Mazmur 78:1--80:19
KonteksA well-written song 2 by Asaph.
78:1 Pay attention, my people, to my instruction!
Listen to the words I speak! 3
78:2 I will sing a song that imparts wisdom;
I will make insightful observations about the past. 4
78:3 What we have heard and learned 5 –
that which our ancestors 6 have told us –
78:4 we will not hide from their 7 descendants.
We will tell the next generation
about the Lord’s praiseworthy acts, 8
about his strength and the amazing things he has done.
78:5 He established a rule 9 in Jacob;
he set up a law in Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to make his deeds known to their descendants, 10
78:6 so that the next generation, children yet to be born,
might know about them.
They will grow up and tell their descendants about them. 11
78:7 Then they will place their confidence in God.
They will not forget the works of God,
and they will obey 12 his commands.
78:8 Then they will not be like their ancestors,
who were a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation that was not committed
and faithful to God. 13
78:9 The Ephraimites 14 were armed with bows, 15
but they retreated in the day of battle. 16
78:10 They did not keep their covenant with God, 17
and they refused to obey 18 his law.
78:11 They forgot what he had done, 19
the amazing things he had shown them.
78:12 He did amazing things in the sight of their ancestors,
in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. 20
78:13 He divided the sea and led them across it;
he made the water stand in a heap.
78:14 He led them with a cloud by day,
and with the light of a fire all night long.
78:15 He broke open rocks in the wilderness,
and gave them enough water to fill the depths of the sea. 21
78:16 He caused streams to flow from the rock,
and made the water flow like rivers.
78:17 Yet they continued to sin against him,
and rebelled against the sovereign One 22 in the desert.
78:18 They willfully challenged God 23
by asking for food to satisfy their appetite.
78:19 They insulted God, saying, 24
“Is God really able to give us food 25 in the wilderness?
78:20 Yes, 26 he struck a rock and water flowed out,
streams gushed forth.
But can he also give us food?
Will he provide meat for his people?”
78:21 When 27 the Lord heard this, he was furious.
A fire broke out against Jacob,
and his anger flared up 28 against Israel,
78:22 because they did not have faith in God,
and did not trust his ability to deliver them. 29
78:23 He gave a command to the clouds above,
and opened the doors in the sky.
78:24 He rained down manna for them to eat;
he gave them the grain of heaven. 30
78:25 Man ate the food of the mighty ones. 31
He sent them more than enough to eat. 32
78:26 He brought the east wind through the sky,
and by his strength led forth the south wind.
78:27 He rained down meat on them like dust,
birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores. 33
78:28 He caused them to fall right in the middle of their camp,
all around their homes.
78:29 They ate until they were stuffed; 34
he gave them what they desired.
78:30 They were not yet filled up, 35
their food was still in their mouths,
78:31 when the anger of God flared up against them.
He killed some of the strongest of them;
he brought the young men of Israel to their knees.
78:32 Despite all this, they continued to sin,
and did not trust him to do amazing things. 36
78:33 So he caused them to die unsatisfied 37
and filled with terror. 38
78:34 When he struck them down, 39 they sought his favor; 40
they turned back and longed for God.
78:35 They remembered that God was their protector, 41
and that the sovereign God was their deliverer. 42
78:36 But they deceived him with their words, 43
and lied to him. 44
78:37 They were not really committed to him, 45
and they were unfaithful to his covenant.
78:38 Yet he is compassionate.
He forgives sin and does not destroy.
He often holds back his anger,
and does not stir up his fury. 46
78:39 He remembered 47 that they were made of flesh,
and were like a wind that blows past and does not return. 48
78:40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness,
and insulted him 49 in the desert!
78:41 They again challenged God, 50
and offended 51 the Holy One of Israel. 52
78:42 They did not remember what he had done, 53
how he delivered them from the enemy, 54
78:43 when he performed his awesome deeds 55 in Egypt,
and his acts of judgment 56 in the region of Zoan.
78:44 He turned their rivers into blood,
and they could not drink from their streams.
78:45 He sent swarms of biting insects against them, 57
as well as frogs that overran their land. 58
78:46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper,
the fruit of their labor to the locust.
78:47 He destroyed their vines with hail,
and their sycamore-fig trees with driving rain.
78:48 He rained hail down on their cattle, 59
and hurled lightning bolts down on their livestock. 60
78:49 His raging anger lashed out against them, 61
He sent fury, rage, and trouble
as messengers who bring disaster. 62
78:50 He sent his anger in full force; 63
he did not spare them from death;
he handed their lives over to destruction. 64
78:51 He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,
the firstfruits of their reproductive power 65 in the tents of Ham.
78:52 Yet he brought out his people like sheep;
he led them through the wilderness like a flock.
78:53 He guided them safely along,
while the sea covered their enemies.
78:54 He brought them to the border of his holy land,
to this mountainous land 66 which his right hand 67 acquired.
78:55 He drove the nations out from before them;
he assigned them their tribal allotments 68
and allowed the tribes of Israel to settle down. 69
78:56 Yet they challenged and defied 70 the sovereign God, 71
and did not obey 72 his commands. 73
78:57 They were unfaithful 74 and acted as treacherously as 75 their ancestors;
they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow. 76
78:58 They made him angry with their pagan shrines, 77
and made him jealous with their idols.
78:59 God heard and was angry;
he completely rejected Israel.
78:60 He abandoned 78 the sanctuary at Shiloh,
the tent where he lived among men.
78:61 He allowed the symbol of his strong presence to be captured; 79
he gave the symbol of his splendor 80 into the hand of the enemy. 81
78:62 He delivered his people over to the sword,
and was angry with his chosen nation. 82
78:63 Fire consumed their 83 young men,
and their 84 virgins remained unmarried. 85
78:64 Their 86 priests fell by the sword,
but their 87 widows did not weep. 88
78:65 But then the Lord awoke from his sleep; 89
he was like a warrior in a drunken rage. 90
78:66 He drove his enemies back;
he made them a permanent target for insults. 91
78:67 He rejected the tent of Joseph;
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
78:68 He chose the tribe of Judah,
and Mount Zion, which he loves.
78:69 He made his sanctuary as enduring as the heavens above; 92
as secure as the earth, which he established permanently. 93
78:70 He chose David, his servant,
and took him from the sheepfolds.
78:71 He took him away from following the mother sheep, 94
and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people,
and of Israel, his chosen nation. 95
78:72 David 96 cared for them with pure motives; 97
he led them with skill. 98
A psalm of Asaph.
79:1 O God, foreigners 100 have invaded your chosen land; 101
they have polluted your holy temple
and turned Jerusalem 102 into a heap of ruins.
79:2 They have given the corpses of your servants
to the birds of the sky; 103
the flesh of your loyal followers
to the beasts of the earth.
79:3 They have made their blood flow like water
all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury them. 104
79:4 We have become an object of disdain to our neighbors;
those who live on our borders taunt and insult us. 105
79:5 How long will this go on, O Lord? 106
Will you stay angry forever?
How long will your rage 107 burn like fire?
79:6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not acknowledge you, 108
on the kingdoms that do not pray to you! 109
79:7 For they have devoured Jacob
and destroyed his home.
79:8 Do not hold us accountable for the sins of earlier generations! 110
Quickly send your compassion our way, 111
for we are in serious trouble! 112
79:9 Help us, O God, our deliverer!
For the sake of your glorious reputation, 113 rescue us!
Forgive our sins for the sake of your reputation! 114
79:10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Before our very eyes may the shed blood of your servants
be avenged among the nations! 115
79:11 Listen to the painful cries of the prisoners! 116
Use your great strength to set free those condemned to die! 117
79:12 Pay back our neighbors in full! 118
May they be insulted the same way they insulted you, O Lord! 119
79:13 Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will continually thank you. 120
We will tell coming generations of your praiseworthy acts. 121
For the music director; according to the shushan-eduth style; 123 a psalm of Asaph.
80:1 O shepherd of Israel, pay attention,
you who lead Joseph like a flock of sheep!
You who sit enthroned above the winged angels, 124 reveal your splendor! 125
80:2 In the sight of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh reveal 126 your power!
Come and deliver us! 127
80:3 O God, restore us!
Smile on us! 128 Then we will be delivered! 129
80:4 O Lord God, invincible warrior! 130
How long will you remain angry at your people while they pray to you? 131
80:5 You have given them tears as food; 132
you have made them drink tears by the measure. 133
80:6 You have made our neighbors dislike us, 134
and our enemies insult us.
80:7 O God, invincible warrior, 135 restore us!
Smile on us! 136 Then we will be delivered! 137
80:8 You uprooted a vine 138 from Egypt;
you drove out nations and transplanted it.
80:9 You cleared the ground for it; 139
it took root, 140
and filled the land.
80:10 The mountains were covered by its shadow,
the highest cedars 141 by its branches.
80:11 Its branches reached the Mediterranean Sea, 142
and its shoots the Euphrates River. 143
80:12 Why did you break down its walls, 144
so that all who pass by pluck its fruit? 145
80:13 The wild boars of the forest ruin it; 146
the insects 147 of the field feed on it.
80:14 O God, invincible warrior, 148 come back!
Look down from heaven and take notice!
Take care of this vine,
80:15 the root 149 your right hand planted,
the shoot you made to grow! 150
80:16 It is burned 151 and cut down.
They die because you are displeased with them. 152
80:17 May you give support to the one you have chosen, 153
to the one whom you raised up for yourself! 154
80:18 Then we will not turn away from you.
Revive us and we will pray to you! 155
[78:1] 1 sn Psalm 78. The author of this lengthy didactic psalm rehearses Israel’s history. He praises God for his power, goodness and patience, but also reminds his audience that sin angers God and prompts his judgment. In the conclusion to the psalm the author elevates Jerusalem as God’s chosen city and David as his chosen king.
[78:1] 2 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 74.
[78:1] 3 tn Heb “Turn your ear to the words of my mouth.”
[78:2] 4 tn Heb “I will open with a wise saying my mouth, I will utter insightful sayings from long ago.” Elsewhere the Hebrew word pair חִידָה+מָשָׁל (mashal + khidah) refers to a taunt song (Hab 2:6), a parable (Ezek 17:2), proverbial sayings (Prov 1:6), and an insightful song that reflects on the mortality of humankind and the ultimate inability of riches to prevent death (Ps 49:4).
[78:3] 6 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 5, 8, 12, 57).
[78:4] 7 tn The pronominal suffix refers back to the “fathers” (“our ancestors,” v. 3).
[78:4] 8 tn Heb “to a following generation telling the praises of the
[78:5] 9 tn The Hebrew noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to God’s command that the older generation teach their children about God’s mighty deeds in the nation’s history (see Exod 10:2; Deut 4:9; 6:20-25).
[78:5] 10 tn Heb “which he commanded our fathers to make them known to their sons.” The plural suffix “them” probably refers back to the
[78:6] 11 tn Heb “in order that they might know, a following generation, sons [who] will be born, they will arise and will tell to their sons.”
[78:8] 13 tn Heb “a generation that did not make firm its heart and whose spirit was not faithful with God.” The expression “make firm the heart” means “to be committed, devoted” (see 1 Sam 7:3).
[78:9] 14 tn Heb “the sons of Ephraim.” Ephraim probably stands here by synecdoche (part for whole) for the northern kingdom of Israel.
[78:9] 15 tn Heb “ones armed, shooters of bow.” It is possible that the term נוֹשְׁקֵי (noshÿqey, “ones armed [with]”) is an interpretive gloss for the rare רוֹמֵי (romey, “shooters of”; on the latter see BDB 941 s.v. I רָמָה). The phrase נוֹשְׁקֵי קֶשֶׁת (noshÿqey qeshet, “ones armed with a bow”) appears in 1 Chr 12:2; 2 Chr 17:17.
[78:9] 16 sn They retreated. This could refer to the northern tribes’ failure to conquer completely their allotted territory (see Judg 1), or it could refer generally to the typical consequence (military defeat) of their sin (see vv. 10-11).
[78:10] 17 tn Heb “the covenant of God.”
[78:11] 19 tn Heb “his deeds.”
[78:12] 20 sn The region of Zoan was located in the Egyptian delta, where the enslaved Israelites lived (see Num 13:22; Isa 19:11, 13; 30:4; Ezek 30:14).
[78:15] 21 tn Heb “and caused them to drink, like the depths, abundantly.”
[78:17] 22 tn Heb “rebelling [against] the Most High.”
[78:18] 23 tn Heb “and they tested God in their heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the center of their volition.
[78:19] 24 tn Heb “they spoke against God, they said.”
[78:19] 25 tn Heb “to arrange a table [for food].”
[78:21] 27 tn Heb “therefore.”
[78:21] 28 tn Heb “and also anger went up.”
[78:22] 29 tn Heb “and they did not trust his deliverance.”
[78:24] 30 sn Manna was apparently shaped like a seed (Exod 16:31), perhaps explaining why it is here compared to grain.
[78:25] 31 sn Because of the reference to “heaven” in the preceding verse, it is likely that mighty ones refers here to the angels of heaven. The LXX translates “angels” here, as do a number of modern translations (NEB, NIV, NRSV).
[78:25] 32 tn Heb “provision he sent to them to satisfaction.”
[78:27] 33 tn Heb “and like the sand of the seas winged birds.”
[78:29] 34 tn Heb “and they ate and were very satisfied.”
[78:30] 35 tn Heb “they were not separated from their desire.”
[78:32] 36 tn Heb “and did not believe in his amazing deeds.”
[78:33] 37 tn Heb “and he ended in vanity their days.”
[78:33] 38 tn Heb “and their years in terror.”
[78:34] 39 tn Or “killed them,” that is, killed large numbers of them.
[78:34] 40 tn Heb “they sought him.”
[78:35] 41 tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”
[78:35] 42 tn Heb “and [that] God Most High [was] their redeemer.”
[78:36] 43 tn Heb “with their mouth.”
[78:36] 44 tn Heb “and with their tongue they lied to him.”
[78:37] 45 tn Heb “and their heart was not firm with him.”
[78:38] 46 tn One could translate v. 38 in the past tense (“he was compassionate…forgave sin and did not destroy…held back his anger, and did not stir up his fury”), but the imperfect verbal forms are probably best understood as generalizing. Verse 38 steps back briefly from the narrational summary of Israel’s history and lays the theological basis for v. 39, which focuses on God’s mercy toward sinful Israel.
[78:39] 47 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive signals a return to the narrative.
[78:39] 48 tn Heb “and he remembered that they [were] flesh, a wind [that] goes and does not return.”
[78:40] 49 tn Or “caused him pain.”
[78:41] 50 tn Heb “and they returned and tested God.” The Hebrew verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return”) is used here in an adverbial sense to indicate that an earlier action was repeated.
[78:41] 51 tn Or “wounded, hurt.” The verb occurs only here in the OT.
[78:41] 52 sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. This expression is a common title for the
[78:42] 53 tn Heb “his hand,” symbolizing his saving activity and strength, as the next line makes clear.
[78:42] 54 tn Heb “[the] day [in] which he ransomed them from [the] enemy.”
[78:43] 55 tn Or “signs” (see Ps 65:8).
[78:43] 56 tn Or “portents, omens” (see Ps 71:7). The Egyptian plagues are referred to here (see vv. 44-51).
[78:45] 57 tn Heb “and he sent an insect swarm against them and it devoured them.”
[78:45] 58 tn Heb “and a swarm of frogs and it destroyed them.”
[78:48] 59 tn Heb “and he turned over to the hail their cattle.”
[78:48] 60 tn Heb “and their livestock to the flames.” “Flames” here refer to the lightning bolts that accompanied the storm.
[78:49] 61 tn Heb “he sent against them the rage of his anger.” The phrase “rage of his anger” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.
[78:49] 62 tn Heb “fury and indignation and trouble, a sending of messengers of disaster.”
[78:50] 63 tn Heb “he leveled a path for his anger.” There were no obstacles to impede its progress; it moved swiftly and destructively.
[78:50] 64 tn Or perhaps “[the] plague.”
[78:51] 65 tn Heb “the beginning of strength.” If retained, the plural form אוֹנִים (’onim, “strength”) probably indicates degree (“great strength”), but many ancient witnesses read “their strength,” which presupposes an emendation to אֹנָם (’onam; singular form of the noun with third masculine plural pronominal suffix).
[78:54] 66 tn Heb “this mountain.” The whole land of Canaan seems to be referred to here. In Exod 15:17 the promised land is called the “mountain of your [i.e., God’s] inheritance.”
[78:54] 67 tn The “right hand” here symbolizes God’s military strength (see v. 55).
[78:55] 68 tn Heb “he caused to fall [to] them with a measuring line an inheritance.”
[78:55] 69 tn Heb “and caused the tribes of Israel to settle down in their tents.”
[78:56] 70 tn Or “tested and rebelled against.”
[78:56] 71 tn Heb “God, the Most High.”
[78:56] 73 tn Heb “his testimonies” (see Ps 25:10).
[78:57] 74 tn Heb “they turned back.”
[78:57] 75 tn Or “acted treacherously like.”
[78:57] 76 tn Heb “they turned aside like a deceitful bow.”
[78:58] 77 tn Traditionally, “high places.”
[78:61] 79 tn Heb “and he gave to captivity his strength.” The expression “his strength” refers metonymically to the ark of the covenant, which was housed in the tabernacle at Shiloh.
[78:61] 80 tn Heb “and his splendor into the hand of an enemy.” The expression “his splendor” also refers metonymically to the ark of the covenant.
[78:61] 81 sn Verses 60-61 refer to the Philistines’ capture of the ark in the days of Eli (1 Sam 4:1-11).
[78:62] 82 tn Heb “his inheritance.”
[78:63] 83 tn Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
[78:63] 84 tn Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
[78:63] 85 tn Heb “were not praised,” that is, in wedding songs. The young men died in masses, leaving no husbands for the young women.
[78:64] 86 tn Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
[78:64] 87 tn Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
[78:64] 88 sn Because of the invading army and the ensuing panic, the priests’ widows had no time to carry out the normal mourning rites.
[78:65] 89 tn Heb “and the master awoke like one sleeping.” The
[78:65] 90 tn Heb “like a warrior overcome with wine.” The Hebrew verb רוּן (run, “overcome”) occurs only here in the OT. The phrase “overcome with wine” could picture a drunken warrior controlled by his emotions and passions (as in the present translation), or it could refer to a warrior who awakes from a drunken stupor.
[78:66] 91 tn Heb “a permanent reproach he made them.”
[78:69] 92 tc Heb “and he built like the exalting [ones] his sanctuary.” The phrase כְּמוֹ־רָמִים (kÿmo-ramim, “like the exalting [ones]”) is a poetic form of the comparative preposition followed by a participial form of the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”). The text should be emended to כִּמְרֹמִים (kimromim, “like the [heavenly] heights”). See Ps 148:1, where “heights” refers to the heavens above.
[78:69] 93 tn Heb “like the earth, [which] he established permanently.” The feminine singular suffix on the Hebrew verb יָסַד (yasad, “to establish”) refers to the grammatically feminine noun “earth.”
[78:71] 94 tn Heb “from after the ewes he brought him.”
[78:71] 95 tn Heb “to shepherd Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.”
[78:72] 96 tn Heb “He”; the referent (David, God’s chosen king, mentioned in v. 70) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[78:72] 97 tn Heb “and he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart.”
[78:72] 98 tn Heb “and with the understanding of his hands he led them.”
[79:1] 99 sn Psalm 79. The author laments how the invading nations have destroyed the temple and city of Jerusalem. He asks God to forgive his people and to pour out his vengeance on those who have mistreated them.
[79:1] 101 tn Heb “have come into your inheritance.”
[79:1] 102 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[79:2] 103 tn Heb “[as] food for the birds of the sky.”
[79:3] 104 tn Heb “they have poured out their blood like water, all around Jerusalem, and there is no one burying.”
[79:4] 105 tn Heb “an [object of] taunting and [of] mockery to those around us.” See Ps 44:13.
[79:5] 106 tn Heb “How long, O
[79:5] 107 tn Or “jealous anger.”
[79:6] 108 tn Heb “which do not know you.” Here the Hebrew term “know” means “acknowledge the authority of.”
[79:6] 109 sn The kingdoms that do not pray to you. The people of these kingdoms pray to other gods, not the Lord, because they do not recognize his authority over them.
[79:8] 110 tn Heb “do not remember against us sins, former.” Some understand “former” as an attributive adjective modifying sins, “former [i.e., chronologically prior] sins” (see BDB 911 s.v. רִאשׁוֹן). The present translation assumes that ראשׁנים (“former”) here refers to those who lived formerly, that is, the people’s ancestors (see Lam 5:7). The word is used in this way in Lev 26:45; Deut 19:14 and Eccl 1:11.
[79:8] 111 tn Heb “may your compassion quickly confront us.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, indicating a tone of prayer.
[79:8] 112 tn Heb “for we are very low.”
[79:9] 113 tn Heb “the glory of your name.” Here and in the following line “name” stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[79:9] 114 tn Heb “your name.”
[79:10] 115 tn Heb “may it be known among the nations, to our eyes, the vengeance of the shed blood of your servants.”
[79:11] 116 tn Heb “may the painful cry of the prisoner come before you.”
[79:11] 117 tn Heb “according to the greatness of your arm leave the sons of death.” God’s “arm” here symbolizes his strength to deliver. The verbal form הוֹתֵר (hoter) is a Hiphil imperative from יָתַר (yatar, “to remain; to be left over”). Here it must mean “to leave over; to preserve.” However, it is preferable to emend the form to הַתֵּר (hatter), a Hiphil imperative from נָתַר (natar, “be free”). The Hiphil form is used in Ps 105:20 of Pharaoh freeing Joseph from prison. The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 102:21) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.
[79:12] 118 tn Heb “Return to our neighbors sevenfold into their lap.” The number seven is used rhetorically to express the thorough nature of the action. For other rhetorical/figurative uses of the Hebrew phrase שִׁבְעָתַיִם (shiv’atayim, “seven times”) see Gen 4:15, 24; Ps 12:6; Prov 6:31; Isa 30:26.
[79:12] 119 tn Heb “their reproach with which they reproached you, O Lord.”
[79:13] 120 tn Or (hyperbolically) “will thank you forever.”
[79:13] 121 tn Heb “to a generation and a generation we will report your praise.” Here “praise” stands by metonymy for the mighty acts that prompt worship. Cf. Ps 9:14.
[80:1] 122 sn Psalm 80. The psalmist laments Israel’s demise and asks the Lord to show favor toward his people, as he did in earlier times.
[80:1] 123 tn The Hebrew expression shushan-eduth means “lily of the testimony.” It may refer to a particular music style or to a tune title. See the superscription to Ps 60.
[80:1] 124 sn Winged angels (Heb “cherubs”). Cherubs, as depicted in the OT, possess both human and animal (lion, ox, and eagle) characteristics (see Ezek 1:10; 10:14, 21; 41:18). They are pictured as winged creatures (Exod 25:20; 37:9; 1 Kgs 6:24-27; Ezek 10:8, 19) and serve as the very throne of God when the ark of the covenant is in view (Ps 99:1; see Num 7:89; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15). The picture of the Lord seated on the cherubs suggests they might be used by him as a vehicle, a function they carry out in Ezek 1:22-28 (the “living creatures” mentioned here are identified as cherubs in Ezek 10:20). In Ps 18:10 the image of a cherub serves to personify the wind.
[80:1] 125 tn Heb “shine forth.”
[80:1] sn Reveal your splendor. The psalmist may allude to Deut 33:2, where God “shines forth” from Sinai and comes to superintend Moses’ blessing of the tribes.
[80:2] 126 tn Heb “stir up”; “arouse.”
[80:2] 127 tn Heb “come for our deliverance.”
[80:3] 128 tn The idiom “cause your face to shine” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
[80:3] 129 tn Heb “cause your face to shine in order that we may be delivered.” After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.
[80:4] 130 tn Heb “
[80:4] 131 tn Heb “How long will you remain angry during the prayer of your people.” Some take the preposition -בְּ (bet) in an adversative sense here (“at/against the prayer of your people”), but the temporal sense is preferable. The psalmist expects persistent prayer to pacify God.
[80:5] 132 tn Heb “you have fed them the food of tears.”
[80:5] 133 tn Heb “[by] the third part [of a measure].” The Hebrew term שָׁלִישׁ (shalish, “third part [of a measure]”) occurs only here and in Isa 40:12.
[80:6] 134 tn Heb “you have made us an object of contention to our neighbors.”
[80:7] 135 tn Heb “O God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot, “hosts”; see Ps 89:9), but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ’elohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot) in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also v. 4 for a similar construction.
[80:7] 136 tn The idiom “cause your face to shine” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
[80:7] 137 tn Heb “cause your face to shine in order that we may be delivered.” After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.
[80:8] 138 sn The vine is here a metaphor for Israel (see Ezek 17:6-10; Hos 10:1).
[80:9] 139 tn Heb “you cleared away before it.”
[80:9] 140 tn Heb “and it took root [with] its roots.”
[80:10] 141 tn Heb “cedars of God.” The divine name אֵל (’al, “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.
[80:11] 142 tn Heb “to [the] sea.” The “sea” refers here to the Mediterranean Sea.
[80:11] 143 tn Heb “to [the] river.” The “river” is the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia. Israel expanded both to the west and to the east.
[80:12] 144 sn The protective walls of the metaphorical vineyard are in view here (see Isa 5:5).
[80:12] 145 tn Heb “pluck it.”
[80:13] 146 tn The Hebrew verb כִּרְסֵם (kirsem, “to eat away; to ruin”) occurs only here in the OT.
[80:13] 147 tn The precise referent of the Hebrew word translated “insects,” which occurs only here and in Ps 50:11, is uncertain. Aramaic, Arabic, and Akkadian cognates refer to insects, such as locusts or crickets.
[80:14] 148 tn Heb “O God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot, “hosts”; see Ps 89:9), but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ’elohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot) in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also vv. 4, 7 for a similar construction.
[80:15] 149 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT. HALOT 483 s.v. III כֵּן emends the form to כַּנָּהּ (kannah, “its shoot”).
[80:15] 150 tn Heb “and upon a son you strengthened for yourself.” In this context, where the extended metaphor of the vine dominates, בֵּן (ben, “son”) probably refers to the shoots that grow from the vine. Cf. Gen 49:22.
[80:16] 151 tn Heb “burned with fire.”
[80:16] 152 tn Heb “because of the rebuke of your face they perish.”
[80:17] 153 tn Heb “may your hand be upon the man of your right hand.” The referent of the otherwise unattested phrase “man of your right hand,” is unclear. It may refer to the nation collectively as a man. (See the note on the word “yourself” in v. 17b.)
[80:17] 154 tn Heb “upon the son of man you strengthened for yourself.” In its only other use in the Book of Psalms, the phrase “son of man” refers to the human race in general (see Ps 8:4). Here the phrase may refer to the nation collectively as a man. Note the use of the statement “you strengthened for yourself” both here and in v. 15, where the “son” (i.e., the branch of the vine) refers to Israel.
[80:18] 155 tn Heb “and in your name we will call.”
[80:19] 156 tn Heb “O
[80:19] 157 tn The idiom “cause your face to shine” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
[80:19] 158 tn Heb “cause your face to shine in order that we may be delivered.” After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.
