Exultate Deo.
An invitation to a solemn praising of God.
80:1. Unto the end, for the winepresses, a psalm for Asaph himself.
For the winepresses, etc.... Torcularibus. It either signifies a
musical instrument, or that this psalm was to be sung at the feast of
the tabernacles after the gathering in of the vintage.
80:2. Rejoice to God our helper: sing aloud to the God of Jacob.
80:3. Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel: the pleasant psaltery
with the harp.
80:4. Blow up the trumpet on the new moon, on the noted day of your
solemnity.
80:5. For it is a commandment in Israel, and a judgment to the God of
Jacob.
80:6. He ordained it for a testimony in Joseph, when he came out of the
land of Egypt: he heard a tongue which he knew not.
80:7. He removed his back from the burdens: his hands had served in
baskets.
80:8. Thou calledst upon me in affliction, and I delivered thee: I
heard thee in the secret place of tempest: I proved thee at the waters
of contradiction.
In the secret place of tempest.... Heb., Of thunder. When thou
soughtest to hide thyself from the tempest: or, when I came down to
mount Sina, hidden from thy eyes in a storm of thunder.
80:9. Hear, O my people, and I will testify to thee: O Israel, if thou
wilt hearken to me,
80:10. there shall be no new god in thee: neither shalt thou adore a
strange god.
80:11. For I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of
Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
80:12. But my people heard not my voice: and Israel hearkened not to
me.
80:13. So I let them go according to the desires of their heart: they
shall walk in their own inventions.
80:14. If my people had heard me: if Israel had walked in my ways:
80:15. I should soon have humbled their enemies, and laid my hand on
them that troubled them.
80:16. The enemies of the Lord have lied to him: and their time shall
be for ever.
Their time shall be forever.... Impenitent sinners shall suffer for
ever.
80:17. And he fed them with the fat of wheat, and filled them with
honey out of the rock.