Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.
Parallel translations
- WEB For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm by Asaph. Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock, you who sit above the cherubim, shine out.
- BSB For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm of Asaph. Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth
- NKJV Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!
- NASB Listen, Shepherd of Israel, Who leads Joseph like a flock; You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!
- NLT Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph’s descendants like a flock. O God, enthroned above the cherubim, display your radiant glory
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Asaph calls on God, the Shepherd of Israel enthroned above the cherubim, to shine forth and save. It is a plea for God's saving presence to be revealed.
Overview
The psalm opens by invoking God as 'Shepherd of Israel' who leads Joseph and is enthroned 'above the cherubim,' a reference to His presence over the ark. The prayer asks Him to 'shine out,' to manifest His glory and deliverance. This longing for God to reveal His saving face is answered in Christ, in whom the glory of God shines (2 Corinthians 4:6).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 36
- Rev 21:23And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
- Ps 77:20Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
- Ps 50:2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
- Ps 99:1The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
- 1 Pet 2:25For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
- Ps 80:7Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
- Ezek 34:23And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
- Isa 63:11Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?
- 2 Sam 6:2And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.
- 1 Sam 4:4So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
- Ezek 10:4Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’s glory.
- Isa 60:1Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
- Ps 23:1–2The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
- Heb 13:20Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
- Isa 49:9–10That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
- John 10:3–4To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
- Ps 78:52But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
- Ps 45:1My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
- Ps 69:1Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.
- Ps 78:67Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
- Ps 80:19Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
- Ps 80:3Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
- Job 10:3Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
- Dan 9:17Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.
- Ezek 43:2And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
- John 10:14I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
- Deut 33:2And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.
- Ps 5:1Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
- Ps 94:1O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.
- Ps 55:1Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
- 1 Pet 5:4And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
- Ezek 1:13As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
- Ps 60:1O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
- Isa 40:11He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
- Exod 25:20–22And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
- 2 Kgs 19:15And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 80:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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