Chapter 80

Ps.80:1. Finally, O sharpeners, a psalm to Asaph. Hallelujah. Explaining the eighth psalm, we have already said that the essence of the Church has been “sharpened.” Therefore, from this psalm it can be seen that the Psalmist calls the nations to faith in the Lord, teaching them not to depart from Him, and pointing out the rejection of the first people for their wickedness. Ps.80:2. Rejoice in God our helper, shout to the God of Jacob. An exclamation is a song of victory. Therefore, he gives advice to the peoples to sing songs of victory to God, who helped them and delivered them from the power of demons. Ps.80:3. Receive the psalm and give the tympanum. “Psalm” here refers to Divine teaching, and “tympanum” is a musical instrument made of leather. Therefore, the Psalmist says: having become obedient to God’s words, “present your flesh as a living sacrifice... pleasing to God” (Rom. 12:1). The Psalter is red with a harp. The Psalter again refers to the body for a reason. the already established harmonious harmony between body and soul, so that God’s people will be perfect, dedicating both their souls to God and their body not to the world, but to the Lord. Ps.80:4. Blow the trumpet in the new moon. As in ancient times, the Israelites, taking sensual trumpets, blew during the new moon, because God gave this command, and this served as evidence of their liberation from Egyptian slavery; so the new people, having taken the trumpet of the gospel, “the broadcast of which went out... to all the earth” (Rom. 10:18), accepts the command to sound the trumpet in the new moon, that is, in the renewal of their minds, confessing and testifying that God has freed them from spiritual Egypt, that is, from the power of darkness. Ps.80:6. Even though you didn’t hear his language, you couldn’t hear it. The people coming out of Egypt heard a language they did not know before. What language is this? Isn’t it the voice of God to the people and on the mountain? Ps.80:7. His backbone is taken away from the burden, that is, from the severity of the burdens. He understands that God freed them from the burdens they carried while building cities for Pharaoh. His hand has had a lot of work. This was said because they carried clay and chaff in baskets for making plinths. Ps.80:8. In sorrow you called upon Me, and delivered you. This is similar to what was said elsewhere: “I heard... their groaning” (Ex. 2:24), and the voice “heard them, and went down to take them away” (Ex. 3:7–8). I heard you in the secret burne, that is, I delivered you from great and excessive sorrow. Tempt you on the water of bickering. When the people, languishing with thirst, said to Moses: “Give us water so that we can drink,” he answered: “Why do you blaspheme me? and why do you tempt the Lord?” (Ex. 17:2) Ps.80:9. Hear, My people. Offers an exhortation to the people so that they become obedient to God. And if this is done, then it will not work for another god, and the Lord himself “will not be a new God to him” (Ps. 80:10), because He is the God who delivered them from Egypt of old. Ps.80:11. “Expand your mouth, and I will do”... He promises both sensual and spiritual food to those who submit to Him. Ps.80:12. And My people did not listen to My voice. Because I promised them this, they remained deaf; then I rejected them, giving them over to punishment worthy of their undertakings. Ps.80:16. The enemies of the Lord lie to Him, and their time will be forever. It is clearer to say: since the people lied to the Lord, the time of punishment will come for them, and this is the time of the next century. Ps.80:17. And they were filled with the fatness of the wheat. They, he says, lied to God; but God, being good, fed them with spiritual food. This food is the Lord himself, “the living bread that came down from heaven... and give life to the world” (John 6:51, 33). And fill them with honey from the stone. “Stone” is the Lord himself, and “honey” is His Divine verbs. So, the Psalmist says that God will satisfy them with His holy words. You might be interested in: