates; in fertile ſoils, as now adays in Lombardy, they run up the trees, and cover them. And ſo here in an expreſſion of the luxuriant growth of this fruitful vine, it may not unfitly be ſaid in poetical ſtile to run up, and reach the tops of the tall Cedars, as Joſeph is ſaid Gen. 49.22. to be a fruitful bough, whoſe branches run over the wall.
foreignV. 15. The Vineyard] What foreign here ſignifies, is not agreed on by Interpreters. The LXXII. read it as a verb (from foreign to prepare) foreign, and thence the Latine, perfice, make perfect. But there is no appearance of truth in that. The Interlinear reads vitiarium, vineyard, either confounding it with foreign a garden, as the learned Schindler conjectures, or more probably from the notion of foreign for a baſis, and from thence by metaphor the place of habitation, all one with foreign, which being by the antecedents applied to a vine, is a vineyard. But the Chaldee render it foreign a ſprout, for ſo they evidently uſe that word Numb. 13.23. rendring foreign (ſarmentum, or palmitem, a branch, on which was a bunch of grapes) by foreign (and ſo Ezek. 17.6. for foreign branches, they read foreign. The Syriack reads foreign which from foreign fundavit, is conſonant to the notion of foreign a baſis, and applied to a vine may moſt fitly be rendred a root or ſtock, ſuch as is wont to be planted. Thus Dan. 11.7. there ſhall riſe from the branch of her roots, foreign his baſis, the Latine reads plantati… ejus, his plantation, i. e. a rooted ſtock fit to plant. For this we know, that a branch of a vine, being laid in the ground, will take a root to it, and ſo be fit to be tranſplanted. And accordingly Dan. 11.20 for foreign there ſhall ſtand up, or riſe from his baſis, the LXXII. read foreign, there ſhall riſe up out of his root, (and ſo the Arabick alſo) reſolving for us, that (ſpeaking of vines or other ſuch plants) foreign or foreign ſignifies a root, which root being fit for planting, muſt be ſuppoſed to be not a root only, but a ſmall trunk, or ſtalk of the vin… with a root to it; as in that place of Daniel, c. 11.20. out of that foreign root ariſes foreign, which from the notion of foreign in Piel, for propagavit, will ſignifie the very ſame with, foreign, which the Chaldee here uſeth, viz. propago, a plant, of a vine; and ſo in that place of Daniel the LXXII. render it foreign, a plant, and ſo the Arabick alſo. By all this it appears, that foreign here having in its original notion ſomewhat of ſtrength and ſtability, (as when it is uſed for a foot or baſis, Exod. 30.28.31.9. Levit. 8.11. 1 King. 7.29.) and being by the context confined to vines, muſt ſignifie ſuch a ſlip, or young ſtock, or plant, as is fit to be ſet and grow by it ſelf; and accordingly Abu Walid, though he be himſelf of opinion that foreign is the ſame with foreign by change of נ into foreign, yet confeſſes that the moſt of Interpreters take it for foreign. It ſhould probably be foreign, the word which the Jewiſh Arab uſeth, and ſignifies a vine, or any root thereof, (foreign rather ſignifying the burthen or fruit.) And this being by the Maſorites written with a large C ſignifies this eminent plant, the whole people of the Jews, whom God had choſen; and ſo his right hand is truly ſaid to have planted it. And then that will direct us farther in the interpretation of the latter part of the verſe, foreign and the ſon, or, upon the ſon which thou haſt made ſtrong for thy ſelf: foreignwhere as foreign is moſt probably an expletive of no ſignification, (or poſſibly refers to foreign look foregoing, foreign look upon;) ſo foreign ſon, foreignin accordance with foreign the root or plant of the vine, muſt denote the ſon of that plant, and that is according to the Hebrew ſtyle a bough or branch of it. So Gen. 49.22. Joſeph is a fruitful foreign ſon, i. e. bough, by a ſpring, whoſe foreign daughters, i. e. branches, run over the wall; by the ſame proportion as foreign which ſignifies ſucking children, from foreign to ſuck, is here v. 11. uſed for branches. And then in proportion with the people being meant by the root or plant, the branch foreign may ſignifie the foreign rod, or tribe of Judah, the Regal tribe of which David was, who being by God inveſted with power, and as his proxy and miniſter on earth, it is properly ſaid, that God hath made him ſtrong for himſelf. The Chaldee therefore paraphraſe it foreign— on the Meſſiah, i. e. anointed King, whom thou haſt confirmed or eſtabliſhed for thy ſelf. And in the prophetick ſenſe that will be farther extended to Chriſt the King or Ruler of his Church: and ſo ſaith Aben Ezra, this may be underſtood of foreign the Meſſiah Ben-Ephraim, others call him Ben-Joſeph, who they ſay is to be killed in war, (being preſt by the text in Zachary to acknowledge a ſuffering Meſſiah) as Meſſiah Ben David (for they admit of two) is to conquer all the world. R. Obadiah alſo interprets it of the Meſſiah. And the LXXII. reads foreign, and on the ſon of man, and ſo the Latine and Syriack, the title by which any eminent man, a Prince, is fitly expreſt, (and by which Chriſt is ſo frequently called) and ſo moſt expreſly v. 17. the man of Gods right hand, and the ſon of man, not foreign ſon ſimply, but foreign ſon of man, is ſet to ſignifie the King. But it is poſſible alſo, and, I ſuppoſe, more probable, that the foreign or branch may be ſet to denote the Temple, for of that it follows immediately v. 16. It is burnt with fire, it is cut down, or as it may beſt be rendred, foreign being cut down it is burnt with fire, the vine, when 'tis cut down, being good for nothing elſe, Ezek. 15.3, 4. ſhall wood be taken thereof to do any work, or will men take a pin of it to hang any thing thereon? It is caſt into the fire for fewel, the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midſt of it is burnt; is it meet for any work? This belongs not well to the King, but agrees perfectly to the Temple at this time of the captivity. And ſo the phraſe which thou haſt made ſtrong for thy ſelf ſeems to be borrowed from Moſes's ſong, Exod. 15.17. where it is ſpoken of the Temple, Thou ſhalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou haſt made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have eſtabliſhed. And in this ſenſe it will well agree with the foreign or plant foregoing, that ſignifying the nation of the Jews, which God brought in and planted, in Moſes's dialect, and with which the Temple is joyned, Joh. 11.48. they will take away our place and nation, by thoſe two words there expreſſing more plainly what is here in poetick ſtyle, the root or plant, and branch, i. e. the whole Commonwealth of the Jews, ſo ſtiled Mal. 4.1. It ſhall leave them neither root nor branch, People nor Temple. Of both theſe it here follows in the plural foreign they ſhall periſh at the rebuke of thy countenance;foreign i. e. If to the ſpoil of violent men foregoing, the boar out of the wood, and the wild beaſts of the field, v. 13. thou add thine anger and inflictions, both root and branch, People and Temple ſhall be utterly conſumed. To avert which it follows, Let thine hand be upon the man of thy right hand, and the ſon of man, which in all reaſon by the characters of foreign and foreign muſt be interpreted of the King.