Chapter Seventy-Nine

The psalm is appointed for performance on a musical instrument resembling a lily (shoshannim – lily). “Eduth” – records, announcement, indicating the special attention that should be given by contemporaries to this psalm in view of its importance.

The psalm was written by a singer from the generation of Asaph. The writer prays for the kingdom of Israel, concerning which he asks God to manifest His favor (Ps 79:2-6). The Hebrews suffer humiliation from neighboring peoples (Ps 79:7), who freely lay waste their land (Ps 79:13-14). The writer implores protection for his people from threatening dangers (Ps 79:15-18).

Most likely the psalm was written after the destruction of the kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians (which is why the LXX adds: “against the Assyrian”), when Judea also began to face imminent destruction, although it still existed, since the psalm gives no indication of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. Such a condition of Judea cannot be attributed to the reign of Hezekiah, since at that time Judea, despite the captivity of the northern kingdom, was in a fairly prosperous situation, especially after the destruction of Sennacherib’s forces at the walls of Jerusalem. The writer’s concerns about the possible destruction of the Judean kingdom could only be based on a series of ominous and severe events in the life of his people: these events begin especially with the reign of Manasseh and become particularly clear during the times of Jehoiakim (see their indication in v. Ps 79:13-14).

Shepherd of Israel! Display Your strength over Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Restore us and we will be saved (2–4). How long will You abandon us? You have fed us with tears and made us a mockery for our enemies (5–8). You brought a grapevine out of Egypt, which took deep root and spread its branches wide. But You broke down its fence, and wild animals devour it (9–14). Turn toward us, Lord, and protect with Your strength Your offspring! May Your right hand be over it and we will not turn away from You (15–20).

Psalm 79:2. Shepherd of Israel, hear us; You who lead Joseph like a flock, You who dwell upon the Cherubim, show Yourself. God’s relationship to the Hebrew people is depicted as the relationship of a shepherd to sheep, whom the former protects and feeds. – “Dwelling upon the Cherubim.” Images of these we find above the cover of the Ark of the Covenant. Since the cherubim serve as a symbol of swiftness, the prayer “show Yourself” means – hasten to come with Your help.

Psalm 79:3. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh raise Your strength, and come to save us. The tribe of Ephraim was the most numerous, wealthy, and influential in the kingdom of Israel, which is why the name Ephraim often designates the entire ten-tribe kingdom. Before David and after the division of the Hebrew kingdom, it held predominant influence in the course of life first of all the people, then of Israel. Manasseh is mentioned here as the founder of the tribe, descended from Ephraim’s brother. The tribe of Benjamin was divided when David became king; one part recognized him as king, the other did not, and later, after Solomon, one half of this tribe entered into the kingdom of Israel. The prayer for Israel indicates that the latter was helpless to aid itself. Here one must understand the destruction of this kingdom by the Assyrians.

Psalm 79:4. God! Restore us; let Your face shine, and we shall be saved! A refrain, repeated in the psalm three times – in v. 4, 8, and 20. – “Restore” – a prayer by the writer on behalf of Israel and for Israel, which is presented as having lost strength and significance, having lost its independence, concerning the restoration of which the author prays.

Psalm 79:5. Lord, God of hosts! How long will You be angry at the prayers of Your people? “Angry at the prayers” – You do not grant the requests expressed in prayers.

Psalm 79:6. You have fed them with bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in great measure, “To feed with bread of tears, and give drink with tears” – to allow no respite in life, to overwhelm with only misfortunes.

Psalm 79:9. Out of Egypt You brought a grapevine, You cast out nations and planted it; “A grapevine” – the Hebrew people, brought out of Egypt. – “You cast out nations and planted it” – signifies the conquest of Palestine by the Hebrews, cleansing it from the pagan tribes that inhabited it, and establishing here the political significance and strength of the Hebrews.

Psalm 79:11. The mountains were covered with its shadow, and its branches were like the cedars of God; Psalm 79:12. it sent out its branches to the sea and its offshoots to the river. The Hebrews multiplied in Palestine and the boundaries of their possessions were vast; “the mountains were covered with its shadow” – they touched the mountains of Edom from the south; “its branches were like the cedars” which grew mainly on Lebanon, the northern boundary of the Judean kingdom. “Its branches to the sea” – the Mediterranean, the western boundary; “its offshoots to the river” – the Euphrates – the eastern boundary.

Psalm 79:13. Why have You broken down its walls, so that all who pass by the way pluck its grapes? Psalm 79:14. A wild boar from the forest ravages it, and a field animal feeds on it. By those passing along the way, the forest boar, and the field animal are meant the hostile neighboring peoples, who became masters of Palestine. Thus, for example, Israel under the reign of Hezekiah was destroyed by the Assyrians, who inflicted considerable devastation also in Judea; under Manasseh, the same Assyrians attacked Judea and carried even the king into captivity; under Josiah, there was devastation from the Pharaoh, and under the successors of Josiah, attacks by the Babylonians became more frequent. The enemies are compared to “a wild boar,” a wild pig, which caused tremendous devastation in vineyards by uprooting the vines. It takes only one pig to get into a vineyard, and in a single night it can destroy a large vineyard.

Psalm 79:15. God of hosts! Turn back to us, look down from heaven, and behold and visit this vine; “Turn back” – look favorably upon us, protect us.

Psalm 79:16. protect what Your right hand has planted, and the offshoots which You have strengthened for Yourself. “Offshoots” – that is, the Hebrew people, as a shoot from the root chosen by God, that is, Abraham.

Psalm 79:18. Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You have strengthened for Yourself, “The man of the right hand” – the beloved man, standing beside the right hand, was “Benjamin” (Deut 33:12). Benjamin is here taken to denote the entire kingdom of Israel. “The son of man” – the entire Hebrew people. The name of son was given to them by God while in Egypt (Exod 4:22; Hos 11:1). – “Whom You have strengthened for Yourself” – chose for Your special guidance. This guidance and protection were indeed rendered by God to the entire Hebrew people during its life and settlement in Palestine. This same protection was the source of the political and external strength that the Hebrews gained in the eyes of all neighboring pagan peoples. To the entire Hebrew people the writer prays that the Lord would send “His hand,” that is, help.

Psalm 79:19. and we will not turn back from You; give us life, and we will call upon Your name. “Give us life.” This expression relates to Israel, which is depicted as dead, of course, in the political sense, since it was carried into captivity by the Assyrians. This destruction of the kingdom of Israel was an evil portent for Judea, which was already dying during the time of the writer, which is why he prays for “the merciful hand of the Lord,” which would give life and resurrect this kingdom.