Psalm 80 (79):3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He is enthroned upon the Cherubim. The Cherubim represent the majestic throne of divine glory and embody the fullness of wisdom. Here, God resides, embodying complete knowledge. While we consider Cherubim to denote the loftiest powers and virtues of heaven, one could also aspire to be cherubim. If the Cherubim constitute the throne of God, heed what Scripture conveys: the spirit of a righteous person serves as the seat of wisdom. You may wonder, how can I attain such fullness of knowledge? Who will bring it to fruition? The means are at hand: love is the fulfillment of the Law (Rom. 13:10). Do not seek after excess, nor exert yourselves unduly. The enormity of the branches may daunt you; instead, hold fast to the root and do not dwell on the vastness of the tree. Allow love to reside within you, and the fullness of knowledge will undoubtedly follow. For what does one who understands love lack? As previously stated, God is love (1 Jn. 4:8).

Therefore, reveal Yourself. We have wandered astray, for You have not made Your presence known. Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh (Ps. 79:2), I implore You to appear before the Jewish people, before the nation of Israel. For there exists Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin. Let us interpret their names: Ephraim the fruitful, Benjamin the son of the right hand, and Manasseh the one who causes forgetfulness. Yet, may You manifest before the fruitful one and before the son of the right hand; may You show Yourself to the one who forgets, so he may remember and may come to understand, You who have redeemed him.

For You were indeed powerless when it was stated, “If he were the Son of God, let Him come down from the cross” (Matt. 27:40). It seemed that You lacked strength; the persecutor held power over You. You demonstrated this before, for even Jacob was vanquished in his contest, the man with the angel. Would the angel have allowed it to occur if he had not chosen to submit? The man prevailed, and the angel was subdued; the man who triumphed grasped the angel and vowed, "I will not let you go until you bless me" (Gen. 32:26). A profound mystery! He is both conquered and yet bestows blessing upon the victor. Conquered willingly; weak in humanity, yet strong in divinity. Crucified in frailty, yet rising in power (2 Cor. 13:4). Arise with Your might and come to deliver us.

It is noted that these three individuals symbolize the entire people, so that through Joseph's intercession, God might extend mercy to His children and to his brother’s lineage. Although Manasseh was Joseph's elder son, Moses always mentions Ephraim, the younger, first, as Jacob favored him and bestowed upon him a greater blessing. Benjamin is included with the sons of Joseph due to his familial connection to Joseph and the timing of his birth. David emulates Moses in this arrangement, placing Ephraim prior to Manasseh and associating Benjamin with him. The tribe of Levi was designated for divine service, which resulted in the tribe of Manasseh being assigned to military duties, thus placing Manasseh last as a half-tribe and inferior to Benjamin. Meanwhile, the tribe of Benjamin is mentioned after Ephraim as it is the weaker of the two. However, these three tribes are highlighted as particularly valiant compared to others. Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, are honored as fathers out of respect for Joseph. Athanasius remarks that during the procession of the twelve tribes, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun marched ahead of the ark, while Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh followed behind it. The glory of God resided in the golden, sharpened cherubim, leading them on their journey. Thus, as the divine Word symbolized by the mercy seat, who holds divine authority and leads before the tabernacle, show Yourself to us as You combat our enemies and confront those who oppose us. Isychius declares that the true shepherd of Israel is Christ, who refers to Himself as the good shepherd, guiding those who desire to see God and leading Joseph, symbolizing the Gentiles, as "Joseph" signifies the Lord’s addition, joining Gentiles to the Jews. Furthermore, God’s presence on the cherubim signifies the accumulation of knowledge; that is the essence of the cherubim. They are those enlightened, as proclaimed by the prophet, through the light of understanding. This One who reigns as a king upon the cherubim is called upon by the saints to manifest His presence before those who bear the fruits of righteousness, as Ephraim represents fruitfulness, and to stand before those who have attained the status of the right hand of God through virtuous deeds, as Benjamin signifies the son of the right hand. Additionally, He is sought to appear before those who have forsaken their sinful ways, akin to Manasseh, whose name means forgetfulness. Let Your might rise and come to our salvation. The Lord commands us to awaken His remarkable power on our behalf, for this power has seemingly slumbered due to His overwhelming patience. We have noted previously that ancient Scripture often expresses God’s actions in a manner familiar to human experience, to aid the understanding of those who are unrefined, as seen in the words from Psalms 6:2: “Lord, reprove me not in Your anger.” Cyril states that this declaration was made prophetically, and its fulfillment is realized in us who have reached the latter days; for in these last moments, the only-begotten Word of God became flesh. Here, the prophet implores the Lord to ascend to heaven, reclaiming those who have turned away from Him, even when I was in despair. He also mentions that when the Son, identified as the very face of the Father, radiated upon them, He served as the image and embodiment of the Father’s essence, through whom the splendor of God is fully manifested. It is then that we turned from our empty lives, once inherited from our ancestors, to the living and true God. Thus, resting upon the cherubim conveys dwelling among the highest powers, while coming to us represents the divine act of creation and the unfathomable burden of love.

By referencing specific tribes, he encompasses all the people of Israel, to whom the incarnate Christ came from above; thus, he implores, “show Thy power.” This may also reflect that, having previously held a distorted view of Him, they began to turn towards Him upon witnessing His true nature.

To elaborate on his plea for God’s attention, he continues by saying, Awaken Your power and come to deliver us, indicating that He should rescue them from their current trials. To enable this, He must rouse His authority, which seems dormant when He allows wicked oppressors to afflict and distress them. For this reason, approach us with Your mighty assistance and lead us to salvation. It is worth noting the phrase ‘Sitting on the Cherubim,’ which underscores God’s incredible love for humanity. He humbles Himself in a unique way to descend to their level, choosing a throne and abode on earth rather than remaining distant in heaven. Although it cannot truly be said that He is confined to any space, for He cannot be contained even in the highest heavens (Hebrews 12:18), He is positioned between the two Cherubim, ensuring that the faithful understand He is not far from them and encouraging them to draw near to Him without hesitation.

The testimony of Asaph is significant as this psalm was entrusted to him, enabling him to deliver a prophetic message about the imminent downfall of Jerusalem and the establishment of the Holy Church, grounded in the grace of Christ the Savior, a church so steadfast that the gates of hell will not overcome it (Matthew 16:18). Shepherding Israel is none other than Jesus Christ, who declared, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). Israel represents all the faithful in Christ, while Joseph symbolizes the purity of those who live righteously, and the Cherub signifies the multitude of reason or the culmination of wisdom, in which God resides in a manner that defies comprehension.