Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 80:3
Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
3. Turn us again ] Usually taken to mean bring us back from exile, or more generally, restore us: repair our broken fortunes. Cp. Psa 60:1. But is it not rather an allusion to Ephraim’s prayer in Jer 31:18, interpreted in Lam 5:21 in a spiritual sense? National repentance is the condition of national restoration; and it must be God’s own work. Make us return to Thee, and return to us ( Psa 80:14) with Thy favour as of old; then and not till then shall we be saved.
cause thy face to shine ] Shew us Thy favour as of old: words borrowed from the great Aaronic benediction, Num 6:25. Cp. Psa 4:6.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Turn us again – This phrase in our translation would seem to mean, Turn us again from our sins, or, Bring us back to our duty, and to thy love; and this idea is commonly attached to the phrase probably by the readers of the Bible. But this, though in itself an appropriate prayer, is not the idea here. It is simply, Bring us back; cause us to return; restore us. The idea thus suggested would be either
(a) restore us to our former state of prosperity; that is, Cause these desolations to cease; or
(b) bring us back, as from captivity, to our own land; restore us to our country and our homes, from which we have been driven out.
Thus understood, it would be properly the language of those who were in captivity or exile, praying that they might be restored again to their own land.
And cause thy face to shine – Be favorable or propitious to us. Let the frown on thy countenance disappear. See the notes at Psa 4:6.
And we shall be saved – Saved from our dangers; saved from our troubles. It is also true that when God causes his face to shine upon us, we shall be saved from our sins; saved from ruin. It is only by his smile and favor that we can be saved in any sense, or from any danger.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. Turn us again] hashibenu, convert or restore us. There are four parts in this Psalm, three of which end with the above words; see the third, seventh, and nineteenth verses; and one with words similar, Ps 80:14.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Turn us again; either,
l. To our former quiet and flourishing estate; or,
2. To thyself, from whom Ephraim and Manasseh with the rest of the ten tribes have apostatized. See the like prayer of Elijah for them, 1Ki 18:37.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. Turn usthat is, fromcaptivity.
thy face to shine (Nu6:25).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Turn us again, O God,…. From our captivity, as the Targum, into our own land; or return us backsliding sinners to thyself by repentance; turn us, and we shall be turned; for the prayer shows it was not in their power, but must be effected by the grace of God; or restore our souls, which have been wandering, and them to their former flourishing and comfortable condition:
and cause thy face to shine; grant thy gracious presence, lift up the light of thy countenance; favour with the manifestations of thyself, the enjoyment of thee, and communion with thee through Christ; indulge us with the discoveries of thy love, the joys of salvation, the comforts of the Spirit, and larger measures of grace:
and we shall be saved; be in a very happy and comfortable condition; see Ps 4:6.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
3 Turn us again, O God! The meaning of this prayer is, Restore us to our former state. They had petitioned, in the preceding verse, that God would stir up his strength in the sight of Ephraim and Manasseh; and now they complain that they are but castaways until God succor them, and remedy their miserable dispersion. Some understand the words, turn us again, in a different way; namely, as a prayer that God would bestow upon them the spirit of regeneration. But this interpretation being too refined, it will be better, adhering to the former sense, to view the expression as meaning that the faithful, under the adversity with which they were afflicted, betake themselves to God, whose peculiar work it is to restore life to the dead. They acknowledge, on the one hand, that all their miseries were to be traced to this as their cause, that God, being angry on account of their sins, hid his face from them; and, on the other hand, they expect to obtain complete salvation solely through the Divine favor. It will be to us, they say, a resurrection indeed, if once thy countenance shine upon us. Their language implies, that provided God extended his mercy and favor to them, they would be happy, and all their affairs would prosper.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) Turn us againi.e., restore us, not necessarily with reference to the Captivity, but generally, restore us to our pristine prosperity.
Cause thy face to shine.The desert encampment and march is still in the poets thought. As in Psa. 67:1 (see Note) we have here a reminiscence of the priestly benediction.
Saved.Or, helped. This verse constitutes the refrain.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Turn us again Bring us back, or, cause us to return. Here, again, is the office of the “Shepherd of Israel.” In Psa 80:1, he “ leads Joseph like a flock;” now he is called to bring back the strayed ones. Thus the same word Psa 23:3, “He restoreth [ bringeth back ] my soul.” It was the first want of the nation, and the first specified act of that saving strength invoked in the previous verse. Unquestionably the word , ( shoobh,) “turn,” is to be taken in the fullest sense of restoration, politically and spiritually. Nothing less than this would be equal to the national want or the impassioned language of the psalm. The word is often used spiritually in the sense of convert, as Psa 19:7; Psa 51:13; Isaiah 4:7; Eze 18:21; Eze 18:28; Mal 2:6
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 80:3. Turn us again, O God There are evidently four parts in this psalm; all of which conclude with this verse, or with one varying very little from it. In the first, the Psalmist intreats God to assist them, as he formerly did their forefathers. In the second, he beseeches him to have compassion upon their miserable condition. In the third, not to forsake those now, for whom he had already done so much: and the fourth concludes with a prayer for their king, and a promise of future obedience, as a grateful return for God’s favours. Instead of turn us, Mudge reads very properly, restore us.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 80:3 Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Ver. 3. Turn us again ] Turn again our captivity, or show thyself reconciled unto us in Christ, who is here called the face of God, as some conceive.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Turn us again. Figure of speech Cycloides (App-6) governing the Structure. Compare verses: Psa 80:7, Psa 80:19. Not from captivity, but from idolatry to the true worship.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4. Note the significant order: Psa 80:3, “O God”; Psa 80:7, “O God of hosts”; Psa 80:19, “0 Jehovah, God of hosts”. This Divine order rebukes our own loose use of the Divine titles; and shows us the importance of noting their Divine use, not heeding modern hypotheses.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Turn us: Psa 80:7, Psa 80:19, Psa 85:4, 1Ki 18:37, Jer 31:18, Jer 31:19, Lam 5:21
cause: Psa 80:1, Psa 4:6, Psa 67:1, Psa 119:135, Num 6:25, Num 6:26
Reciprocal: Jos 10:42 – because Psa 31:16 – Make Psa 90:17 – And let Isa 64:12 – General Dan 9:17 – cause
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 80:3. Turn us again He means, either to our former quiet and flourishing state; or, to thyself, from whom Ephraim and Manasseh, with the rest of the ten tribes, have apostatized. See a similar prayer of Elijah for them, 1Ki 18:37. Instead of, Turn us, Mudge reads, Restore us, which is equally agreeable to the original word, , hashibenu. There are evidently four parts in this Psalm; all of which conclude with this verse, or with one varying very little from it. In the first, the psalmist entreats God to assist them, as he formerly did their forefathers. In the second, he beseeches him to have compassion upon their miserable condition. In the third, not to forsake those now for whom he had already done so much; and in the fourth, concludes with a prayer for their king, and a promise of future obedience, as a grateful return for Gods favours. Dodd.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
80:3 {c} Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
(c) Join your whole people, and all your tribes together again.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
This cry for restoration is a refrain that the writer also used in Psa 80:7; Psa 80:19. The figure of the face shining on another suggests favorable inclination toward that one (cf. Psa 4:6; Num 6:25).