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COMMENTARY ON PSALM 80 To the end. In hymns, for those who will be changed. A testimony to Asaph. A psalm on the Assyrian. HE PRESENT PSALM FORETELLS a change in affairs : the "change" suggests and testifies to this'hence the inclusion of "testimony." The grace of the Spirit prophesies the captivity of the Jews and the enslavement in Babylon.2 The psalm is expressed as a prayer offered to the God of all by those same people: the charism of inspiration teaches them what words are required to propitiate God and prompt him to mercy. It also foretells the salvation coming to all human beings through the Lord Christ. (2) You who shepherd Israel, give heed (v. 1): I beg you, Lord, who care for your people like a shepherd, to receive my prayer. VVho guideJoseph like a flock: when he had fallen into the clutches of his brothers like some wolves, you freed him from their hands, guided him to Egypt, and made him prevail over the plotters. Mter describing in this way the care shown them, [1512] [the psalmist] moved on to his power in general: Seated above the cherubim, shineforth. Since the mighty Moses consecratI . As explained in note 4 to Ps 45, Theodoret is wide off the mark here, not simply for failing to see in this phrase in the title a cue to a melody, but for taking (with the LXX) shoshanim, "Lilies" (the melody cue), to be instead a form of the verb shanah, "to change." 2. When the phrase "on the Assyrian" occurred in the title (in some forms of the LXX) to Ps 76, Theodoret acknowledged it as an insertion, seeing in it a reference to Sennacherib. Here he ignores it, continuing to see a reference to Judah's captivity by the Babylonians, despite the psalm's accent on the northern kingdom that fell foul of the Assyrians (or he confuses Assyrian with Babylonian : see notes 3 and 8). The longer form of the text will endeavor to recover this accent in comment on v. 2. 45 46 THEODORET OF G~RUS ed some images of these creatures alone in the Holy of Holies, placing the Mercy seat between them, and some divine appearance was granted to the high priests in that way, it was right for him to make mention of the cherubim here, too, and beg the one seated above them to make himself manifest. (3) Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh (v. 2). I beg you, he is saying, to make yourself manifest to your people; he indicated all the people by mention of the tribes. He mentioned these ones since he had referred to Joseph: Ephraim and Manasseh were sons of Joseph, and Benjamin their brother from the one mother. Stir up your might, and come to save us. He rouses God as one given to long-suffering and tranquillity: activate all your power, he is saying, in being concerned for our salvation. As was said by me above, this is the prayer, on the one hand, of the people held captive by the Assyrians at that time,3 and on the other hand of the nations anxious about the salvation coming from the benefactor; the inspired mind wishes to say as much in what follows as well. (4) Turn us back, God oj hosts (v. 3): free [us] from slavery, and grant us return. One prays for return from Babylon,the other for conversion from idols. Then he brings out the ease of the matter. Let yourJace shineJorth, and we shall be saved: for solving the problems it is sufficient if you appear. 0 Lord God oj hosts, how long will you be angry with your servants'prayer? (v. 4): to what point, Lord, do you keep dismissing my entreaties in anger at my failings? He calls the people his servant; the other translators put "with your people's prayer" for your servant. You willJeed us bread ojtears, and give us to drink tears inJull measure (v. 5). The tense has been changed here: the other translators speak of it as already happened, "You fed us bread of tears, and gave us to drink tears in full measure."4 He means, You mixed our food and drink with tears; weeping and wailing we partake 3. In fact, as we noted above, this insertion from the longer form of the text is at odds with the shorter, making more sense of the phrase in the title and supporting...

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