Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 80:16
[It is] burned with fire, [it is] cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.
16. The gender of the word shews that it refers to the vine. Cut down, as fit for nothing but fuel. Cp. Isa 33:12; Eze 15:4.
they perish &c.] The figure is dropped. The Israelites perish, for God has not merely hidden His face, but turned it upon them in anger.
It has been conjectured that there has been some displacement of the text, and various rearrangements have been proposed. Thus Cheyne would read the verses in this order: 11, 14, 15, 12, 13, 16. Let them perish will then refer to Israel’s enemies. Then too there may have been some confusion between 15 b and 17 b.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
It is burned with fire – That is, the vineyard. This is a description of the desolations that had come upon the nation, such as would come upon a vineyard if it were consumed by fire.
It is cut down – It has been made desolate by fire and by the axe.
They perish at the rebuke of thy countenance – At the frown on thy face, as if God has only to look upon people in anger, and they perish. The word they refers to those who were represented by the vine which had been brought out of Egypt – the people of the land.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
It is burned with fire, to wit, thy vineyard or branch.
They perish; thy people of Israel, signified by the vine. So now he passeth from the metaphor to the thing designed by it.
At the rebuke of thy countenance; through the effects of thine anger, without which their enemies could do them no hurt.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. itthe “vine” or
theythe “people”are suffering from Thy displeasure.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
It is burnt with fire, it is cut down,…. That is, the vine of Israel, and the branch before spoken of, alluding to a vine, and its branches; which, when become unprofitable, are cut down or cut off, and cast into the fire; see Joh 15:6, so Jerusalem and the temple were burnt with fire by Nebuchadnezzar, and afterwards by Vespasian:
they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance; that is, the Israelites, signified by the vine, whose destruction was owing to the wrath of God upon them for their sins; he frowned upon them, and rebuked them in his hot displeasure, and to that their ruin was owing; others were only instruments in his hands. Some understand this as a wish or imprecation, let them that cut down the vine, and burn it with fire, perish at the rebuke of thy countenance; see Ps 68:1, so the Targum.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
16 It is burnt with fire. The calamities of the people are now more clearly expressed. (399) It had been said that the Lord’s vine was abandoned to the wild beasts, that they might lay it waste. But it was a greater calamity for it to be consumed with fire, rooted up and utterly destroyed. The Israelites had perfidiously apostatised from the true religion; but, as has been previously observed, they were still a part of the Church. We are accordingly warned by this melancholy example, of the severity of the punishment due to our ingratitude, especially when it is joined with obstinacy, which prevents the threatenings and rebukes of God, however sharp and severe they may be, from being of any benefit to us. Let us also learn from the same example, when the Divine anger is blazing all around, and even when we are in the midst of its burning flames, to cast all our sorrows into the bosom of God, who, in a wonderful manner, raises up his Church from the gulf of destruction. He would assuredly be ready not only to exercise without interruption his favor towards us, but also to enrich us with his blessings more and more, did not our wickedness hinder him. As it is impossible for him not to be angry at the many offenses which we have committed, it is an evidence of unparalleled mercy for him to extinguish the fire which we ourselves have kindled, and which has spread far and wide, and to save some portion or remnant of the Church, or, to speak more properly, to raise up even from the very ashes a people to call upon his name. It is again repeated that the Church perished not by the strength and arms of her enemies, but at the rebuke of God’s countenance. Never can we expect any alleviation of our punishment, unless we are fully persuaded that we are justly chastised by the hand of God. It was a good sign of the repentance of these Israelites that, as is observed in Isa 9:12, “they looked to the hand of him who smote them.”
(399) Under the same allegorical imagery the Prophet Ezekiel represents the afflicted state of his country, (Eze 19:10.)
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(16) It is burned.This verse would certainly be far more intelligible, and also fit better into the rhythm, if it followed immediately after Psa. 80:13. The poet, while complaining that God fumed with anger while Israel prayed, would scarcely speak of themselves as perishing under His rebuke, which, in Psa. 76:6, is used of His attitude towards foes actually contending against Him. But if we read Psa. 80:13; Psa. 80:16 together, we avoid this:
The boar out of the wood doth waste it
And the wild beast of the field doth devour it:
It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
Let them (the beasts) perish at the rebuke of thy
countenance.
(See also Note to next verse.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. It is burned with fire cut down As the tender vines are devoured by fire, so the nation had been wasted by foreign war and internal broils. The twofold figure of cutting and burning seems borrowed from Isa 33:12, “As thorns cut up, shall they be burned with fire.” The predominant figure of the vine here begins to yield to the literal application, which further discovers itself in Psa 80:17-18
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 80:16
Ver. 16. They perish ] Scilicet palmites, et propagines, Psa 80:10-11 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
burned: Psa 79:5, Isa 27:11, Eze 20:47, Eze 20:48, Joh 15:6
perish: Psa 39:11, Psa 76:6, Psa 76:7, Psa 90:7, 2Th 1:9
Reciprocal: Job 22:4 – reprove Psa 9:3 – they shall Psa 44:3 – light Psa 68:2 – as wax Psa 90:8 – in the Jer 11:16 – with Eze 15:4 – it is cast Eze 19:12 – she was Eze 19:14 – she hath Mat 3:10 – is hewn 1Pe 3:12 – but
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 80:16. It is burned with fire, &c. Namely, thy vineyard or branch; since, upon our provoking sins, thou hast withdrawn thy mercy from us, the enemies have broken in upon us, and great numbers of us are destroyed already, and may be compared to the numerous branches of a remaining stock, which, being cut off, are burned with fire. They perish Namely, thy people of Israel, signified by the vine. So now he passes from the metaphor to the thing signified by it. At the rebuke of thy countenance Through the effects of thine anger, without which our enemies could do us no hurt.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
80:16 [It is] burned with fire, [it is] cut down: they perish at the {m} rebuke of thy countenance.
(m) Only when you are angry and not of the sword of the enemy.