1<To the chief music-maker; put to Shoshannim-eduth. Of Asaph. A Psalm.> Give ear, O Keeper of Israel, guiding Joseph like a flock; you who have your seat on the winged ones, let your glory be seen. 2Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, let your strength be awake from sleep, and come as our salvation. 3Take us back again, O God; let us see the shining of your face, and let us be safe. 4O Lord God of armies, how long will your wrath be burning against the rest of your people? 5You have given them the bread of weeping for food; for their drink you have given them sorrow in great measure. 6You make us a cause of war among our neighbours; our haters are laughing at us among themselves. 7Take us back again, O God of armies; let us see the shining of your face, and let us be safe. 8You took a vine out of Egypt: driving out the nations, and planting it in their land. 9You made ready a place for it, so that it might take deep root, and it sent out its branches over all the land. 10The mountains were covered with its shade, and the great trees with its branches. 11It sent out its arms to the Sea, and its branches to the River. 12Why are its walls broken down by your hands, so that all who go by may take its fruit? 13It is uprooted by the pigs from the woods, the beasts of the field get their food from it. 14Come back, O God of armies: from heaven let your eyes be turned to this vine, and give your mind to it, 15Even to the tree which was planted by your right hand, and to the branch which you made strong for yourself. 16It is burned with fire; it is cut down: they are made waste by the wrath of your face. 17Let your hand be on the man of your right hand, on the son of man whom you made strong for yourself. 18So will we not be turned back from you; keep us in life, and we will give praise to your name. 19Take us back, O Lord God of armies; let us see the shining of your face, and let us be safe.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
The psalmist complains of the miseries of the church. (1-7) Its former prosperity and present desolation. (8-16) A prayer for mercy. (17-19) 1-7 He that dwelleth upon the mercy-seat, is the good Shepherd of his people. But we can neither expect the comfort of his love, nor the protection of his arm, unless we partake of his converting grace. If he is really angry at the prayers of his people, it is because, although they pray, their ends are not right, or there is some secret sin indulged in them, or he will try their patience and perseverance in prayer. When God is displeased with his people, we must expect to see them in tears, and their enemies in triumph. There is no salvation but from God's favour; there is no conversion to God but by his own grace. 8-16 The church is represented as a vine and a vineyard. The root of this vine is Christ, the branches are believers. The church is like a vine, needing support, but spreading and fruitful. If a vine do not bring forth fruit, no tree is so worthless. And are not we planted as in a well-cultivated garden, with every means of being fruitful in works of righteousness? But the useless leaves of profession, and the empty boughs of notions and forms, abound far more than real piety. It was wasted and ruined. There was a good reason for this change in God's way toward them. And it is well or ill with us, according as we are under God's smiles or frowns. When we consider the state of the purest part of the visible church, we cannot wonder that it is visited with sharp corrections. They request that God would help the vine. Lord, it is formed by thyself, and for thyself, therefore it may, with humble confidence, be committed to thyself. 17-19 The Messiah, the Protector and Saviour of the church, is the Man of God's right hand; he is the Arm of the Lord, for all power is given to him. In him is our strength, by which we are enabled to persevere to the end. The vine, therefore, cannot be ruined, nor can any fruitful branch perish; but the unfruitful will be cut off and cast into the fire. The end of our redemption is, that we should serve Him who hath redeemed us, and not go back to our old sins.