1 For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm of Asaph. Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 It should also be known that often the very orders of blessed spirits take on the names of orders neighboring them. For we have said that the Thrones, that is, the seats of God, are a special order of blessed spirits, and yet it is said by the Psalmist: "You who sit upon the cherubim, appear," because, evidently, since in those very distinctions of hosts the cherubim are joined…
2 before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Rally Your mighty power and come to save us.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 What is, "Thou that feedest Israel, hearken, Thou that conducteth Joseph like sheep"? (ver. 1). He is being invoked to come, He is being expected until He come, He is being yearned for until He come. Therefore may He find "men guiding:" "Thou that conductest," he saith, "Joseph like sheep:" Joseph himself like sheep. Joseph himself are the sheep, and Joseph himself is a sheep.
3 Restore us, O God, and cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "O God, convert us." For averse we have been from You, and unless You convert us, we shall not be converted. "And illumine Your face, and we shall be saved" [Psalm 80:3]. Hath He anywise a darkened face?
4 O LORD God of Hosts, how long will Your anger smolder against the prayers of Your people?
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "O Lord God of virtues, how long will You be angry with the prayer of Your servant?" [Psalm 80:4]. Now Your servant. You were angry at the prayer of Your enemy, will You still be angry with the prayer of Your servant? You have converted us, we know You, and will You still be angry with the prayer of Your servant?
5 You fed them with the bread of tears and made them drink the full measure of their tears.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "You will feed us with the bread of tears, and wilt give us to drink with tears in measure" [Psalm 80:5]. What is, "in measure"? Hear the Apostle: "Faithful is God, who does not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able to bear." [1 Corinthians 10:13] The measure is, according to your powers: the measure is, that you be instructed, not that thou be crushed.
Caesarius of Arles · AD 542 We have said this, brothers, so that you may know that in the Old Testament God's justice orders a year's punishment to make up for the sin of one day. In other words, the people were tormented in the desert for forty years because of the defection of forty days.
6 You make us contend with our neighbors; our enemies mock us.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "You have set us for a contradiction to our neighbours" [Psalm 80:6]. Evidently this did come to pass: for out of Asaph were chosen they that should go to the Gentiles and preach Christ, and should have it said to them, "Who is this proclaimer of new demons?" "You have set us for a contradiction to our neighbours." For they were preaching Him who was the subject of the contradi…
7 Restore us, O God of Hosts, and cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 For conversion itself is likewise a gift of His grace, as when it is said to Him, "Turn us, O God of Hosts." Or may it be that we are to understand this also as actually taking place through the merciful experience of the divine method of healing, [namely this,] that, being of proud and perverse wills, and wishing to establish their own righteousness, they were left alone for t…
8 You uprooted a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and transplanted it.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "A vineyard out of Egypt You have brought over, You have cast out the nations, and hast planted her" [Psalm 80:8]. It was done, we know. How many nations were cast out? Amorites, Cethites, Jebusites, Gergesites, and Evites: after whose expulsion and overthrow, there was led in the people delivered out of Egypt, into the land of promise.
9 You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "A way You have made in the sight of her, and hast planted the roots of her, and she has filled the land" [Psalm 80:9]. Would she have filled the land, unless a way had been made in the sight of her? What was the way which was made in the sight of her? "I am," He says, "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." [John 14:6] With reason she has filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered by its shade, and the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 It sent out its branches to the Sea, and its shoots toward the River.
12 Why have You broken down its walls, so that all who pass by pick its fruit?
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Then what? "Wherefore have You thrown down her enclosure?" [Psalm 80:12]. Now ye see the overthrow of that nation of the Jews: already out of another Psalm you have heard, "with axe and hammer they have thrown her down." When could this have been done, except her enclosure had been thrown down. What is her enclosure? Her defence.
13 The boar from the forest ravages it, and the creatures of the field feed upon it.
Jerome · AD 420 What is there in human life that can be safe if innocence is made the object of accusation? I am the householder who finds that while he slept the enemy has sown tares among his wheat. "The wild boar out of the wood has rooted up my vineyard, and the strange wild beast has devoured it." I keep silence, but a letter that is not mine speaks against me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "There has laid her waste the boar from the wood" [Psalm 80:13]. In the boar from the wood what do we understand? To the Jews a swine is an abomination, and in a swine they imagine as it were the uncleanness of the Gentiles. But by the Gentiles was overthrown the nation of the Jews: but that king who overthrew, was not only an unclean swine, but was also a boar.
14 Return, O God of Hosts, we pray! Look down from heaven and see! Attend to this vine—
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 But with what profit is this? "O God of virtues turn Thou nevertheless" (ver. 14). Although these things have been done, "Turn Thou nevertheless." "Look from heaven and see, and visit this vineyard." "And perfect Thou her whom Thy right hand hath planted" (ver. 15). No other plant Thou, but this make Thou perfect.
15 the root Your right hand has planted, the son You have raised up for Yourself.
16 Your vine has been cut down and burned; they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Things burned with fire, and dug up, by the rebuke of Thy countenance shall perish" (ver. 16). What are the things burned with fire and dug up which shall perish from the rebuke of His countenance? Let us see and perceive what are the things burned with fire and dug up. Christ hath rebuked what? Sins: by the rebuke of His countenance sins have perished.
17 Let Your hand be upon the man at Your right hand, on the son of man You have raised up for Yourself.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 This grace He placed "in Him in whom we have obtained a lot, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things." And thus as He worketh that we come to Him, so He worketh that we do not depart.
18 Then we will not turn away from You; revive us, and we will call on Your name.
19 Restore us, O LORD God of Hosts; cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved.