80:1Cherubim are mighty angels. That God is “enthroned above the cherubim’” is a reminder of his presence on the Ark of the Covenant {Exodus 25:17-22).
Life Application Study BiblePsalmsChapter 80
Psalm 80
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 929, 930, 931
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
80Psalm 80
1For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph, to be sung to the tune 6Lilies of the Covenant.”
7Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel,you who lead Joseph's descendants like a flock.
O God, enthroned above the cherubim,display your radiant glory2 to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.Show us your mighty power.Come to rescue us!3 Turn us again to yourself, O God.Make your face shine down upon us.Only then will we be saved.4 O LORD God of Heaven's Armies,how long will you be angry with our prayers?5 You have fed us with sorrowand made us drink tears by the bucketful.6 You have made us the scorn* of neighboring nations.Our enemies treat us as a joke.7 Turn us again to yourself, O God of Heaven’s Armies.Make your face shine down upon us.Only then will we be saved.
8You brought us from Egypt like a grapevine;you drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us into your land.
9You cleared the ground for us,and we took root and filled the land.
10Our shade covered the mountains;our branches covered the mighty cedars.
11We spread our branches west to the Mediterranean Sea;our shoots spread east to the Euphrates River.*
12But now, why have you broken down our wallsso that all who pass by may steal our fruit?
13The wild boar from the forest devours it,and the wild animals feed on it.
14Come back, we beg you, O God of Heaven's Armies.Look down from heaven and see our plight.Take care of this grapevine15 that you yourself have planted,this son you have raised for yourself.
16For we are chopped up and burned by our enemies.May they perish at the sight of your frown.
17Strengthen the man you love,the son of your choice.
18Then we will never abandon you again.Revive us so we can call on your name once more.
19Turn us again to yourself, O LORD God of Heaven's Armies.Make your face shine down upon us.Only then will we be saved.
Theme: A holiday hymn. This hymn celebrates the Exodus from Egypt—God’s goodness versus Israel’s waywardness. God is our deliverer in spite of our wanderings. Author: Asaph, probably written to be used during the Festival of Shelters 81 For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.*
Textual footnotes
- 80:6 As in Syriac version; Hebrew reads the strife.
- 80:11 Hebrew west to the sea,... east to the river.
Life Application Notes 3 notes
80:3,7Twice the writer calls on God to “turn us again to yourself.” Before God can turn us to himself, we must turn away from sin. Repentance involves humbling ourselves and turning to God to receive his forgiveness. As we turn to God, he helps us see ourselves, including our sin, more clearly. Then, as we see our sin, we must repeat the process of repentance. Only then can we constantly be restored to fellowship with God.
80:17“The son of your choice” is probably not the Messiah but Israel, whom God calls elsewhere his “firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22). The psalm writer is making a plea that God would restore his mercy to Israel, the people he chose to bring his message into the world.
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