Psalms 80:2. Before Ephraim, &c.— That is, before all the tribes; in the face of all the people assembled at Jerusalem. These three in some sense included the whole; Benjamin being incorporated with Judah; Manasseh comprehending the country beyond Jordan, and Ephraim all the rest. Mudge. read more
2. Before Ephraim, c.—These tribes marched next the ark ( :-). The name of Benjamin may be introduced merely in allusion to that fact, and not because that tribe was identified with Israel in the schism ( :- compare also :-). read more
The psalmist appealed to Yahweh as the Shepherd of His people Israel (cf. Psalms 23:1; Psalms 28:9); "shepherd" was a common title of the king in the ancient Near East (cf. Psalms 78:71). He also referred to Him as sitting enthroned above the cherubim in the temple (cf. Psalms 99:1). Ephraim was the leading tribe in the north and Benjamin was the leader in the south. Manasseh was the leader in Transjordan in the east. read more
1. An appeal to Israel’s Shepherd 80:1-3 read more
Psalms 80Again Asaph called on God to deliver and restore Israel. The nation was downtrodden and needed Yahweh’s salvation. This community lament psalm is unusual because of the figure the psalmist used to describe Israel. He pictured the nation as a grape vine (Psalms 80:8-16). The fall of Samaria in 722 B.C. may be in view. [Note: Kidner, Psalms 73-150, p. 288.] Psalms 77, 81 also lament the destruction of Samaria, the former capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel."Except for the books of... read more
This Ps. is an appeal to God to save His people from the adversities that have come upon them, and have made them the laughing stock of their enemies (Psalms 80:1-7). Their past history is recalled under the figure of a vine, once flourishing, but now wasted by wild beasts and fire (Psalms 80:8-16). Special prominence is given to the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin (Psalms 80:2). The Ps. was probably written at least after the fall of the northern kingdom (721 b.c., 2 Kings 17:5-6; 2... read more
(2) Before Ephraim . . .—The tribes named from Joseph’s sons and his uterine brother naturally range together; they encamped side by side on the west of the Tabernacle, and when the ark moved forward they took their places immediately behind it to head the procession. The preposition “before” would alone show that this ancient arrangement, and no recent political event, determines the manner in which the poet introduces the tribes. It is used of a funeral procession (2 Samuel 3:31; Job 21:33). read more
The Mightiness of Redemption Psalms 80:2 The greatest of all helps to realize the magnitude of redemption is the experimental sense, the unwrought consciousness of 'the exceeding sinfulness of sin'. Take this for an axiom. He thinks lightly of the greatness of redemption who thinks lightly of the power of sin. He regards Jesus as a superfluous helper who regards Satan as a contemptible foe. The two spiritual conceptions are co-equal, correlative. It is when like David we cry out, 'Innumerable... read more
Psalms 80:1-19THIS psalm is a monument of some time of great national calamity; but its allusions do not enable us to reach certainty as to what that calamity was. Two striking features of it have been used as clues to its occasion-namely, the designation of the nation as "Joseph," and the mention, of the three tribes in Psalms 80:2. Calvin, Delitzsch, Hengstenberg, and others are led thereby to regard it as a prayer by an inhabitant of Judah for the captive children of the northern kingdom;... read more
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E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Psalms 80:2
Before. A special various reading called Sevir ( App-34 ) reads "For the sons of". Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton App-6 ), calling our attention to these three. They were descended from Rachel, and marched together in the rear (Numbers 2:18-22 ). As Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun marched in the van, the Ark (the symbol of God's presence) led them as a Shepherd (Psalms 78:13-16 , Psalms 78:52-55 .John 10:4 , John 10:5 ). read more