The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches.
This psalm was composed for the ten tribes after their kingdom began to waste away. The psalmist names Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh deliberately: these three tribes followed closest behind the ark in the wilderness march, and so they call upon God who dwelt between the cherubim to remember His ancient faithfulness and restore them.
AI summary
Commenting on Psalm 80:1-19
"The hills were covered with the shadow of it." Israel dwelt up the mountains' summits, cultivating every foot of soil. The nation multiplied and became so great that other lands felt its influence, or were shadowed by it. "And the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars." The nation itself was so great that even its tribes were powerful and worthy to take rank among the mighty.
The Church is like a vine: weak, needing support, outwardly unpromising, yet spreading and fruitful with the most excellent fruit. God swept the nations away like dirt with the besom of destruction to make room for it, and then caused it to strike deep root through a firm establishment of government and worship that no enemy could upraise.
AI summary
Commenting on Psalm 80:8-19