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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 [[To the Chief Musician. For "the Lilies of Testimony." Asaph's. A Melody.]] O Shepherd of Israel, give ear, Thou who leddest forth Joseph like a rock, Thou who art throned on the cherubim, appear! |
Between the cherubims – Between love and power, above a foundation of justice. "The Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims." (2 Sam. 6:2) T124
Shine forth – A bright light represented Jehovah's presence. T123
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| 2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up thy strength, And come! to our salvation. |
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| 3 O God, bring us back, And light up thy face, That we may be saved. |
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| 4 O Yahweh, God of hosts! How long hast thou been wroth with the prayer of thy people? |
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| 5 Thou hast fed them with the food of tears, And hast caused them to drink the water of weeping in threefold abundance. |
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| 6 Thou dost make us an object of contention to our neighbours, And, our foes, find mockery for themselves. |
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| 7 O God of hosts, bring us back, And light up thy face, That we may be saved. |
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| 8 A vine out of Egypt, thou didst remove, Thou didst cast out nations, and plant it; |
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| 9 Thou didst make a clear space before it, So it rooted well its roots, and filled up the land; |
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| 10 Covered were the mountains with its shade, And, with its boughs, the mighty cedars. |
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| 11 It thrust forth its branches as far as the sea,–And, unto the River, its shoots. |
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| 12 Wherefore hast thou broken down its fences, So that all who pass along the way, pluck its fruit? |
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| 13 The boar out of the forest, browseth upon it, And, the wild beast of the field, pastureth thereon. |
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| 14 O God of hosts, return, we pray thee,–Look down out of the heavens, and see, And inspect this vine:
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| 15 Yea the stock which thy right hand planted, Even upon the son thou didst secure for thyself. |
And the vineyard – "The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel." (Isa. 5:7) R1795:3, R5504:3
Right hand – The vine of the Father's right-hand planting, the fruitage of which is the character-likeness of Christ. R5505:5
And the branch – He will not look for ripe clusters on the new branch, or even green grapes, but for the small indication of the fruit-bud; and subsequently, the blossoming of these in flower. F170
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| 16 To be burned with fire, it is cut down,–At the rebuke of thy countenance, they will perish. |
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| 17 Let thy hand be, Upon the Man of thy right hand, Upon the Son of Man thou didst secure for thyself; |
Of thy right hand – Position of power and authority. A92
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| 18 So will we not draw back from thee, Thou wilt bring us to life, And, on thy Name, will we call. |
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| 19 O Yahweh, God of hosts! bring us back, Light up thy face, That we may be saved. |
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